Never Hike in the Snow: A Friday the 13th Fan Film (2020) Review

 

Never Hike in the Snow: A Friday the 13th Fan Film (2020)

That’s right, it’s still Halloween (not really) and because it is, that means yes, we have a horror double feature!

Never Hike in the Snow follows the efforts of the local police department after a local photographer goes missing near Camp Crystal Lake.

The anticipated sequel to the smash fan film from Womp Stomp Studios, Never Hike Alone, brings us back to Camp Crystal Lake and to the world of Friday the 13th, set 3 months before the events of the first film, and while it has a short runtime of only 31 minutes, it’s still a gory “canon” follow up to the world of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. It’s also the first instance in the Friday movies where we get a story set in the snow, something that is an excellent contrast to the bloody violence of Jason Vorhees. Unlike the first, they waste little time in getting into the action, kicking the film off with a gruesome murder. It was nice to see this version of Jason get fleshed out and get more of a behind the scenes look into his world. My only complaint is that it felt almost too short and incomplete, ending with a bang, but having no closure point. It builds in momentum, then just ends, which is odd considering the first is nearly double the length, on less budget.

In the Snow features the return of fan favorite Thom Mathews as Tommy freaking Jarvis, but also a surprise return in Part VI actor Vincent Guastaferro as Sheriff Cologne. Mathews once again, picks up right where he left off, playing the part of an older, wiser, and more cautious smart ass very well. Guastaferro though, who has a main role here, falters a lot, with his line delivery coming off as odd, and the overacting being a lot. Director Vincente DiSanti returns as Jason too, which is a gory delight as he is a force to be reckoned with, even using a bow & arrow!

Never Hike in the Snow builds on a lot of what made the first so great, finding ways to sneak in different camera shots and angles, utilizing excellent practical effects, and taking a far removed angle in the storytelling and making it feel fresh, which is a tall order for any F13 film, let alone a fan film. Expect a pt 2

6/10