BnB Hell – Movie Review (3/5)

BnB Hell is the feature film debut for both director and screenwriter. Fortunately, it doesn’t really show in this creepy horror movie. Even if there are a few snags along the way!

The story, acting and directing has to be able to hold its own. And those all-important elements do work in BnB Hell.

You might want to skip this one if you’ve booked accommodations via Airbnb or something like that. Or at the very least accept that you’ll be (more) paranoid than usual.

And yes, this is coming from someone who uses Airbnb and has a reservation coming up!

For me, the best horror stories are always the ones that seem like they could happen to you. Granted, things go a bit beyond the “everyday creepy story” in BnB Hell, but still.

BnB Hell will leave you paranoid

No matter how much I try not to let horror movies get to me, this one definitely did!

And the BnB hostess is one of the creepier characters I’ve seen in a good while. She’s not quite 13 Cameras creepy, but she’s well on her way there.

It’s just that Neville Archambault is truly in a league of his own. If you haven’t watched him as the ultimate slumlord, then do check out 13 Cameras.

And trust me, she’s really not the kind of person you’d want for a mother!

Simple and tight story

BnB Hell does have a few issues. Particularly with the lead characters. They do fall into the “Catfish” trap of wanting to present a character as something interesting, but not really backing it up.

Our lead character, Willa, is played by Kimberly Woods, who does a fine job of bringing the role to life.  It’s just very strange when someone is supposed to be a singer but somehow seems to be spending more time doing a documentary.

And knowing how to make a documentary while also having money (from a singing career?) to travel around looking for her sister? It’s not a huge issue, but just something that irked me.

Other than that, I really enjoyed that the story was simple and focused. I love it when things don’t stray too far, and this was a tightly produced script.

Unexpected and interesting writing debut

This is director Andrew Jordan’s debut feature film. As such it works quite well, but there’s still room for improvement.

As far as the script goes, this is the debut in screenwriting for Andrea Harrison. She’s no stranger to film though and has more than 20 credits on her acting resumé.

Also, I have to give a special mention to Timothy Lee DePriest (Westworld), who is almost unrecognizable in this film.

BnB Hell premiered at the Indie Film Night Festival and now it’s out on VOD. Also, you can watch it on Amazon Prime!

Details

Director: Andrew Jordan
Writer: Andrea Harrison
Cast: Kimberly Woods, Rudy Dobrev, Carol Stanzione

Plot

A young woman’s hunt for her missing sister ends at a rundown bed and breakfast in the Hollywood Hills run by an ill-tempered woman called Mommy. Disturbing messages left by former guests suggest unsettling secrets lay buried there.