Have you ever been to The Mystery Spot? It's a tourist attraction near Santa Cruz California that's been around since 1939. Attractions like this are often filled with optical illusions like tilted houses, where you can see furniture in places they shouldn't be. It's a neat little trick that makes you question gravity, as well as your own sanity. You can discover plenty of places like these while traveling across country. On the topic of discovery, it wasn't that long ago when I spotted a trailer for a new movie making its debut at Fright Fest. The film is called MYSTERY SPOT, and I publicly expressed interest in reviewing it after watching the trailer. And you know? I got it! I was granted an opportunity to watch the film, and I'm so happy and grateful for it, because this movie affected me in a way that most other genre films don't.
MYSTERY SPOT was written, directed and edited by Mel House. I'm a little ashamed to say that this the first Mel House movie I've ever watched. After seeing this, I'm interested in checking out his back catalog. MYSTERY SPOT is a character driven movie that touches upon topics of guilt, regret and loss. It's a different kind of horror film that feels a little old fashioned. This is something that could've easily been an episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE... or even ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS. Throw in some elements from THE CHANGELING (1980) and that's basically what MYSTERY SPOT is. The film follows a group of lost souls that find refuge in a motel out in the middle of nowhere. The motel sits next to an old and seemingly haunted roadside attraction called "THE MYSTERY SPOT." There is where you as an audience member will be confined to. A good 90-95 percent of the movie takes place in this one location. It's a dark and dreary setting that's perfect for keeping you on edge.
MYSTERY SPOT is a wonderfully written movie that's touches on grief and forgiveness in a realistic way. The emotions come across terrifically on screen with excellent performances. There's a lot of dialog in this movie. So much that I was beginning to question whether or not Stephen King himself wrote it under a different name. There's a lot of layers to the script, and not one piece of dialog feels wasted. There's so much depth to the characters, and each actor brings something unique to their roles. Every characters seems to have a lot of baggage, and with a nearly two hour runtime, there's a lot to unpack and discover. MYSTERY SPOT is a bit of a slow burn, which I didn't mind personally. I like a good slow burn as long as the characters are interesting, and the story leads up to a fulfilling finale. Thankfully, MYSTERY SPOT does just that. It's a masterful character study with terrific performances that feels true to life.
The major thing I want to address is how much I love this cast. The acting in MYSTERY SPOT is fantastic, and it's because of the amount of talent in the film. First off: Debbie Rochon is in this movie. On top of being a genre veteran, Debbie is great in this movie. Then again, she's great in just about every movie she's in... and it's a lot stuff. Her IMDB credits are enough to give you a headache. There's also Graham Skipper, an incredible actor who's currently killing it in the horror genre. Just look at his previous work: ALMOST HUMAN, BEYOND THE GATES and hell even VFW. Graham is remarkable in all of those movies, and it's no different in MYSTERY SPOT. Graham Skipper acts his ass off in this movie. And then there's this genre legend. The "Dream Master" herself: Lisa Wilcox. Lisa is absolutely phenomenal in this movie. As an actress, Lisa has an incredible body of work. Here, Lisa's character goes through a wide range of emotions. There's one particular scene of Lisa's that really got to me. I was so invested in the story and the characters, and the movie gets to a point where things become really emotional. It was so heavy and heart felt that I ended up crying. And I mean literal tears running down my face. This might be due to the musical score by Josh Loucka. The music seemed to match perfectly with the emotions happening on screen.
I'm not familiar with Mel House's work at all, but judging from the dialog and character depth in MYSTERY SPOT, I'm willing to bet that this is his most personal film. I got that same exact feeling when I watched Stephen King's RIDING THE BULLET for the first time. That movie had a lot of heart in it as well, and you can tell that it was a personal project for Mick Garris. I got that same exact vibe while watching MYSTERY SPOT. The only real complaint I had with the movie is that I would've loved to have seen more scares. There is a supernatural element to the movie, but you only get little bread crumbs here and there to help you piece together what's going on. The entire movie builds you up to a satisfying finale, and those last twenty minutes is where the true horror begins to reveal itself. I was so invested in the story and characters that the supernatural elements felt like an added bonus.
I know for a fact that this movie isn't going to be for everyone. I do encourage you to watch MYSTERY SPOT just so you can experience something different. Lately we've been having a slasher boom in the horror genre, with new sequels and adaptations harking back to the days of old. For me, these horror trends get real old real fast, so watching a movie like MYSTERY SPOT was a nice breath of fresh air. Yes, nostalgia is one hell of a drug, but you're looking for something completely different, MYSTERY SPOT is the way to go. I really enjoyed it, and I know for a fact that it's going to stick with me for a very long time. I do plan on buying this movie when it eventually gets a physical release. I need to own this on dvd or blu-ray, because that's how much I love and respect this movie. I can also say with complete confidence that this is my favorite Lisa Wilcox movie since NIGHTMARE 4. MYSTERY SPOT is unpredictable and unconventional. It hit me on an emotional level, and that's something I'll never forget. I give MYSTERY SPOT 8/10 haunted roadside attractions.
