Screamfest 2016 Review

Spoiler level: One or two specific details of what happens in an attraction, and lots of general description about all of them.

My first ever visit to Screamfest, the annual Halloween event at the National Forest Adventure Farm in Burton-on-Trent, was in 2014. We had a terrific fear-filled evening, and the now-departed Slasher attraction gave me my biggest scare of the year. Two years later we returned to Screamfest to catch up on what we missed from 2015, and experience the highly anticipated ‘Love Hurts’, which is new for 2016 and designed as a permanent installation for the park.

Children of the Corn

The feral schoolchildren are back in Children of the Corn, a crazed descent into a darkened corn maze, where eerie surprises lurk in every corner.

The corn maze itself adds a decent atmospheric layer of Halloweeny goodness to this experience, which counts a lot towards my enjoyment. What remains underneath still feels somewhat disconnected; a collection of setpieces awkwardly strung together by the over-arching theme of childhood nightmares, which still doesn’t quite work for me.

Once again, I enjoyed the mix of indoor environments and open spaces. The contrast between the two really does intensify the effect of the narrow indoor passageways. Unfortunately, I found my mind wandering a lot during this attraction, which isn’t a good sign. Largely, it was more akin to taking a stroll on Halloween night; creepy yet casual.

Soul Seekers

An oversized group in the first room was a bit of an atmosphere-killer; actors had appeared but I never saw one, our group was just too dense. Last year, that scene was an exciting and strong start, so it was a shame to lose it.

The theming of this attraction is so impressive, especially the creepy corridors and hallways, and the sense that we were venturing deeper into a portal to hell. As fun as it was to explore the beautiful environment, the attraction felt light on the scares, focusing more on theatrical presentation. I won't forget the bedroom scene in a hurry!

Towards the end we looped back around, however I’m unsure as to whether that was intentional like last time (where we felt genuinely helpless!) or whether it was a fluke. There was no finale to speak of, just someone in a mask near the exit. This feature was so lacklustre that even now I’m genuinely unsure as to whether this was part of it, or a just member of the public trying to get in on the action.

Freak Out

I suspect I may be unknowingly battling the early onset of a cold, because I was told this attraction smelled like sweets, but I didn’t get that. If it did smell like sweets, then I’m not surprised. That’s just the kind of extra detail I’d expect in an attraction of this standard.

The non-linear nature of this experience meant I could have been wandering around in there for hours, and I wish I had been, because I really was loving it. Bright colours, disorienting effects and amazing performances all created a sensory overload, packed with jump scares.

The ambiguously marked doors were absolute genius as they forced guests to choose their own path through the maze. I ran into one group who begged me to help get them out! The only downside is the final scare in the form of a scareactor with a mask, which I’m told was quite startling, but sadly I didn’t encounter it.

Love Hurts

There was absolutely no doubt as to what this was supposed to smell like; even the worst cold imaginable wouldn’t have shielded me from it. The ‘Diced Heart Pub’, built on an old sewage works, is in fact a gateway to a foul underworld filled with horrific creatures, accessible via its rancid toilet cubicles.

The grimy, grungy rock bar aesthetic was absolutely on point in the theming of this attraction. The attention to detail is stunning and at times I felt like I was in my own personal horror film, and those are the moments that make this season so special for me.

That being said, the speed dating aspect didn’t really come through. My guess is that the speed dating was a ruse to lure unattached people into the pub and therefore into the mouths of the hungry sewer creatures, but the basic concept held up just fine without this. Besides, why would speed dating start off in the toilets…?

Night Bringer

This attraction got off to a strong start, with excellent theming on the exterior, and an engaging and entertaining scareactor. As we entered the first room, I was reminded of Slasher, my old favourite. Sadly this couldn’t have been further from it. Performances quickly trailed off, and the opening scene was fun, but not overly scary.

The rope was an unusual choice because this wasn’t a hooded maze, although the corridors were quite dark. Ultimately, the rope worked to a disadvantage; it ended up acting as a barrier between us and the action, which ate away at the tension.

Overall this maze had a strong concept with great potential, but unfortunately I felt more like an observer rather than someone in the middle of the action. That being said, I loved the various hiding places from which the spirits would emerge.

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It was getting late as we exited our final attraction, but the atmosphere in the park was still charged. Screamfest is special in this respect; it’s a perfect self-contained Halloween night out, with food stalls, sideshows, roaming entertainment and music. Events like this are what make the season for me, but don’t take my word for it!