The Chamber of Terror Review (2022) Worth Watching?

It's about a powerful mob family who captures a vigilante to extract information, but whose plans are derailed when a malevolent supernatural entity targets all of them.

The Chamber of Terror was directed by Michael Pereira and stars Timothy Paul McCarthy (PG (Psycho Goreman)), Jessica Vano (Cult Hero, Deadsight), Ry Barrett (Open Your Eyes, Don't Click, and The Heretics), Sigourney McAuley, Ian Dyck, Ian Goff, Seth O'Shea, Storm Steenson, Jason Tannis, and Steve Kasan (Cult Hero, Lifechanger).

I've always loved genre mashups. Because life is so many genres at once, why stick to just one? It's always interesting to see horror elements mixed with other genres to create something new. In the case of The Chamber of Terror, it jumps across genres to create something unique!

Nash Caruthers is one badass motherfucker. He's the guy who would rather punch first and ask questions later. So it's no surprise he's got Tyler Ackerman - the scion of the notoriously brutal Ackerman Crime Family - locked up in a coffin. Nash is out for revenge against Tyler and his pals and will not let anything get in his way. One month after Tyler's disappearance, Nash is targeted, beaten, and kidnapped by some goons sent by The Ackermans. They take him to the derelict carnival ride known as the Chamber of Terror. He is confronted by Ava Ackerman, who is determined to find or avenge Tyler. But, unbeknownst to the group, their meeting location has a dark past that's coming back to haunt them.

Michael Pereira's debut feature, The Chamber of Terror, tries to pack a lot into its runtime. Starting as a low-budget riff on Reservoir Dogs, the film turns into supernatural territory that recalls Poltergeist. The movie features a mashup of genres, and one of the characters, Nash Caruthers, is a prime example of this. With his one-liners, threats, and perpetual sunglasses, he feels more like he belongs in a movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone. He's an alpha male out for revenge on the Ackerman and has every right to be! His macho persona is in stark contrast to the bumbling idiots who make up the Ackerman Family, and it makes for some seriously entertaining moments.

The setting plays a huge role in the film - a derelict amusement park taken over by a mobster who uses it as a torture chamber. It's abandoned and eerie, which makes it all the more frightening—adding an extra level of creepiness to carnivals. First, they contain a wealth of dark history. What happened there? Why was the carnival abandoned? What kinds of things took place there that led to its closes? All of these questions can create a feeling of unease. Second, carnivals are usually filled with cheerful music, laughter, and lights. When these things are absent, the atmosphere feels incredibly oppressive. It's as if the darkness is seeping in to claim the carnival for its own. Third, carnivals usually have a lot of tight spaces and hiding places. This makes them ideal grounds for horrifying surprises or jump scares. What's lurking in the shadows, just waiting to jump at an unsuspecting victim? All these factors combine to create an atmosphere that is simply oozing with creepiness. It's no wonder that abandoned carnivals are considered some of the most haunted places on earth.

The story is set almost entirely in a small town, but with plenty of room and twists to keep it fresh as the horror is unleashed. The FX in this movie is relatively stand-out despite budgetary limitations. The film's FX is primarily practical, which means there's a lot of blood and guts whenever someone is shot, stabbed, or torn apart. This fits with the retro aesthetic the story is going for.

Worth Watching?

While it may not be the most original horror comedy, Chamber of Terror still has a lot of energy and creativity. Turning from a madcap crime comedy into a splatter flick, it had some good twists that set it apart.

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