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THE GALLOWS (2015) MOVIE NEWS & REVIEW

THE gallows (2015) movie

Genre | Horror Thriller

Classification | MA 15+

Running time | 81 minutes

Released | 23 July 2015

cast

Reese Mishler ... Reese Houser
Pfeifer Brown ... Pfeifer Ross
Ryan Shoos ... Ryan Shoos
Cassidy Gifford ... Cassidy Spilker
Travis Cluff ... Mr. Schwendiman

director

Travis Cluff & Chris Lofing

writer

Chris Lofing ... (written by) &
Travis Cluff ... (written by)

cinematographer

Edd Lukas

music

Zach Lemmon

film editor

Chris Lofing

box office result

Worldwide $42,964,410

Australia $736,731

North America $22,764,410

the best dialogue

News Reporter: [t.v within maintenance suddenly blares on before Reese, Pfeiffer, Cassidy and Ryan] Beatrice High School senior Charlie Grimille died tragically during the high school's presentation of The Gallows.

Reese Houser: Don't say his name!

Cassidy Spilker: I'm sorry Reese can you just explain what it is about Pfeiffer? Cause I don't see it, I don't get it and I'm pretty sure you don't get it, right babe?

[indicating to Ryan in the front seat from the back]

THE GALLOWS (2015) MOVIE IMAGES

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Posters

Images

Posters

THE GALLOWS (2015) STORY SYNOPSIS

In 1993, a freak accident involving a noose kills teenager Charlie Grimille during a high-school production of "The Gallows." Twenty years later, on the eve of the play's revival, students Reese (Reese Mishler), Pfeifer (Pfeifer Brown), Ryan (Ryan Shoos) and Cassidy become trapped in the auditorium, with no way of calling for help. A night of terror awaits the four friends as they face the wrath of a malevolent and vengeful spirit. It seems Charlie will have his curtain call after all.

THE GALLOWS (2015) MOVIE REVIEW

Reviewed by Mark Geraghty | Review date 22 July 2015
Pop Movee Rating ⭐⭐

THE GALLOWS is another low-budget, found footage horror movie from the Jason Blum stable, the 21st century Hollywood's answer to Roger Corman. Written and directed by first-time feature film makers Tarvis Cluff and Chris Lofing, THE GALLOWS feels like one bridge too far in terms of the found footage sub-genre. There's not a great deal that's new, but you have to admire Cluff and Lofing for getting major studio backing, via Blum, for an expanded version of a self- financed, one-step-above student video production.

THE GALLOWS is about four students who become trapped, by forces unknown, in their school theatre hall on the 20th anniversary of the death of a boy who died at the end of the Beatrice, Nebraska High School production of the titular student production. Despite a running time of a mere 80 minutes, there's a great deal of filler in the first half of the film. Senior school student Ryan (Ryan Shoos) is hell-bent on making his friend Reese's (Reese Mishler) life a misery for choosing to be part of the recreation of “The Gallows” instead of investing his time in the High School football team. Herein lies the fundamental flaw of using found footage exclusively for this film. Not for a minute does it feel authentic in any way shape or form that Ruan would follow his friend around 24-7 cam-cording every single minute of what's going on. Ryan's first person point-of-view gives the viewer immediate access to his personality and it simply does not ring true that he would be the type of person who could be bothered with the type of activity that the script bestows him with. There's also a problem with Ryan being the primary storyteller as horror film convention clearly places his character at the top of the body count list when events finally take a turn down the path of supernatural mayhem.

THE GALLOWS improves with the introduction of both Pfeifer (Pfeifer Brown) and Cassidy (Cassidy Gifford), playing the boy's respective love interests. The girl's add a high level of scream appeal, with Cassidy Gifford giving her all in, arguably, the film's most natural and effective performance. Pfeifer Brown is earnest in her portrayal of her character but there's something just a touch off about her performance that may or may not have something to do with the fact that she's the nerdy theatre chick who just wants to do justice to her version of “The Gallows” performance to help heal a dark chapter in the school's past.
The script holds together okay, but there are the usual character lapses that form the horror genre's standard tropes. Going into the dark on your own; disregarding strange events; failing to ask vital questions at critical moments. They're all on hand in THE GALLOWS. Cluff and Lofing do manage to use the school's theatre hall to good effect, with the tiers of the stage creating a sense of danger. The viewer is not quite sure if the next danger could come from above or below the stage itself, as a siege mentality descends upon the group as they try and fend off whatever it is that is pursuing them.

Despite its limitations, THE GALLOWS is not the worst supernatural horror thriller to grace movie screens. (In 2015, that title well and truly belongs to UNFRIENDED!) THE GALLOWS would have been far more effective had it been shot as a normal film, with an added measure of thought given to capturing the action with camera set-ups that make it easier for the viewer to follow the action and receive the full impact of the scares. As it plays out, the viewer starts to become incredulous toward the story because the film’s suspension of reality is interrupted by video camera and mobile phone batteries constantly running out in order to remind the people that this is – indeed – a found footage film! Having said that, the feel-good behind-the-scenes story of how Cluff and Lofing came to make THE GALLOWS does provide a level of hope for aspiring film-makers who are prepared to persist that, irrespective of how it gets filmed, if you’ve got the footage in the can, there’s every chance you can get your film released.