Never Hike Alone (2017) User Reviews

Never Hike Alone: Very impressive fan film

[Platypuschow · 7/10 · 18 March 2018]

Not that you'd know by the cover but Never Hike Alone is a Friday 13th fan film, in fact it's hard to believe since the whole thing looks so darn professional.

It tells the story of a guy making a video for his social media site, he's travelling through the forest and comes across the remnants of an all too familiar camp. Before he knows it he's being pursued by everyones favorite hockey mask wearing psychopath.

Now again let's be clear this doesn't look like a fan film and if you didn't know better could almost be confused with being an actual entry into the franchise.

Standing at around the 50 minute mark with fantastic production quality and including the return of Tommy Jarvis (Played by franchise alumni Thom Mathews) this is very impressive.

As much as I like Jason I've tended to find the Friday 13th series quite underwhelming. For the most part I've never thought they were bad, just not as monumental as most believe themselves. This however is very respectable and I'd love to see the creators get their hands on funds to make a feature movie (Even if it is about Jason).

The cast do a solid job, it's well scored and I'd consider it essential viewing for fans of the franchise.

The Good:

Looks and sounds considerably too good to be a "Fan film"

The Bad:

Jason was far too small

Weak ending

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Recording yourself breaking the law and then uploading it onto your social media page for the world to see makes perfect sense

We need more chokeslams through tables in the movies

Very impressive, well made, but a little flawed the last few minutes

[coolpool-00809 · 7/10 · 14 July 2018]

This film was incredible. Unlike the other films of the series, this impressive piece of work relied mostly on suspense and even some psychological horror rather than a huge kill count, and it succeeds because it actually is pretty scary. But with that said, there are some graphic wounds and there are two deaths. A man gets a hatchet to the chest, he is seen stumbling into the middle of a road and bleeds to death. This is pretty graphic. A girl is pulled put of an ambulance and is bashed against the side of the vehicle off scree, but her corpses is shown from a distance. The ambulance driver is pulled out of the car and is attacked by Jason (offscreen) but he survives. The main character is attacked constantly by Jason. He is stabbed, beaten, even thrown out a second story "door that goes nowhere." They explain it in the movie. Jason even torments him psychologically, appearing in his dreams, including a pretty well made special effect of Jason crushing his head. The hero stabs Jason in the neck with an axe, blue blood leaks from his mask and wound, but it has no real effect on him. I really liked this movie, it was well made and very suspenseful. The only real problem I had was how I felt that the ending was rushed. I didn't understand how Jason didn't kill the ambulance driver, but then again, it could have been that Jason was distracted by his friend trying to help him, but to me it felt like that random biker Jason butchered in Part 3 only for him to somehow be alive at the end without a scratch. But I did overall enjoy this fan film. It was well made, had some pretty cool special effects, and overall a great story line. I did enjoy the modern twists to this film series. It is actually better than most Friday films.

Surprisingly good for a fan film

[Sokywocky · 8/10 · 14 October 2017]

While the official Friday the 13th movie set for release today was cancelled this is a worthy replacement.

This is the best looking Friday the 13th fan film I've ever seen with some simply stunning outdoor cinematography and extremely well- made sets for a tiny budget fan film.

Having the movie be about one person trying to survive against Jason gives the movie a different feel to the original movies. The one on one survival aspect is what makes the movie worth watching as it isn't just a cheaply made Friday the 13th rip-off like most other Friday fan films it's something entirely different; there's more suspense and a focus on survival instead of sex and partying, a welcome change.

The special effects are great; there's a scene where Jason bleeds through the holes in his mask that made me jump forward in my seat, I can't believe they never did that in any of the 11 Friday movies with the mask.

The few kills were fairly lacklustre, save for one kill that takes place in a dream, but this isn't a body count film and I didn't expect there to be any kills at all. The action is really focused on the fight scenes with Jason which were done better than most of the official movies.

A few things that irked me: Jason's mask was totally white, no red triangles, but I assume this was done for legal reasons as I've seen the mask look different elsewhere before (eg. GTA 5 White hockey mask was updated to no longer look like Jason's mask). Jason's footsteps are very loud to the point where it gets annoying, plus a few other sound effects were pretty annoying; why would an axe make a *shiiinnng* sound when being pulled out of dirt?

Overall a fantastic movie that I would rank higher than some of the official Friday the 13th movies, plus it has a wonderful surprise for Friday fans at the end of the movie that leaves the story open for a potential sequel. This film is a must-see for any Friday the 13th fan.

The Little "Fan Film That Could"...And DOES!

[dcscribe8860 · 7/10 · 15 November 2019]

(This film was featured at the Third Annual Sin City Horror Fest.)

Say the phrase "fan film", and usually it's enough to inspire cringing and lots of eye-rolling responses, especially when they're as awful as they can possibly get. But good news! NEVER HIKE ALONE isn't one of them!

A pleasant diversion from the recent legal SNAFUS entangling the FRIDAY franchise, director Di Santi's "love letter to Jason Voorhees" stars DREW LEIGHTY as social media sensation "Kyle McLeod", whose specialty is taking on the Great Outdoors, and photographing his adventures for his fans in real time. His latest hike takes him into uncharted territory, where he decides to cut his traveling time in half, through an area clearly marked with a "NO TRESSPASSING" sign. (There's Red Flag Numero UNO.) It gets really dicey, once he realizes that the actual place he's ventured into is...the spot where a certain camp was once located, and has been attached to some pretty gruesomely legendary stories...stories which he soon discovers were all too true.

With a minimal cast (including a franchise icon whom fans will love seeing), Di Santi manages to keep the suspense taut and gets maximum scares out of the scenario that don't feel cheap or unearned. He also does triple duty here, not just by writing and directing, but also by putting his own spin on Jason, in a way that other "Jason" actors (especially Kane Hodder) would gladly stamp with their 'Seal Of Approval'. And the ending implies a possible sequel...one I personally wouldn't mind seeing one little bit. New Line could do a lot worse than to give Vincente a shot at doing whatever the next installment in the franchise is...he's certainly proven himself with a film that excels beyond what normally passes for a "fan film".

Well done!!

[Marynewcomb2013 · 7/10 · 18 August 2019]

Very surprised at how good this fan film is!!! This is well wrote, shot, edited, directed & acted!!! I have seen some other fan films & this is the only one that is a top notch film!!! Me personally, I think this is better than the franchise movies from part 7 on!! Anyone out there wanting to do their own fan film, watch this one first & see how to do it!! I say this because I watched Return To Crystal Lake before I watched this movie & the first was nothing but a joke!! It's like they just threw together some people and filled in the blanks with those people while filming Return!! That is a very poorly done film!!! Again guys, very well done on Never Hike Alone!!!

Jason Lives...Again!

[joeyljohnson1 · 9/10 · 30 April 2018]

Wow! I have seen a few "fan films" and they can often be fun but amateurish. This flick manages to set the bar very high for any fan films that may follow. If you're a fan of the franchise then you will love this well-made addition. It might not be perfect but it has more heart than a lot of horror movies coming out of Hollywood and deserves accolades. For Jason's sake....give this man a feature film!!

Impressive production

[Stevieboy666 · 7/10 · 15 June 2018]

A hiker takes his camcorder to a nature reserve & embarks on a long hike but soon stumbles across Camp Crystal Lake from Friday the 13th. It may be all dilapidated but he's not alone.... This is a fan movie which could well spell trouble but in this case we get some rather excellent production values. There's much impressive camera work, making great use of the beautiful countryside, it's well acted, packs some suspense and the make -up is of a high quality. It even stars Thom Matthews reprising his role as Tommy Jarvis. The only downside for me was that for most of the film there are only two characters, the hiker and Jason, and even at only 54 minutes long it did feel like an over stretched chase sequence. But that's just a minor quibble. As a fan I'd love to see some new Friday movies but until then this will do nicely. Well done!

Fun way of returning to Camp Crystal Lake

[ksfsu7 · 8/10 · 14 October 2017]

Going into this knowing it was a fan made story and shortened I was sure what to expect but it delivered on a fun way of rediscovering the camp. There were plenty of throwback moments and details that made the wandering around the camp suspenseful and the movie does a great job building until Jason arrives.

The lead actor does a good job making you feel the emotion and keeping the tension up. Once Jason is there we get all the things we love about Friday the 13th movies. The interaction and battle between Jason and the lead were good and kept you in the moment.

The ending falls a little short for me and almost feels out of place compared to the explore and survive that the first 45 minutes did a wonderful job storytelling. There is a cool throwback in the final minutes that fans will love but unfortunately I think it actually takes away from how good the first 45 had been.

If your fan of Friday the 13th movies definitely check this one out and remember if you find yourself at Camp Blood "Run!"

Fan Film Worth Watching

[Foutainoflife · 7/10 · 29 November 2018]

You have to give credit where credit is due. This fan film hits all the right points without being too cheesy or bad acting. It is about a guy who makes outdoor guide videos who just happens to stumble upon Camp Crystal Lake during a hike alone.

There a good things about this. One is that it doesn't feel unnatural when he comes across the camp. The lead actor did a good job of portraying his character without a lot of overacting.

The negative aspects, for me, weren't things that I couldn't overlook. Jason was awfully loud in his movements. That seemed weird for me. You don't see how our main character was able to reach help. It seemed they showed up out of nowhere and I found that weird too.

Even with my few tiny complaints, this ends up being worth the watch.

It's ok if you like movies about walking around

[arachnid-50159 · 1/10 · 1 December 2021]

Meh 😕, Jason lumbers around and some guy avoids it... Coulda done better. It was ok but, staying awake was hard to do. The only reason this film was remotely interesting was the alumni in it.

Kudos for this effort.

[kingjoneva · 8/10 · 20 July 2018]

I saw one bad review and figured that being an indie film maybe this was an honest review and all the other reviews were possibly friends of the filmmakers or cast mates trying to get some positive ratings on IMDB. I'm glad that I decided to take a chance and give this nice little gem a look for myself. I have no idea what that reviewer's problem was, but this was actually a very entertaining fan film. The build up to the confrontation between the main character and Jason was well done. And the fight scenes were actually quite entertaining. I would really like to see what these people are able to accomplish in the future if someone will give them a decent budget and a good script. Well done and keep up the good work.

Honestly better than 90% of the actual films.

[coltoncoatefilm · 7/10 · 31 August 2020]

The only downside is the last few minutes. It had a really strong build and then the actors/writing in the final scene don't match the quality of the rest of the film. Still a great movie. Wish it were longer. Can't wait for the sequels!

Not amused

[awesomelookinggamers · 5/10 · 25 November 2018]

I honestly don't see what people like so much about this movie. It wasn't scary, which usually should be the main premise of a horror movie. The build-up to the jumpscares were lousy and the acting was quite mediocre. All in all, not a great movie.

Solid effort

[goddessofdark-62578 · 1 December 2021]

I watched this one a while back but never reviewed it for some reason. With more and more fan films of Jason coming back I felt like I had to rectify that because this is by far one of the better ones. An interesting premise and solid making and while it might not be as good as a proper Jason movie it is definitely head and shoulders above the others out there.

Flawed but decent

[cstover-28468 · 7/10 · 4 October 2020]

WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

GOOD: For a low-budget fan film, it does a great job of building suspense and making Jason seem actually scary for the first time in a while. Most of the Friday sequels were just downright ridiculous and it's nice to see Jason actually be scary again. The acting from the one and only character is also decent.

BAD: Suffers from some of the same cliche' horror movie lack of realism that many others do. Specifically, the main character spends a lot of time crawling for some reason when there's no reason he can't just get up and run. At one point he gets a cut on his leg which, yeah looks kinda bad and painful, but in no way would it ever stop someone who's running for their life from getting up and continuing to run. But it does and for some reason this gash on his leg causes him to just start crawling, again, instead of getting up and sprinting away as anyone else would do.

Overall, it's far better than most of the Friday sequels and actually helped to reignite my love for the franchise that's really diminished over recent years. Apparently the makers behind this are making a prequel to this film called "Never Hike in the Snow" which I'm excited to see. 7/10

Just a nice fan made movie

[funnycommentor · 6/10 · 26 February 2024]

First of all, when I first watched the official trailer of the movie I kinda liked it, even though I didn't had high expectations about it. Eventually, it wasn't as bad as I had imagined and I kinda enjoyed it. The plot of the movie was kinda interesting, but it was way different than the "Friday The 13th" movies. Sadly, the storyline wasn't well-written, nor well-explained. The main character wasn't interesting, nor well-developed, but he was likeable. The filming location of the movie was mainly into the woods, in camp crystal lake. The casting of the movie was just nice and their performances were descent. Sadly, the killcount of the movie wasn't bloody and most death scenes were done off-screen. However, it was a kinda intense movie and there were some action-filled scenes. Also, it wasn't a scary movie and there weren't any jumpscares, but there were some creepy scenes. I have to admit, the 1st part of the movie was kinda boring and uninteresting. However, the 2nd and 3rd act were both intense and action-filled. Last but not least, the ending scene was kinda unpredictable, but it wasn't very well-explained. Overall, "Never Hike Alone" was just a nice low budget horror film, kinda intense and I would probably recommend it to slasher fans.

This is a fun way to spend an hour.

[snakeman55 · 10/10 · 21 September 2019]

I had low expectations and just loved this. I wish it was feature length.

Best Friday movie since Part 7

[michaelmcpants · 8/10 · 24 July 2018]

I thought this movie was highly well made. Just from a film technicality side, it has a lot to offer. It has some very gorgeous shots. I thought that the color grading was very well done. Our main character's acting was on par or better than most large budget horror films today. The makeup and effects were all on point. All these components make this feel like so much more than a so-called fan-made film.

This take on the Crystal Lake universe should be taken into high consideration for any reboot being considered in the future. I understand there is a legal battle between the franchise and Victor Miller, so that may be a very long ways away (if ever). This is exactly what I was looking for in a reboot film where the past reboot of 2009 fell short in every single way. It threw out any formula that tickled the nostalgia of Jason lovers from generations past. It felt so much more nimble. Which, in turn, made it so much more suspenseful. The nostalgia they did offer up came through a much more organic and fresh take with the usage of the crime scene markers. It gave us a little tour of the notable crime scenes from the past Friday movies.

It did, however, have some shortcomings. Some notable con are continuity errors which are a result of poor writing. Like how the ambulance shows up literally out of nowhere with zero explanation as to how it got there. Our protagonist goes blank out in the middle of nowhere and wakes up fully strapped to a gurney without any connection as to how they got out into the woods or how the found him. This introduction of the paramedics came to viewers with very poor acting from the only characters other than our protagonist and antagonist thus far which really makes the pacing come briefly unhinged. Despite all that, the ambulance became a literal vehicle to shift direction in the film from action thriller to psychological thriller. This could have went very wrong, but ended up making for some of the better content in the movie. In this scene, our director Vincente DiSanti also gives a strong nod to Alfono Cuarón's film adaptation of the novel Children of Men through the use of very well executed first-person view tracking shot that adds a tsunami of suspense as the film reseats itself comfortably in this new direction.

A few other minor notable pitfalls in production I felt took away from the experience that are worth noting are: the sound mixing-particularly Jason's footsteps. Overuse of the "found footage" solo cam. I understand this film technique was probably to help move the story along while also probably help save on budget for some of the filming. At first, it left me a little confused as what type of movie they were going for. I think it could have done with a little less. Also, the camera frame on the go pro made for a little too obvious of a visual cue for when it was found footage. This is really all semantics when looking at the grand scope of this extremely well executed independent made "fan film." I think if this was given the same budget and backing as the 2009 reboot, this would have made for the best Friday movie since the first 3. Kudos to all involved; most especially DiSanti who not only wrote and directed the film, but also slayed it as Jason (pun intended).

A Back To Basics Friday the 13th Film That Packs A Punch

[jasonisageek · 10/10 · 18 October 2017]

We can all agree that most horror franchises lose a fair amount of steam at some point. Michael, Leatherface, Pinhead and Freddy all suffered from too many bad sequels, and Jason is no exception. Honestly, the last great Friday the 13th film was Part 6: Jason Lives.....31 years ago. Sure, people tend to love some of the others that followed for various reasons, but most certainly not because they're great horror films. Enter writer/director/actor Vincente DiSanti, who spearheaded a Kickstarter campaign in 2016 to fund an originally estimated short 22 minute fan-film. With an enticing teaser trailer and fantastic incentives, it's no surprise that they surpassed their goals, which might explain why it turned into a 55 minute film rather than the original 22. Anyway, here we are in October of 2017, with the film brilliantly being released for FREE all over the world on.....wait for it......Friday the 13th! Amazing. Let's dig in.

An avid back country hiker and vlogger, Kyle McLeod, is out hiking on a solo trip when he stumbles upon a deserted camp. He soon discovers that this camp has a brutal history and worse yet, he might not be alone.

Never Hike Alone is hands-down one of the best Friday the 13th films ever made. DiSanti and his crew took all of the fundamental elements that made the franchise so great in the first place and puts a fresh spin on it by incorporating the found footage narrative. But wait! Before you roll your eyes, hear me out. I personally can't stand found footage films. I find them lazy. But the way DiSanti incorporates it into Never Hike Alone works brilliantly. It's only a small tool, and thankfully, most of the film is shot traditionally. Even so, the found footage angle is still done surprisingly well, in that it's not shaky- cam nonsense, which was entirely refreshing. And that's another thing I found surprising here. The film itself is visually impressive. In fact, if you were to judge it purely on the camera-work alone, it's a better looking film than any of the last 6 in the franchise, including Freddy VS Jason. But that's just me. On a technical level, it delivers the goods in every single department; from the sound editing, the score, the effects, the stunts and most importantly, the editing. It's a trim 55 minutes that never overstays it's welcome, and utilizes every second to help push the film further along at a brisk pace.

On a narrative front, the film packs a punch. While the first half does a good job of setting things up in a timely manner, it's really the second half that delivers the slasher goods, and boy you're in for a treat. Every creative and technical decision DiSanti and his crew make bring the film to life in such a startlingly frightening way, that it makes you wonder why filmmakers today can't make films like this anymore. He doesn't bring anything new to the table, other than the found footage angle, but uses the typical slasher tropes to full effect, and in some instances, enhancing certain elements for a much more visceral experience. I don't want to give too much away before you've actually seen it, but needless to say, Vincente DiSanti did his homework. For example, every single time Jason (DiSanti) took a step, it sounded like a giant dinosaur was walking the Earth. You felt every single step. And that brings me to DiSanti's portrayal of Jason. He does a phenomenal job. The guy is big, and he takes on the role with gusto. I'd have to say it's probably one of my favorite Jason's after C.J. Graham in Part 6: Jason Lives. The makeup department also needs to be commended. I loved Jason's "look" in this. Traditional, yet cleaner. Again, it's more in tune with his look in Part 6 than say his zombie-look in Part 7 and 8.

If you've been missing a good traditional slasher, then Never Hike Alone will surely fill that sweet spot. The film was filled with nonstop surprises for me. It's so good in fact that you'll want more. You'll wish they were able to stretch it out for an extra half hour, but trust me when I say that it's a strong 55 minutes and just as long as it needs to be. And wait till you see the surprise at the end. I couldn't believe it. Such a.....awe hell. I'll just let you experience it for yourself. Just a great bombshell in an already great experience. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how good this little crowd-sourced film is compared to big budget studio films in general. Only, it's not just good.....it's GREAT!!

For more cult cinema please visit www.robotGEEKSCultCinema.com

I am bored

[fehmim · 1/10 · 7 April 2019]

I am bored. Not good Not interested Not Noting that

Awesome Fan Film!!!

[Jimmymac2481 · 9/10 · 18 August 2018]

Pretty much the go to fan film!! This is awesome!! I recently shared this movie through my page Facebook page HorrorGeek, with the permission of Vincente DiSanti who not only is an awesome film maker but also a really cool guy!!

Great film

[griffjohnjr · 10/10 · 16 February 2020]

This film plays just like a Friday studio film. Very well done and a great original story. One of the best fan films ever produced.

A Disappointment.

[antiflowers · 2/10 · 23 November 2017]

Horror is the most frustrating genre for me, yet I am completely in love with it, and I keep coming back, desperately wanting it to succeed. When it works, it really works, but most of the time the genre just refuses to produce decent content. I'd say about every four years, there is one or two horror movies worth watching, and as usual, this isn't one of them.

I actually had high hopes for this movie (my standard for horror movies these days are way lower than a normal film, unfortunately) judging by the first ten minutes. After I talked myself into getting past the dumb title, I was willing to give this film a chance, and honestly? The acting and camera work seemed better than what you would normally find in a low budget slasher flick. This excitement I had was shattered pretty quickly. The first thing that was completely idiotic? The main character is inspecting a sign/rope with his back toward the villain as he is getting closer in each frame. Okay, fine, all good. Our main character looks down, and now we see that the villain is about five inches away from the guy. Our main character grabs his knife (only recently noticing the footsteps, for some reason) and turns around. Five inches away, people. Guess what? The villain disappears. Into thin air, nowhere to be seen, and there was absolutely nowhere to hide behind but believe it, it happened. Honestly, this was pretty hard to get past, but alas, I powered through, because I was now viewing this film as a comedy.

Another thing that was absolutely hilarious was the sound editing. It's bad. Really bad. The killer's footsteps were over-dramatic, unnecessary stomping. I mean, really? Not to mention it was always in the killer's POV, like, we get it, the villain is walking towards the main character. No need to raise the volume to level ten for this. Also, any solitary movement the main character makes is very exaggerated.

In another scene, the guy finds an area completely splattered in blood. Guess what? He continues to look around the house. In all of this mess, I will admit, there was something that was actually creepy in here. I don't know what it was. The shots of the bare tree limbs? The main character's expression while looking off into the distant woods? I don't know, but it still couldn't save this movie.

This wasn't even a sixty minute movie, and they still managed to make it absolutely terrible. Horror is something that few are willing to put effort in, I guess. It's a shame, and I can't believe I took the time to write a review about this film, out of all the films.

One of the greatest Fan-Films out there.

[rubenoficial-26130 · 9/10 · 17 September 2019]

Never Hike Alone is a great film. The Characters are interesting, the enviroment is creepy and the quality is amazing to a Fan-Film.

The director made a great story. It's funny and scary in the right times. Of course there is bad points.

Jason is just like the others, but it looks short and in the design inself, there is a not-jason point: the mask. I think is because it very round, not like the other masks.

Kyle is an epic guy and it's very funny. Vicent chosed the right actor. Especially to be a hiker.

I love the personality of Tommy. It's angry, funny and he is a very good actor.

The ending is good. Where all the kills happen, but Kyle in panic in the ambullance and the allucinations is good.

9/10

Well... My review ends here. Bye.

Well, it had potential...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 31 January 2023]

I had the opportunity to sit down and watch the 2017 fan-made "Never Hike Alone" movie again here in 2023, after having first seen it back in 2017. I had entirely forgotten about it, so of course I jumped at the chance to watch it again.

Writers Vincente DiSanti and Nathan McLeod put together a fair enough script. It was a bit too mundane for a "Friday the 13th" movie though. And by that I mean, there just simply wasn't enough mayhem and bloody kills from Jason Voorhees.

"Never Hike Alone" make for a fair enough viewing, but you're not in for an outstanding experience here. And it was sort of hard to really buy into the storyline as Jason had huge problems attempting to kill Kyle, whereas in the original movies, Jason ploughs through his victims like a warm knife through butter.

The acting performances in the movie were good, and it was definitely a nice surprise to see Thom Mathews show up as Tommy Jarvis.

Visually then "Never Hike Alone" was fair enough. Not an over-the-top special effects spectacular here, but there was a nice atmosphere to the movie, which definitely had captured the essence of the "Friday the 13th" franchise. I wasn't much of a fan of the footsteps they opted to go with for Jason's walk, it was just a tad too much. But I will say that the Jason costume was actually quite good.

All in all, watchable, but not a particularly outstanding foray into the franchise, even though it was merely a fan-made movie.

My rating of "Never Hike Alone" lands on a five out of ten stars.