The Funhouse

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Liam D Probably Tobe Hooper’s most underrated slasher movie. It combines many elements of different styles of horror that it makes an entertaining and surprisingly dark film Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/05/25 Full Review BRizz 2 The Funhouse (1981) is exactly what the title implies—a horror movie set in a twisted carnival attraction, where a group of characters are trapped with a deformed killer lurking inside. On paper, it’s a horror-adventure concept that has potential, especially with a fun setting like a carnival, but unfortunately, it doesn’t quite land the way you hope it will. Now, let’s be fair—it was made in 1981, so the effects, makeup, and cinematography are definitely dated. You can’t expect today’s jump scares or polished visuals. But even taking that into account, this is one of those movies that falls into the “watch once and never again” category. It’s not terrible, but it’s not memorable either. It kind of drifts along with a few moments of intrigue, but nothing sticks. The acting is very hit-or-miss—mostly subpar—and it feels disconnected, like nobody really committed to their roles. The pacing is slow, the suspense is weak, and while the villain does add some tension, there’s no real payoff. You keep watching, hoping it builds to something, but it never does. It’s the kind of movie that makes you want to fast-forward to “the good part”… but the good part never shows up. That said, I won’t totally bash it. There’s an attempt here. You can see what they were going for—an eerie, twisted carnival ride of terror—but it ends up being more awkward than scary. If I were rating it, I’d give it 1.5 stars: • 1 star for effort, • 0.5 stars for at least giving us a villain with a presence. Would I recommend it? Honestly, no. Unless you’re really in the mood for a vintage horror flick with that old-school, low-budget charm, this isn’t something I’d suggest throwing on. It’s very much an acquired taste. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 07/15/25 Full Review Farah R The Funhouse is exactly what one would expect from an '80s slasher. It's fun, goofy, gory, and at times ridiculous in a good way. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 05/30/25 Full Review Nick O This is prime Tobe Hooper right here! Prolly his best work since The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. No need to complicate things. Just kids in a funhouse, running from a mutant psycho killer. Perfection from The Maestro of Horror! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/25/25 Full Review g j Quintessential 80's cheese that delivers everything it says on the tin, and boasts some quite impressive looking props and visual effects Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/02/25 Full Review Todd B I loved it. Alive. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/24/24 Full Review Read all reviews

The Funhouse

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