Joe is your typical horror-crazed guy who simply wants his good scares for the Halloween season. When the haunted houses he forcefully takes his girlfriend to fail to deliver any real scares, he considers turning to Fear Inc. Fear Inc is a company where (for a butt load of money) they will deliver customized scares just for you. After a drunken and drugged up night with friends, Joe makes the decision to call Fear Inc despite warnings about the company. When the “games” begin, Joe is having time of his life–even if everyone else is scared shitless. But things turn grim when the fine line between what’s real and what’s fabricated blurs. Fear Inc is a horror comedy that is guaranteed to make you laugh while simultaneously putting you on the edge of your seat.

The directing, the writing, the acting, and most importantly the story, all combines to make a movie that is a pure joy to watch.

Director Vincent Masciale proves a well-made movie can, in fact, be shot in just 16 days. It’s astonishing to think this is his first feature length film. Also new to feature length is Masciale’s right-hand man, writer Luke Barnett. The two have worked alongside each other for various projects, and it’s evident that they know what they’re doing as far as comedy is concerned; since most of their work has been firmly within that realm. But it’s both shocking and pleasant to see just how tastefully they include so many references to both classic and modern horror movies when they’ve never worked in the genre before.

the entire cast delivers both in the horror and the comedy department

I have to give Barnett a standing ovation on his writing skills. This is one of those stories where you’re supposed to question everything…and you will. It is extremely tough for a writer to capture this, but Barnett does it effortlessly. The story is fairly simple, but the way it’s told is what makes this one an especially fun one to watch. It’s a perfect mesh between The Cabin in the Woods, Final Girls, and The Game –even if the final act takes a bit of a tonal shift.

it’s also both shocking and pleasant to see how tastefully they included many references to both classic and modern horrors movies

All of that said, none of that strong writing matters if you don’t have a strong cast to accompany it, and I can safely say that the everyone involved rises to the occasion. Sure the acting feels cheesy at times, but it fits the story. Joe, played by Lucas Neff, absolutely nails his role. The directing, the writing, the acting, and most importantly the story, all combines to make a movie that is a pure joy to watch.

Fear Inc will be available on VOD and limited theaters October 21, 2016.

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