HOUSE OF PURGATORY is another predictably boring indie horror flick that feels like it mined the 1980s for inspiration. A vapid and cliched quartet of unlikeable teenage characters head off to a haunted house where they find themselves assailed by an evil presence in order to atone for their own sins. This is slow throughout and seemingly ad libbed, made without a single moment of horror - just the usual bad acting and poor production values leading to a disappointing climax.

The film opens and builds the characters of three teen girls in a nice scene where they are carving pumpkins, a nostalgia scene for me. There is then a teen party where the guys discuss the best female costume: Slutty Pirate vs Slutty Dorothy. Finally in mixed groups they discuss an urban legend about a haunted house where your get your money back in you complete it. Having no idea where it is located, a group of four drive around and find "House of Purgatory." Inside, the place is like a regular haunted house, however as they go deeper it becomes a personalized Dante's Inferno.

The film was okay. Sound track was decent. Didn't rely on jump scares, but crafted a story. Being ruined by Catholicism, I know purgatory is a place one goes to burn off their venial sins, as we pray to Mary and the Father in a 10:1 ratio,before strolling into heaven. However in this story, that is not the case. We are looking at mortal sins, and teens are being tortured for things in their life that wasn't their fault, i.e. one girl being molested as a child. This is more akin to Hell than Purgatory in my book, but I understand Hell House and House of Hell titles are far too common and on the cliché side.

Personally I think the punishment should have suited the individual's transgression. Now looking beyond my theological dissection, it was fairly decent, with decent "B" film acting and as previously stated, I loved the opening scene.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Well, I had initially expected more from this movie. Granted, I hadn't even heard a single word about it prior to finding it by sheer random luck. I picked it up, saw it was a horror movie and decided to give it a chance.

Turned out that the movie wasn't halfway as interesting as the synopsis made it out to be.

The storyline in the movie was straight forward and very easy to follow, but at the same time it was also so simplistic that it felt like director and writer Tyler Christensen was treating the audience as if we had no brain functions. The movie was just horrible staged and felt like it was staggering around on uncertain ground.

The acting in the movie was good, despite the fact that the actors and actresses had so very little to work with in terms of script, plotline and proper characters. However, I can't claim to be able to single any one out as being particularly extraordinary. You get what you would expect here, I suppose.

As for a horror movie, then "House of Purgatory" was frightfully devoid of anything scary or even remotely disturbing. And the movie just trotted onwards at an adequate pace, but not really taking the audience along on any particular thrilling or memorable ride.

I managed to sit through the movie in its entire running length. Was I entertained, well mildly so. Was it a good movie? No, not even by a long shot. Is it a movie that I will watch again? Nope. "House of Purgatory" came and went without leaving as much as a dent in the chassis of the horror genre.

If you enjoy a proper horror movie, then there are far, far better choices readily available within hands reach.