Rounding out our little dive into found footage from the 2020s is another mockumentary with a bit more of a found footage angle than the last two films we discussed. Now, it should be noted, that I’ve been repping this film since I saw it over two years ago at Panic Fest. Writer/director Scott Slone was even kind enough to invite me to the New York premiere at the New York City Horror Film Festival. Moreover, Slone took the time to sit down and chat with me for almost two hours and was one of the first filmmakers I ever interviewed.
The Journey of Malibu Horror Story
His 2023 film Malibu Horror Story not only killed on the festival circuit, but mainstream audiences dug it as well. Malibu Horror Story is an encapsulation of tenacity and drive. The film was conceived and mostly shot over ten years ago, and happened to fall into a bit of development hell. Reshoots would take place sporadically over the next handful of years, until 2022 when it was [nearly] finished and thrust into the festival world. The film I had the opportunity to see at NYCHFF would be the completed project. Seeing two iterations of this film, and learning how it went from an idea to a finished product 10+ years later, isn’t just impressive, it’s inspiring.
Malibu Horror Story follows a group of paranormal investigators trying to find clues about a group of teens who went missing in a cave deep in the woods of Malibu. The group of paranormal investigators soon learn they are going to get more than they bargained for. Malibu Horror Story acts as a mockumentary while playing more into the found footage aspect than the other films we’ve discussed this month. If I had to pick the scariest film we’ve discussed for Found Footage February, it would be incredibly hard to choose between Malibu Horror Story and Horror in the High Desert.
Scott Slone’s Innovative Found Footage Style
Slone finds a perfect blend between tropey-found footage scares and slow-building terror. Even the scares that we’ve seen done before are fresh, with Slone putting his spin on them. What’s crazy is some of the things Slone does in this film would have been wholly original and never seen before…if it came out in 2012. That’s not meant to be a slight on Slone whatsoever. Instead, it shows he is a pioneer of found footage. I cannot imagine the [bigger] impact Malibu Horror Story would have had on the genre had it been released when principal photography was initially completed.
Malibu Horror Story gives us a brilliant performance from character actor Troy James, in a truly terrifying performance. Everything that Troy James does is horror gold, especially for someone like me who is freaked out by contortionism. James’ movements are clear and concise, you can feel his character within his movements. It also helps that Troy James appears once the investigators, and teens, are confined to the claustrophobic cave setting. While part of the cave was a set, you can’t help but feel you’re watching a group of investigators trapped deep in an authentic cave. It’s just one of those things that amps the brilliance of this film up a notch.
Why Malibu Horror Story Deserves a Wider Release
While Malibu Horror Story did get a limited theatrical run, which makes it the fourth time I’ve seen the film, there’s not much information about a physical/VOD release, which is a damn shame! This is a rare film that is just as much fun to watch alone in your house as in a room full of excited festival-goers. Hopefully, we’ll be getting a physical release at some point here soon. But if there’s one thing I know about Scott, it’s that he’s definitely not done scaring audiences anytime soon.
