‘Inspired by actual events at America’s most notorious jail’
The Haunting of Alcatraz is a 2020 British horror feature film about a young prison guard who experiences a string of chilling disturbances in the prison.
Written, produced and directed by Steve Lawson (Pentagram; The Exorcism of Karen Walker; Hellriser; Killersaurus), the Creativ Studios production stars Helen Crevel (Curse of the Witch’s Doll; Killersaurus), Beau Fowler, Jonathan Hansler and Tom Hendryk.
Plot:
Alcatraz Prison, San Francisco, 1937. A young prison guard working the night shift experiences a string of chilling disturbances culminating in the bizarre death of an inmate – raising suspicions of not only a supernatural presence but also of deadly corruption on the notorious prisons punishment block…
Reviews:
“At 90 minutes it’s a tad long, especially given its languorous pace – don’t expect intense action scenes or jump-scares. Nevertheless, The Haunting of Alcatraz is a slow-build ghost tale that draws you in and keeps you gripped.” British Horror Revival
” …it moves at a glacial pace, and the supernatural elements are very slight. This is pretty much a straightforward prison thriller and, despite the fact that it’s cobbled together from stock shots, ill matched exteriors and Lawson’s usual budget-dictated close shots in lieu of any real sets, it’s actually a pretty good film.” Dark Eyes of London
“Apart from the suicide at the film’s beginning, almost nothing supernatural happens until the last act […] The final act does pick up a bit, but by then a lot of viewers are going to have tuned out. The Haunting of Alcatraz is mostly a dull thriller about corruption with a very minimal amount of ghostly activity.” Voices from the Balcony
Release:
High Fliers Films is distributing The Haunting of Alcatraz.
Cast and characters:
- Helen Crevel … Sherry Vallens
- Beau Fowler … Ed Wutz
- Jonathan Hansler … Billy Rattner
- Tom Hendryk … Charlie Schmidt
- Marcus Langford … Gerry Rebane
- Chris Lines … Al Bradbury
- Mark Topping … The Warden
Technical details:
86 minutes
