We had the opportunity to monitor Once Upon a Time in a Haunted House (2019), a short film directed by Ramone Menon. This haunted tale recently won the best horror award at the LA Shorts International Film Festival and will be premiering this fall. How quickly did our subject’s heart rate react to a film with a runtime of twenty minutes? Read on for the terrifyingly accurate results.
What is FearScale? We’ve all heard the expression ‘Scared to Death’ or how something ‘Made My Heart Skip a Beat’, but what does that actually look like? Studies have shown that even when subjected to stimuli that can not present a true threat of danger, our bodies will still produce a physiological response. By analyzing real-time results we are able to give you the most accurate reviews for anything that makes your heart race.
Synopsis:
A desperate illegal immigrant takes a job as the caregiver of a malevolent ghost at a Haunted House.
Test Subject: Jackie
Age : 31
Gender: Female
Fears: Ghosts
Resting HR: 62-65 bpm
Walking HR: 80-85 bpm
ANALYSIS:
The film was divided into segments, each adding a new perspective to the tale unfolding. Our scale visually represents the gradual build of the subject’s fear in each act. As our lead actors discovered the escalating secrets inside the house, our subject’s anxiety intensified as well. During the halfway point, there were moments of calm while the film revealed more backstory. The true terror came toward the finale when our subject peaked at an impressive 90bpm during an extremely tense scene.
CONCLUSION:
Once Upon a Time in a Haunted House created an eerie atmosphere with enough tension to drive our subject’s heart rate from a resting 62bpm to a peak of 90bpm in fourteen minutes. The use of practical effects worked to build a true haunted house vibe but at times lacked the believability needed to sustain a consistently high rate. Several scenes may seem familiar to horror fans as the director paid homage to some of our favorite scary films. Ultimately, it was fun jump scares and an Insidious inspired soundtrack that creeped under our subject’s skin. Keep an eye out for the spooky story to be released to the public this Halloween.
Once Upon a Time in a Haunted House: Burns an average of 35 Calories (in just twenty minutes)
Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce: 5 Calories
