The Scream Machine Review (2021)

The Scream Machine never disappoints with the number of actors they have. You will experience a constant barrage of actors and their props. The cast will walk solemnly, slowly following you as you go from scene to scene, or, they will make their presence immediately known with loud noises, screams, or a collaboration of both.

We always loved the authentic actors within The Scream Machine and their unique dialogues. Unfortunately this year we were missing a few of those key characters. Even though the scares kept flowing from the actors present we missed interacting with Peepo the Clown, for instance.

The actors used their props well, some being entirely encompassed in them! Most actors were there to scare and few carried out any dialogue. But those who did engage were great at getting us engaged like the opening man looking for Nurse Paula. Dr. Strach also never disappoints!

One surprise actor kicked down an entire wall to get to us, completely unexpected! Additionally, there was a bird in a cage who brought us to question, ‘Is that real?’ This actor portrayed the feathered friend so well it was disturbing to think of it being released from its cage.

Most of the costumes seemed to be a standard of dark clothes with a mask. However, a few distinct characters had costumes unique to them like the security guard, Dr. Strach (of course), and the caged bird. (The bird was a favorite of ours!)

Some masks were put on without a matching costume and seemed to be purposefully not covered in any way, potentially taking you out of the moment. For instance, some of the animal heads were sitting atop someone’s shoulders wearing normal street clothes. But, again, it seemed like they were intended to be seen that way, unsure if it was paying homage to a Texas Chainsaw Massacre-type family of weirdos or not.

Those without masks donned some make-up and colored eye contacts. Nothing extravagant but it got the job done.

The Scream Machine has a sign by the road and a lit sign on the building. Located within a strip mall, it has free parking and there are plenty of spaces available. The haunt has a few stairs throughout and tight spaces as you make your way through as well as a spinning vortex, leaving this haunt not wheelchair accessible. Keep an eye out for those steps (they are outlined in neon tape) and don’t be like a scared member of our team who was not paying attention to the floor but rather the actor following us, and almost took a tumble.

The staff was attentive and helpful. We observed many staff manning the entrance and being visibly present for safety. All of The Scream Machine’s information is located on their website where you can also buy tickets ahead of time.

Upon arriving, more than likely you will see a long line of haunt-goers waiting for admission. The green lighting and decorated windows show you where to go. Screams from within, the queue line, music, and a prop or two welcome you. The caged walls guide you to the entrance and the security guard set the tone to be greeted by Nurse Paula.

The Scream Machine is held back by their location being in a plaza, therefore they cannot have a huge all-encompassing display outside of their building. They do a good job with what they can, having a queue line actor taunting those waiting is always a good way to engage the audience! We observed one in all black with a white-faced mask, slowly observing all the victims in line.

The Scream Machine has detailed scenes you won’t soon forget. As you enter each room you are put into a new fear-based concept to pull out those fears from deep within you. There are so many different scenes, from a child’s bedroom to a doctor’s laboratory and even a mausoleum-type facade.

Some commonly seen aspects are in The Scream Machine; a Hellevator is waiting to plummet you to your death and a spinning vortex tunnel disorients you. Some of the scenes seem very intricate while others lack detail. Some plain black walls were observed and a pallet room seemed slightly thrown together and not cohesive with the rest of the haunt.

The Scream Machine has some immersive moments as you see from the floor to ceiling details and prop-filled rooms like the kitchen or bedroom.

We did not hear very many distinct soundtracks or planned audio throughout. The record player was a nice touch in the taxidermy/living room. Although, you are constantly hit with very loud noises, pops, bangs, and shouts so some audio could have been drowned out.

Walls, beds, bodies, and doors are all used to capture a scare. Some typical props were used, a lot of drop walls were experienced and videos, if you have seen before, then you know what to expect.

The Scream Machine has a revamped theme this year as they promote the ‘Axe Man’ in videos, and on their Facebook page building anticipation for their new addition. The Axe Man was a (you guessed it!) ax-wielding serial killer whom Dr. Strach gave refuge to inside the Scream Machine. We were very excited to see how this new arrival to the asylum would be portrayed this year. However, we were let down when the Axe Man never appeared. Perhaps he was hacking away at another victim when we sneaked through, but either way, the letdown of not meeting the new Axe Man haunts us.

The original Scream Machine theme, Dr. Strach’s asylum of fear-inducing scenarios has always been a favorite of ours. Having you run into many different fears throughout could be considered not having a solid theme but as it is clearly being used for Dr. Strach’s research as he eloquently describes upon meeting him, this solidifies the theme for us. A few actors throughout do mention Dr. Strach and his research so the effort to incorporate this theme is evident due to these encounters. However, some portions of the haunt do not coincide, especially the ending in which we could not see any connection.

As The Scream Machine indicates on their website, they are a ‘relentless in your face, action-packed haunt experience.’ This is a fact. Scream Machine is quite an intense assault on your senses resulting in a consistent scare throughout. There are only brief periods where you can take a deep breath, and have a moment of silence before the attack of sounds and actors begins again. Due to this, you feel yourself on edge and never having a chance to ‘come down’ from being on guard. Sweat completely covered us as we exited due to the rise in blood pressure!

Some scenes and scares were predictable, the drop walls, a repetitive video from years prior, and some animatronics carefully placed in their homes come out to say, ‘Hi! Remember me?!’ This haunt is primarily a startle haunt vs. a more interactive/engaging one. The Scream Machine’s MO is to catch you off-guard and use noises and shock scares to instill fear.

We don’t want to spoil the finale for anybody. It was not a ‘scary’ ending and we yearned for more once realizing it was over. I think we all can agree, a terrifying ending would be a great improvement, perhaps with the unseen Axe Man!