The Resort (2021)

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Lex is a horror fiction writer looking to add depth to her latest book. Her friends, hoping to inspire her, surprise her with a trip to Hawaii and an abandoned resort that is supposedly haunted by the sinister Half-Faced Girl. When they arrive at the island resort, things quickly go south. Is The Resort truly haunted or is it all in Lex’ head?

The Resort is very aggravating to watch. It’s actually a very solid horror film until our fearless foursome arrive at the resort. The story plays out from the point of view of Lex, who is being interviewed by a detective. She recounts the horrible things that happen to her and her friends at the resort and the story, written and directed by Taylor Chien, does an amazing job of pulling in the viewer and setting up the group’s arrival at the abandoned resort. When things get spooky, sadly, the film falls into a by-the-numbers, low-budget rhythm that makes you wonder if Chien was facing production issues, lost interest in completing the movie, or adopted a “let’s phone in the finale” mindset. It actually made me angry that the film was so well executed at the beginning but completely unraveled at the moment that it was supposed to get good.

I can’t fault the actors in this film. Bianca Haase plays Lex quite well. Sure, she’s a bit of a basic girl who doesn’t really give off a “horror writer” vibe, but she’s believable enough. Michelle Randolph does a fine job as Bree, Lex’ friend who repeatedly suggests leaving the resort but is pretty much ignored the whole time. Michael Vlamis is perfect as the intentionally unlikable Sam. He’s the goof-off who easily finds trouble and is a thorn in the side of Chris (Brock O’Hurn), who is a stereotypical good guy with muscles and great hair who happens to have a thing for Lex. There aren’t many other people in the cast, save for a couple of security guards, a helicopter pilot, hospital staff, a few ghosts, the Half-Faced Girl (Nayeli Morales), and the detective (David Sheridan) who is questioning Lex throughout the film. They do their best in the film as well, but they can’t save the film from its nosedive ending.

The makeup effects are very well done and the location is simply amazing. The resort in the film was actually the Makena Beach & Golf Resort located in Maui, Hawaii. It was shut down in 2016. The property owner wanted to convert the resort into condominiums. The resort was demolished in 2018 and the property is now a members-only residential community. The cinematography was executed quite well.

Unfortunately for The Resort, you need more than a beautiful location, good effects, and an easy-on-the-eyes cast to make a decent film. This movie should have been so much better than it was, but it falls apart at the most important moment and never recovers. Give it a shot if you’d like, but I won’t blame you if you pass on this flick.

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