While I wouldn’t say The Gallows is completely awful, it is a very frustrating film because of what it could’ve been.
Synopsis
Twenty years after a pupil dies due to a prop malfunction on stage, former students of a high school try to restage the play only to realise that they too might meet the same fate.
My Thoughts
Good Points
Strong Opening Hook
The film starts with a kid dying during a school play in front of everyone. It’s quick, brutal, and sets the tone straight away, and I always like it when films don’t mess around.
The School Setting
High school theater is a fairly creepy backdrop, with empty stages, hallways that echo and dark rooms.
Charlie’s Ghost Has a Simple, Scary Look
The Hangman mask worked well. It’s plain and unsettling, and the rope imagery ties right back to the original accident. When he finally shows up in full, it’s one of the stronger visuals in the movie.
Budget Used Smartly at Times
For something made on about $100k, some of the lighting and sound choices do their job well, and it’s the little things that stretch the budget further than you’d expect.
Reese and Cassidy Pull It Off
Reese Mishler and Cassidy Gifford at least sell their roles, and they feel a bit more natural than the rest of the cast.
The Core Idea Had Potential
A vengeful spirit tied to a botched play? That’s a solid horror premise, and done differently, it could’ve been really good.
Bad Points
Too Reliant on Found Footage Tricks
The shaky cam is constant here and fairly annoying, and a lot of the time it just makes you want to look away rather than engrossing you.
Weak Characters
With no one to really connect to, it’s pretty hard to care what happens.
Uneven Acting
Outside of Reese and Cassidy, the acting is stiff. A lot of the dialogue feels like kids reading lines instead of talking like real people.
Wasted Setting
The school theater is perfect for horror, but the movie doesn’t take advantage of it enough. Too many scenes just wander through hallways with shaky cameras instead of really using the stage and props to create tension.
Cheap Jump Scares
Loud noises and sudden cuts replace real suspense too often, and after a while, you stop reacting because you can see them coming a mile away.
The Ending Twist Falls Flat
The ending feels tacked on, and it just muddies the story.
No Emotional Weight
Most of the deaths just happen, and you just don’t care, before the movie just moves on.
Repetition Gets Boring
Once they’re trapped in the school, it’s basically a cycle of wandering, arguing, running, repeat with no tension or anything to care about.
Is The Gallows Worth Watching?
While I wouldn’t say The Gallows is completely awful, it is a very frustrating film because of what it could’ve been.
Not a total disaster, just painfully average.
Found Footage Horror Movies 
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