My Review Of "One Night In October"

Indie horror "One Night In October" is directed by Christopher M. Carter. The film stars Jessica Morgan, Casey Norman, Rachel Netherton, and Kaitlan Renee. It is a clever anthology-esque story reminiscent of iconic rom-com films "Valentine's Day", "New Year's", and "21 Cigarettes", only in this case the lives intersect with horror. 

Strange things are happening to the residents of a suburban town, who are tormented by a series of murderous characters both real and supernatural. As their tales intertwine, they weave together a haunting, inescapable night of terror.

"One Night In October" may forego the traditional anthology format, instead choosing to expose different people's lives as they deal with specific horrors on a single night. The concept may not be original but it is clever in that I can't recall too many films in the horror genre that have done this. Usually this is a style utilized in pulp film and rom-coms. And even with a low budget and basic storytelling, Carter is able to capture the feeling that this all connected to this single night. 

The acting isn't great, it is obvious this is a new experience for a lot of the cast. At times the lines are more recited than delivered, and many characters feel "acted out" in more of a workshop manner. Still enough is present to create entertaining characters and bring some life to the story. I have seen these tropes many times but I still enjoyed seeing them again. Plus I liked the turn each took towards the end.

The horror elements are on the cheaper end, which is expected given the limited budget. Still I always applaud practical effects used proficiently. There is death, blood splatter. A definite body count. For the most part it all works well enough to create a horror celebration. The sound effects and music score is iffy but the cinematography is done good enough to give the film decent atmosphere.

Overall "One Night In October" will appeal to a select indie fan base that enjoys the low budget, homemade subgenre. It could have been tweeked a bit but I still found it entertaining. There is a Samhain slasher ritual that reminded me of "Rites Of Spring", a home invasion where the tables are turned and a demoness (succubus I think) with man troubles all on Halloween. (3/5)