As a horror enthusiast who has been to more Halloween events than I can count, let me tell you that this year’s Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights did not disappoint! The eerie forest atmosphere in the first screen was so immersive, I felt like I was part of the movie itself. The aliens (or Death Angels) were a chilling surprise that made my heart race.
Each year, Universal Halloween Horror Nights skillfully constructs some truly terrifying and immersive haunted attractions that make attendees feel as if they’re starring in iconic horror films or experiencing exclusive content created just for Universal Studios’ guests. This upcoming season, the events are teasing the chilling quiet of the A Quiet Place movies, a battle between the Bride of Frankenstein and Dracula’s daughter, and the familiar marshmallow-y charm of Ghostbusters spread across multiple haunted houses this year.
2024 marks the fourth consecutive year I’ve been TopMob’s final girl for Halloween Horror Nights, although last year I evaluated Universal Orlando’s houses instead of those in Hollywood. After attending the event’s opening night on Thursday, courtesy of Universal, and enduring all the houses, I can confidently assert that 2024 is another terrifyingly fun year to experience the haunting season at Universal Studios Hollywood. Here’s my personal ranking of all the houses, with a nod to the fact that each one offers an excellent time:
8. Monstruos 2: The Nightmares of Latin America
The first haunted house I explored on Halloween Night was “Monstruos 2”, and I must admit, it didn’t live up to my expectations – a stark contrast after the same location had one of the scariest Latin-themed houses in my 2022 ranking of Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, featuring the chilling “La Llorona: The Weeping Woman”. This original house, located near the park entrance/Minion Land, did have some spooky characters like El Charro, the devil dog El Cadejo, and the boogeyman El Cucuy. However, I felt that the scares were repetitive and somewhat comical. It’s possible my visit coincided with a quiet period.
7. Insidious: The Further
This season, “Insidious” makes its comeback at Halloween Horror Nights, and although we found the Orlando edition to be the scariest this year, unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the Hollywood version. Let me clarify, the house (located just beyond the Wizarding World) is undeniably eerie and sent chills down my spine as it led me and other visitors into The Further via a red door. Throughout our journey, we encountered dolls, child’s drawings, and terrifying creatures. However, a significant portion of the house consists of long, dark corridors.
6. Dead Exposure: Death Valley
In Universal Studios Hollywood’s Lower Lot, you’ve got four spine-tingling haunted houses to explore. If I were giving advice, I’d strongly urge you not to miss “Dead Exposure: Death Valley” (given how lines can become quite intense during peak season). Despite my initial expectations, I found this one particularly engaging. The story unfolds within a clandestine government facility where an experiment to create super soldiers has gone horribly awry. It’s rich with captivating visuals and clever use of neon lighting, although it doesn’t quite pack the powerful punch that the upcoming houses do.
5. The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy
In 2022, when The Weeknd’s initial haunted house debuted, I was taken aback to discover it as my preferred house of that year, given my lack of extensive interest in his music. The subsequent release, titled Nightmare Trilogy (located on the Lower Lot), is another astounding creation stemming from The Weeknd’s twisted imagination, but like some sequels, it didn’t have quite the same impact for me this time. I found the narrative to be somewhat complicated compared to my perspective. Nevertheless, I truly appreciate the originality of the visuals and the level of gore it presents.
4. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Among the 2024 movies, it’s only “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” that has its own haunted house this year, and I must say, it was one of my favorites. With cameos from classic Ghostbusters characters such as the marshmallow men and Slimer, and countless chilling appearances of Garraka, the “Frozen Empire” house does an exceptional job at being both entertaining and genuinely frightening. The experience felt like being right in the movie itself! Additionally, visiting this house (located near the “Insidious” house) enhanced my appreciation for the movie as well!
3. A Quiet Place
This year’s house that I was most excited about was the horror adaptation of “A Quiet Place” at Horror Nights. It’s one of my favorite horror series from the past decade, and it lived up to my expectations. As you move along the queue, which is situated next to “Monstruos 2”, a woman on a screen advises guests to stay quiet, and that’s exactly what we did. This helped create an unsettling forest ambiance for me as one of the early scare actors used sign language and another character who screamed was immediately silenced. I even managed to suppress my own urge to speak, despite being in awe at the numerous appearances of the aliens (or Death Angels) and references to the first two films.
2. Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines
Year after year, I’m consistently impressed by Universal’s Monster houses due to their dedication and the creative character match-ups they come up with. Last year, our Hollywood’s Horror Nights ranking placed the Unmasked house at No. 4, but Eternal Bloodlines surpassed even that high mark in 2023. This sprawling house, nestled on the Lower Lot, brings together Saskia Van Helsing and the Bride of Frankenstein to take on Dracula’s daughter. The narrative and immersive experience were simply fantastic, making me feel like I was watching a movie I couldn’t wait to see. The blending of these worlds into one house was truly unique and memorable.
1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface
If you want to get really scared at Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights this year, the most gory and satisfyingly story heavy house of them all is this year’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre edition! The house (on the Lower Lot) comes as the first movie celebrates 50 years this spooky season, and wow, does it deliver. Rather than simply adapting one of the movies, as Horror Nights did in 2021, this one offers a super stressful and spine chilling origin story for Leatherface. Seriously, enter this one only if you can handle the terror!
Big Bonus Scare: Blumhouse’s Terror Tram
Lastly, I found it challenging to place this one in the list because it doesn’t strictly fit the definition of a haunted house, but rather an extraordinary HHN event. As has been done in previous seasons, during this particular event, Universal Studios Hollywood converts its Studio Tour into an expansive open-air experience, guiding guests through real sets while they are startled. This year, everything was centered around Blumhouse, featuring characters from the studio’s films such as M3GAN, The Purge, Freaky, Happy Death Day, and an upcoming horror production by Blumhouse called Wolf Man.
The fear factor is definitely rampant in Terror Tram this year, as the tram has guests walking through the backlot to a ton of scare actors running around with chainsaws and getting in your face. M3GAN gets to lead the pack with her viral dance and a lot of chaos, and that definitely made me want to turn back out of fear.
You have the opportunity to purchase Halloween Horror Nights tickets on the Universal Studios Hollywood website, valid for nights extending up to November 3rd. I wish that your thrilling journey through the terrifying haunted houses brings you an unforgettable time!
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2024-09-07 02:07