Review of Hell House (2001) by Freddie F — 20 Oct 2011

While not a revelation, this is a very well-made doc about the annual Halloween-attractionesque "Hell House," put on every year by the Trinity Assembly of God Church in Dallas, TX. The Hell House is intended to frighten audiences with glimpses of common and uncommon moral lapses leading teenagers and adults to an eternity in punishment.

Director George Ratliff succeeds by not taking sides in any religious debate nor does he mock his subjects. He simply observes them, and shows that, yes, these folks who claim they can speak to their god in made-up tongues and want to save the rest of us from their Hell are people, too. If you're already not among their flock, you will not be converted by watching this film, but will find an interesting "stranger in a strange land" in its construction and objective, earnest approach.

You do also learn the bottom line: they do this performance every year because many people connect enough to its message of fear and salvation to come aboard.