Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Exscind'

Written by Scott Edwards

There can always be something in a town’s past that nobody wants to talk about. It could be a very bad resident that lived there, or a famous person that rolled through on one fine day that turned their quiet community into a tourist attraction. While trying to keep things quiet, many things surrounding the incident can be removed so nobody is able to find evidence of it, even when they are trying hard to find the secret. As years go by and many people forget that something ever happened, there are still people out there that will dig through the old newspaper pages to find some sort of clue to the mysteries and even be able to find the place where things long forgotten had taken place. It is important to respect those small communities’ wishes when it comes to unburying the past, as it can harm them and you if you get too close to the truth.
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Arriving at the infamous Olson Farmstead house, paranormal investigators Wade, Eric, Carla and Chad are greeted by the town’s Sheriff who has a story to tell. Only reading about the gruesome Olson murders in a magazine article, the crew needs to know more about what happened in the house before trying to prove that it is haunted or not. Listening to the Sheriff recount what was found in each room in the house, the group seems to be able to keep it together, but when they listen to what was written in the pages in the Olson diary, they start to understand how messed up these famers were. Eating people they kidnapped and making special dishes out of their innards, there must have been something very wrong with them, but the group has no idea.

Coming back to the house after sunset, Eric starts to ask questions directed toward the various deceased spirits who may still be hanging on to the house as their resting place. Walking around the exterior of the house, the group stumbles upon a human skull that may have been unearthed just for them. Thinking it is someone playing a prank on them, the group enters the house and goes through room by room looking for some sort of paranormal activity, but using a body cam, they are not able to detect what is in store for them. After seeing a shadow that looks like a strange animal run past the doorway, Wade gives it a chase, but not being able see what it was, the group decides to call it a night.

While packing up their car, Wade sees a light in an upstairs window and runs back into the house alone.  While everybody else seems to think that this is another prank, Eric decides that the crew should give the old house one more chance. Getting the gear back into the house, the group hears a strange whisper in the room and footsteps downstairs. Running to see who or what it could have been, the group is pulled outside to see if there is someone messing with them. Seeing that they have left Wade alone in the house by himself, the group heads back in to see that he is far from himself. Telling the group what it wants, the spirit will not let Wade or his group go, which leads to a night of terror for everyone involved.

I have been on a haunted house movie kick for a while, trying to find one that will blow me away. While this one left me wanting more, I will say that when the house decided to come to life, there is little left to the imagination about what happened. I could have used a little more activity while the investigation was taking place, a rogue shadow or something other than a camera flutter, but, it built up the anticipation for the finale. With things that go bump in the night, a possessed friend, slamming doors, unexplained sounds and a story about the old owners that will make your skin crawl, it’s not a bad little ghost flick and I will admit, the ending was something that I would never want to happen to any ghost hunters. Stay Scared.

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