Sound tropey? It doesn’t feel like it. This show is a blast, expertly navigating between comedy, drama, and genuine scares. The leading ladies are honestly written and acted, with characterization and situations that explain WHY they act the way they do, fleshing out these ages old horror stereotypes into real women trapped as much in their feelings as they are the house.

Though it eventually commits itself more to the development of the relationships and to the mystery than to terrifying you, the show still scares. But you won’t find a deeply scary, pure horror watch. I personally think it’s a welcome change, as it allows the metaphor and drama to shine (see the in depth review for more on that).

As far as Haunted or Hoax’s “jump-scare vs gross horror vs dread” chart placement, it has a handful of jump scares, and an armful of dread. The jump-scares were mostly well done, though some get cheesy, partially because of effects which felt out of place. Sometimes the camerawork is iffy as well, with actors doing their best to fill up a bad shot.

Rating? 7/10 or 3.5 out of 5 stars, and a definite thumbs-up. Do not let the occasional slip up on a budgeted show keep you from watching an incredibly charming, spooky, and well delivered gayventure. If you watch it, let me know what you think!

- some yelling/controlling behavior, lying, cheating
- again, jump scares, including sudden screaming and one instance of something coming at the screen
- there is fake blood from minor injuries, nothing hugely gorey but it is convincing

- one incident involving injuries which are not self harm but visually evoke self harm
- paranoia and other mental disturbances reminiscent of psychosis
- incident with weapons and implied harm to others and self

Horror is such a beautifully metaphorical genre, but also one of the worst offenders for creators which could care less about the themes present. It’s a genre plagued with not knowing itself. Haunted or Hoax knows.

The tension in the house builds as the tension between the three women do. As it becomes clear that Jac likes Casey who likes Ellia, Jac’s cynicism becomes more and more toxic; Ellia becomes more and more conflicted. It is Casey’s honesty and determination which helps the other two women become honest with what they want to do, and sets in motion their final character developments.

From the beginning, you don’t explicitly see the ghosts. The whispering is loud and obvious to the point it becomes expected, sure, but that tension and even irritation made each episode more frightening than the last. Then they go upstairs. And there’s a jumpscare. And my fear packed its’ bags.

Despite my disappointment at this sudden yank away from the building terror, I kept watching. I was pleasantly scared a few more times, and the actual climax did give me some shivers. But that moment was when I lost my sense of true horror – and I’m glad for that.

The show was scary, and it is a horror genre, but the climax was not about that fear. The show makes it abundantly clear – the climax is about forgiveness, understanding, honesty. So the sudden uptick in Ghost Power Level was a little rough, but it was important in that it forced Jac to begin considering she may be wrong (about more than just the ghosts).

When they reveal it was the wife who killed the mistress and husband, I again was a bit let down. I like watching women led media because it tries to avoid tropes like ‘vengeful woman’. And I gave it a chance on that as well.

Jac started out bitter and became worse because she was suffering and didn’t know how to deal with it. She became abusively dismissive of Casey’s hopes. She made it difficult for Ellia who, despite having a crush on Casey, who wasn’t even trying to flirt. Then she is honest. This moment is so painful and so appreciated and my heart broke for everyone involved.

The finale makes the importance of that moment even clearer. Ghost movies are filled with sad ghosts who move on, and people feel bad for the initial ghosts which died, but they get the fuck out of there. It’s a removed, meaningless sympathy. Casey cared. Casey cared about the ghosts, and she cared about hurting her friend which she used to love. But she again and again made the choice to be honest and upfront, and to deal with fallout and pain as maturely as she could.

If the husband had been the killer, could he be forgiven? If this was American Horror Story, maybe. I think anyone can change, but forgiveness is a moral and personal question. This movie speaks to that. I understand how Ellia could never personally forgive the woman who murdered her mom. But that woman’s situation, and Casey’s view, is impressed upon the viewers: Emily was hurt, and didn’t know what to do.

It isn’t Ellia’s job to be friends with Jac or to forgive those ghosts. It is Casey who wanted to, who had the skills to, and it is Casey’s whos’ fate was to help people embrace their fear, guilt, pain, and to move on.

@instajelly wow, that is a 👻 spooky coincidence!
thank you so much for the link, i'm pumped to read this <3