Wicked Forest Review (2017)

The members of Wicked Forest’s cast are all one big family and every one of them strives to make Wicked Forest bigger and better year after year’and it shows. Every character is painstakingly crafted for each of their respective scenes and brought to life by the actor portraying them. We were confronted by several werewolves with the most realistic and impressive growls, snarls and howls we have ever heard come from a human being. Even the usher-esque character that entertained us prior to entering the haunt was very convincing and reminded us greatly of Eddy Izzard in his delivery of a multitude of jokes, stories and quick quips. Along with his female clown companion, they made sure that we did not get bored.

GPS got us heading in the right direction and a brightly lit billboard let us know that we were on the right path. However, if we hadn’t been paying attention, the GPS would have had us drive about a quarter mile past their gates. So, keep an eye out. Once we arrived, it was easy to find a place to park in the brightly lit field and we were greeted by Tina, who instructed us on where to purchase tickets and find the restrooms. ACTUAL RESTROOMS! It was great to be able to use an actual restroom, with running water, after a 2 ������������������ hour drive down! This is an outdoor trail, so the normal hazards of walking around the woods at dark apply. There are a couple of semi-steep slopes that could get slippery when wet, so use caution. Other than that though, the trail is clear of debris and adequately lit.

The staff were all super helpful and friendly. The manager, Karen Armes, gathered our tickets while her son Jeff (Cir Chris) kept us entertained at the stockades photo-op until we were ready to board the bus to the top of the trail. At the top is where the queue area actually begins and we again met Cir Chris and his female clown companion who kept us on our toes until it was our turn to enter the Wicked Forest.

This is an outdoor haunt and, as such, there are no extra sound effects in use. They want to remind you that you are outside in the forest so, they let Mother Nature create the soundtrack. Whether that is the chirping of crickets along the path or a coyote howling in the distance, it all creates a suitable soundtrack amidst the trees and enforces the fact that you are, indeed, in the woods at night. Due to their incredible realism, we are including the werewolves various noises as special effects’they were incredible. All of the various scenes that dotted the trail were exquisitely detailed and the lighting was beautiful. We were impressed by what they were able to accomplish in the middle of nowhere.

The theme for 2017 was ‘The Curse’, which isn’t really explained in great detail on their website but, once you are there you quickly figure out that the curse of which they speak is the curse of Lycanthropy. Werewolves. From the little gypsy lady acting as harbinger to your inevitable doom, to the werewolves themselves, you are fully immersed in the story line and find yourself watching for predators or previous victims around every corner. While werewolves have long been a staple of horror, it is rare for a haunt to dedicate an entire season to them and it was a refreshing change from the normal infected psychopaths and deranged doctors that seem to be a favor of haunts. The location, being some woods in the middle of seemingly nowhere, serves as the perfect backdrop to their theme.

Distraction is the name of the game at Wicked Forest. They create beautiful sets and props to draw your attention, leaving you vulnerable to the creatures lurking up behind you. They come out at you from the pitch black forest and disappear just as quickly’unless they decide to have a little ‘extra’ fun with you. The beasts that stalk these woods are not picky about which member of your group will be their next meal’no one is safe. What you think are props, suddenly come to life to snatch you in the darkness and’if you make it that far’they have you running for the exit.