PopHorror Let's Get Scared
If there’s one thing the timeless horror classic The Exorcist taught us is that most unearthed ancient artifacts should remain buried in the past. Hell, any film featuring an ouija board gives examples that some things are better left alone. The latest supernatural film to hit the indie scene, The Campus, delivers hellish imagery while exploring a unique story of hateful resentment and the fulfillment of a deal with the Devil.
The Campus is directed and written by J. Horton with a cast starring Rachel Amanda Bryant, Britt Sheridan, Robert C. Pullman, and Scott Menville.
The Campus
After the death of Robert Wainwright (Pullman) leaves a debt to the Devil left unpaid, his estranged daughter, Morgan (Bryant), reaps the damning consequences. Stopping into town for her father’s funeral to seemingly show her respects (or merely to confirm his death), Morgan quickly leaves only to break into Robert’s office later that night. Devoid of emotion and plagued with resentment, Morgan begins thieving valuables throughout the property. However, when she opens a safe discovering an aged arrow crafted out of precious minerals and jewels, drops of her blood from a fresh wound strike the antique. This inadvertently unleashes an awaiting curse to close a deal long since made.
Before she can make her getaway with the loot from her father’s office, Morgan encounters several masked killers. Putting up a vicious fight, she is killed only to awake to relive the last moments on her father’s property. In accordance with the curse, the soul is comprised of five pieces. This gives Morgan five chances to break the cycle of her death and reincarnation before losing her soul to damnation.
Though it pales in comparison to supernatural classics such as the film that launched Linda Blair’s career, The Campus combines impressive and imaginative special effects with a thrilling story. However, many of the sequences, specifically the antagonist side of the five reincarnation cycles, seem to be very random. Something that could have added depth to the film would have been a reason behind the imagery making a connection to a more in-depth described backstory of the curse and/or Morgan.
Aside from its shortcomings, The Campus provides a variety of entertaining horror ranging from slashers and ghosts to flesh-eating zombies and the Devil. Featuring enough body horror and blood-soaked scenes to satisfy fans of gore and a unique story for those thirsty for originality, this collage of terror is sure to entertain a wide range of indie horror fans.
