Good morning, House of Madness residents:
How many times have you seen or learned of a problem, and instead of just letting it slide, you stick your nose where it doesn't belong? That clanking coming from behind your garbage cans? Shoulda just ignored that until morning, as now you've gotten yourself doused with skunk sauce - try getting that shit off without smelling like a wet dumpster for a week. That goof at work that always wears two different coloured shoes? Turns out it's a ploy to incite conversation in order to make new friends, and now you're #1 on his hit list for barbecue brothers. When it came to the ten year old cold case of four missing teens in a Malibu cave, paranormal investigators Josh (Dylan Sprayberry), Matt (Robert Bailey Jr.), Ashley (Valentina de Angelis), and Jessica (Rebecca Forsythe) should have left well enough alone as well.
After police have exhausted all avenues and efforts, they finally release the footage left behind on an SD card found in a cave, hoping to get leads to the whereabouts of four missing teens. Going back ten years, four popular high school boys are hiking through the mountains and come across a cave with all sorts of native drawings and writings. As the boys slowly make their way through the cave, it becomes apparent that they're not alone, and some kind of paranormal presence has taken control over them. One by one they meet their fate, yet other than the SD card left behind, not a single trace has been found of their existence.
Armed with a spirit box, a rifle, and all the newest technological gizmos, the paranormal team of Josh, Matt, Ashley, and Jess set out into the cave in search of answers. After sifting through the newly acquired footage, they discover there's more on the SD card than the police had provided, and quickly decode the hidden footage. To say they weren't prepared for what they were about to see would be an understatement, as they witness the four boys being possessed and picked off one by one. Have the paranormal investigators blown the story wide open, or has the evil inside the cave simply been lying dormant, waiting for fresh victims to arrive?
As I've said numerous times in the past, I'm a super sucker for found footage as it's my very favourite genre. That being said, I never give free passes just because something is or isn't found footage, and I try my best to grade fairly even though I might be a bit biased. "Malibu Horror Story" requires no biased opinions or special treatment as its simply a well made film and a welcome addition into the found footage world. With enough scares and uncomfortable frights brought on in an intense atmosphere, the horror never gets tiresome, and the vibes are consistently sinister. While it's certainly not perfect, it's just in time for Halloween, and this is one treat you won't want to ignore.
Madness Meter: 6/10
NB
