The Forces of Horror Anthology: Volume I (2020) User Reviews

A Generous 3 But I Had Fun With It

[LovecraftLass · 3/10 · 17 December 2019]

I have to say that I wasn't impressed with it at first. The opening credits looked like a very cheap tv show opening. I also wasn't too impressed with the first ten minutes or so. It was a man and girl in a sparsely decorated room and the acting was a bit clunky. But I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. I can't lie, the three stars is a bit generous but the movie overall was more enjoyable than I had expected it to be. The acting was a bit clunky throughout, the make-up effects were cheap and some of the effects were laughable (particularly the sped up footage). So why a 3 rating? It was interesting, dammit and oddly charming. The quality wasn't top notch but you could tell they tried hard and some parts were genuinely funny.

Forces of Horror is an anthology split up into four different stories with a framing device of a little girl telling a therapist her nightmares. The framing device was an interesting idea and you could tell the little girl was giving the acting her all. The segments are unnamed, which is unusual, so I'll name them myself.

Reaper: The first is Reaper, a story about an adoption and the family the little girl belongs to. This was an interesting start and it had a twist at the end that I thought they cheated with a little bit. It was decent, though.

The Zombie Next Door: This was by far the most entertaining segment of them all. The effects were a bit 'eh' but the story was pretty damn funny.

Monsters in the Closet: This was probably the weakest segment. It was a little on the dull side and the effects weren't the greatest.

Killers: This segment was decent enough. The effects and the acting were a bit better (except for the 'fast motion', it looked ridiculous) and it was entertaining.

There are some unanswered questions at the end. I don't know if they just forgot or what but (possible spoiler) It sounds like the therapist made some kind of deal for his 'fantasy' and now it's time to collect, I guess? Not sure what his fantasy was exactly or what the picture at the end was supposed to mean. If any of you are brave enough to watch it maybe you can tell me.

So, all in all, if you have a free hour (it's pretty short) it's worth a watch, just for the zombie segment alone.

Underwhelming, but not without a certain charm.

[genowhirl · 3/10 · 16 May 2023]

This anthology definitely has an innocent made-for-TV/ straight-to-DVD vibe to it, and seems like a good introduction to horror for a younger audience. The scripting, acting, production quality, and practical effects fall several steps below the Goosebumps TV show that aired on Nickelodeon, if that gives you an idea.

Plain and simple, Forces of Horror doesn't offer any legitimately horrifying experiences. But it does have some interesting ideas that would probably do well if taken on by a crew with a much larger budget and higher production value. It's got a sort of labor-of-love charm to it that is most likely the film's only saving grace.

My goodness, the audio mixing is utterly terrible! Mostly in 'The Jones" segment. It'll be fine as long as the actors are only talking, but the minute a scream comes out it resounds through the room with a piercing howl. You don't want the volume turned up too high for this one, trust me. That said, if you don't have it turned up then you might not hear everything. At times, especially during the opening scene, the volume is way too low.

Libby: The wraparound. Struggling to adjust to her new adopted family, Libby begins seeing a therapist, conveying to him 4 recurring nightmares.

Revelations: They've adopted a "Reaper," and she must get what she wants, or else.

The Jones: Tensions rise between two families of zombies when the law dictates whose non-zombie children get eaten and when.

Rawhead: A young girl must contend with "Rawhead," the monster in her closet.

The Origin of Species: When their car breaks down, a father and his daughter seek help from the locals, and get a bit more than they bargained for.