Erebus Review (2019)

A majority of the cast at Erebus use startle scares like a quick jump and yell. There were very few dialogue driven actors. We probably heard every cliche utterance you can think of, i.e., ‘Wanna play a game?,’ ‘Quickly!’, ‘Move!’ ‘Aahhh!’ ‘Ready to be my dinner?’ ‘Where ya going?’ ‘Run!’

One actor, whom we could not see, snuck up from the shadows and heard me say, ‘Uh oh’ as I realized our impending doom, and he replied in my ear, ‘Uh oh is right.’ That was a simple but startling touch.

The best actor-driven scene was one that I will not spoil but involved two actors, one visible directing your attention up to him, and one not visible who appears from his enclosure at just the right moment.

Additionally, we interrupted two men grieving over their father when the father lurched from his coffin! I was then forced to hold him in my arms. Kudos to using your prop young men, I then immediately went home to shower off the remains of the deceased.

We were torn on the amount of actors being sufficient or needing more. Some spots had a handful together, which seemed unnecessary, and then there were quite a few empty walkways with no entertainment. The balance seemed slightly off and needing tweaking.

The believability of the actors at Erebus was a little lackluster. Some seemed disinterested while others were putting on their best show. Again, an unbalanced mix which could be an easy fix.

With as many different scenes as there are in Erebus, it requires variety when it comes to the actors. Some had a distinct purpose and role but a large amount were just there to scream and then fall back into the shadows.

Costuming and makeup were average for the most part. We saw many jeans and torn t-shirts, or black cloaks with white faces and blackened eyes. One actor was actually pulling on a piece of his wardrobe in the middle of a hallway as he was passing through. We were unsure if he was lost, or a guest walking through bludgeoned him and took his clothing to blend in with the other actors so he would not be seen. We made up many scenarios for this obvious error.

However, there were a couple of note-worthy make-upped actors; a crazy woman had some good detail of veins on her whitened face. The clowns all had complete looking ensembles. The very last actor wielding a chainsaw had an unusual mask or helmet of sorts with white and black detail that caused us to do a double take.

Erebus is quite easy to find in downtown Pontiac. You can see the spotlight from many zipcodes away! Additionally, the demon can be seen on the building in multiple places. Otherworldly music can be heard outside the building as well as inside the queue lines. Erebus showcases parking directly across from the entrance for $5. There are other areas downtown where you can also find parking and walk a block or two. There are two lines going into one entrance on the outside, one for timed pre-purchased tickets and one for general admission. Erebus is four stories requiring you to move up and down many stairs and ramps; therefore, we doubt this is a wheelchair accessible haunt.

The staff at Erebus was courteous and attentive to the crowd. Security is on-site. No safety concerns noted but areas for extra caution as you make your way through. For instance, walking up a staircase with lasers in your eyes going up – just hold onto those railings!

Any questions you have are more than likely answered on their very informative website; otherwise, contact the owner, Ed. He loves to assist his patrons!

There are a few atmospheres before entering Erebus. Once inside the queue line indoors (because often the queue line extends around the block outside), there are tight black hallways, which include a photo opportunity you can purchase at the end. On one of the rainiest nights of the season, Erebus’ staff graciously covered the queue line that extended around the building outside with canopies to keep their guests dry. Very thoughtful touch!
They use some trickery and make you feel like you are entering the haunt prematurely with a small ‘ride’ before you venture upstairs. This entertainment was an excellent addition.

The next room you enter while in line is a futuristic walled area with a soundtrack playing to build the fear within you. Cylinders and contraptions you would only find in a sci-fi movie guide your way.

Then finally, you are upstairs awaiting to enter. Queue line actors are roaming and carrying on conversations with you about the research and experiments inside. There is also a television showing a newscaster within Erebus reporting on the terrors inside, when, oops! the broadcast is terminated. The activity after your ticket is provided successfully builds anticipation, and the approximately 10 actors hanging around get you in the mood for what is to come.

Dinosaurs, rock walls, laser swamp, oh my! Erebus has an elaborate amount of special effects. Most of which are found only within their walls. They seem to go with a ‘bigger is better’ vibe with lots of larger than life animatronics/puppets being used.

There were some transition areas that were merely black walls, but most of their scenes seemed complete.

In one area with tall chain-link fences, red lighting, and emergency beacon lights, nothing emerged. It seemed as though something was being kept inside from getting out but it was an empty scene; we assumed something did not trigger or actors were missing.

A mirrored walk-thru within the carnival area was mesmerizing, especially paired with the illusion of 100’s of laser lights. ‘Buried Alive’ is a feature Erebus is widely known for, and it is a treat, one that will raise your anxiety level a notch!

Some areas needed some more lighting to see what was emerging from the walls; at one point, a giant ant/arachnid successfully snagged us in their pinchers and a close call with a dragon creature had us jumping out of the way.

Our favorite effects were the dinosaurs. The sounds emitting within this scene literally shake your body; they are so deep and forceful, they immediately induce fear. This scene made a HUGE (pun-intended) impact!

Additionally, one area for improvement is the very first scene once stepping inside. This involves a video with the time travel doctor. When you are with 20 other people in the room, it is very hard, at times impossible, to hear what is supposed to be coming across through the video. Maybe making the room smaller, more intimate, or revamping the video to be clearer would solve that issue.

The theme of Erebus is explained in promotional materials on their website and within the haunt. You are in a scientific lab time-traveling under the guise of being in a haunted house. (However, we are still unsure if we are time traveling forward or backward or both!)

Doing this allows the scientists to have a never-ending supply of subjects to experiment on. Somehow, the subjects seem to be eradicated at a very fast pace, and the more subjects the better!

This theme is touched on lightly within the haunt with small details and maybe an actor or two mentioning something outside of the first scene and the cleansing area. After that, you are thrown from scene to scene and the theme falls to the wayside, especially when you are being confronted with clowns, torture scenes, and chainsaws. The theme could be worked in better throughout the haunt. But their theme idea is unique and we really love their red demon mascot ‘Erebus’ and wished he was involved more as well.

Erebus likes to hit on many different fears and types of scares. From being buried alive to actors in boxes, you get the full monty!

The timing was an issue in some instances, with props going off prematurely. Additionally, we were merged with another group at one point, and figuring out spacing and how to ultimately change the flow negatively affected some scares.

Scares came from above, and below, they used different methods and displays to assist in housing the actors and scares in various areas. The fear of being separated from your group by closing walls was a pleasant aspect. Once you understand the large beings you encounter can actually follow you and grab you, it instills a new kind of fear and successfully sticks with you the rest of the way.
The expected chainsaws ended the night, not terrible, but something we have seen time and time again.

Prices range from $23 – $29 for general admission, depending on the day of the week you attend. For us, it was $23 our night and it took us 34 minutes to complete. That is a whopping 1.48 on the minutes per dollar ratio! A great bang for your buck!

Erebus uses their ������������������ mile walk very well as you are constantly going up and descending ramps and stairways. It felt like a long walk and I would not be surprised if people take even longer to go through than we did. Once we were paired with the other group, things moved a bit faster for us.

General Admission $23, $25, or $29 – cash only in person or cards accepted online for a fee (ATM’s available at the haunt)

VIP – No waiting in line – $50

Speed Pass Half Hour Blocks are also available if you purchase online for an additional $7 on top of the GA price.