‘Terrifier’ Makes an Plain Mark on Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood

The gates of Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood have opened, and this yr’s occasion has a number of the theme park’s greatest debuts. Between Terrifier and Five Nights at Freddy’s, the headliner haunted homes actually pack a punch, with the fear titan-led Jason Universe home, based mostly on the Friday the thirteenth franchise, additionally serving to to energy a killer season begin.

However that’s to not say there have been some lows; surprisingly, HHN’s anticipated Fallout providing fell wanting expectations. Some repeat homes managed to carry sufficient pleasure, however the West Coast occasion—which is smaller than the model mounted by Halloween Horror Nights Orlando—would possibly show to create uneven experiences for park company who can’t shell out the additional dough for categorical passes.

Specific tickets had been offered by Common for media to have the ability to overview all the homes, and that’s a key takeaway from the beginning: as theme park insiders, it was clear to us that it is likely to be close to inconceivable to go to all the homes if you happen to do normal occasion admission. Should you’re locked in to that value level, at all times make sure to prioritize 3-4 homes and one leisure providing—between the Blumhouse-themed Terror Tram, the stunt present The Purge: Harmful Waters, or the Chainsaw Man brief movie screening. Should you actually wish to do every part in a single evening, upgrading to specific could also be your finest wager.

I do have one professional tip from attending in previous years: the categorical cross will generally be supplied at 50% off close to the top of the evening and you should buy in to race via all the homes in the previous few hours of the occasion. I’ve performed it myself. You may solely take benefit if you happen to’re already within the park when the indicators go up on the ticket improve stations, so hold an eye fixed out for that.

As an LA native, I’ve additionally merely unfold it out by shopping for a multi-night ticket (such because the “Frequent Worry” cross) and going as soon as per week to hang around for vibes and scope out shorter traces for homes I’ve missed or wish to do once more.

Right here’s what we considered Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood for 2025:

The Good

Terrifier: Artwork the Clown has unofficially solidified his place as a Horror Nights icon. From the second you arrive on the occasion, the roaming silent clown killer chillingly charms together with his bag of demented methods. Personally, and like most going to the occasion, this was my first publicity to the character and the world of Terrifier, having been deterred by a number of the divisive discourse surrounding the gratuitous violence of the franchise. Nonetheless, the Terrifier home cleared up a few of my issues and I believe the movies fall extra into an absurdist gore vibe versus the gritty gore style (suppose extra Raimi than Roth).

There are extra horrific issues, I believe, within the Monstruos home with a toddler being eaten by La Llorona than something within the Terrifier home. Don’t let that lull you right into a false sense of safety. Artwork remains to be very hardcore however in a hilarious manner. We very a lot loved the Looney Tunes or slightly Itchy & Scratchy aura on a really sick cartoony clown’s mission of demonic mayhem. The complete show of depravity was such a rollicking good time I went dwelling and watched Damien Leone’s Terrifier 2 instantly. Artwork the Clown will get new followers (myself included) and this home will please longtime fanatics. Get all the way down to the Clown Cafe as quickly as you’ll be able to as a result of this one could have a protracted queue. And the water splash warnings? They’re for actual; carry a poncho.

Jason Universe: That is fingers down the scariest home in a standard sense. Jason stalks you alongside memorable Camp Crystal Lake deaths and with the enduring soundtrack, there are soar scares aplenty. Should you’re exhausting to “get,” you’ll admire the eye to element in making a home that encompasses the Friday the thirteenth legacy. Even with an categorical cross, this line was lengthy.

Professional tip: The Jason Universe-themed meals are low-key the HHN snack battle winners. We suggest the gouda fondue bread bowl (we paid out of pocket for it); it’s steeped in Indignant Orchard cider and comes with inexperienced apple slices. It’s obtainable on the identical sales space because the Jason mask-shaped s’mores. It is likely to be the perfect meals of the horror fest.

5 Nights at Freddy’s: The sheer artistry of Jim Henson’s Creature Store’s puppetry and HHN performer work makes this one an all-ages all-timer with aplomb. The haunted “animatronics” charging at you or springing to life actually works and there are even surprising soar scares with lifeless youngsters creeping up on you as you hover awestruck round Chica or Cunning. Our solely grievance is that the stage present centerpiece in the beginning solely featured Freddy; Orlando’s HHN bought the entire ensemble.

Chainsaw Man: This import from Common Studios Japan was an surprising shock. Anime followers will enjoyment of a particular HHN Japan theater brief, which brings the beloved characters (minus Pochita, sadly) right into a meta immersive expertise the place they need to battle demons whereas attending HHN themselves. The combination of cute, spooky 2D animation and fourth-wall-breaking CG motion with a short journey that includes the Chainsaw Man gang impresses and I hope we get extra abroad enjoyable making its manner stateside.

The So-So

Scarecrow that includes Slash: The HHN Hollywood Scarecrow lore grows with Slash offering a brand new rating. The scares and creature work at all times make this a standout. Nonetheless, we had been just a little underwhelmed by the music; we liked the riff composed by the rock legend however the boom-clap beat made us really feel like we had been comically in a corn whiskey industrial. It threw the spooky power off. Hit the bar after.

Monstruos 3: Celebrating the horrors of Latin American folklore has been a improbable staple of HHN and actually there’s nobody scarier than La Llorona (IYKYK) and her penchant for kidnapping youngsters and feasting on their souls. Alongside one other killer vengeful cryptid, La Siguanaba, this home makes for a stable scare-filled expertise; it simply felt just a little on the shorter facet or maybe we caught it whereas there was a solid change, which occurs generally.

WWE Presents: The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks: As an homage to the late wrestler who got here up with the leisure wrestling’s campy horror lore, this home is a sentimental and stable send-off. Nonetheless, as somebody whose horror WWE storylines had been Undertaker and Kane, I felt so misplaced and wasn’t positive methods to join the storyline in the home to the personas within the ring. May have had a bit extra cohesion however the set and costuming had been on level; we’ll give it that. Professional-tip: This one has a collection of gross-smelling rooms, and also you’ll additionally get sprayed.

Terror Tram: Blumhouse taking on the backlot may have been nice nevertheless it finally ends up being extra like an elaborate meet-and-greet space than a hang-out. Except you notably wish to meet Blumhouse figures of fright and get extra steps in, it’s most likely finest to skip. However if you happen to’re a horror film fan and wish to discover the place the flicks are made, it is a great spot. The images are at all times nice in order that’s an upside. Be warned: this expertise takes up almost an hour of your time so plan accordingly.

The Dangerous

The Purge: Harmful Waters: That is drained and whereas we admire the hassle within the stunts, there hasn’t been a brand new Purge film in ages. This area may have been higher utilized, maybe by Fallout, and we’ll clarify why in a bit.

Poltergeist: Retire this one.

Fallout: As a fan of Walton Goggins’ Ghoul, there was not sufficient sassy and scary outlaw Ghoulussy put into this. The Vault scenes had been brief and centered an excessive amount of on Lucy’s linear journey slightly than giving us a biggest hits of the horrific moments from the Prime Video present. It additionally wasn’t scary in any respect and used up a lot area within the former Strolling Lifeless year-long home attraction space with few set items that it felt over earlier than we might have appreciated. For a property that’s going to ask lengthy queues, it’s not value it. A present on the Waterworld stage starring the Ghoul and Lucy squaring off in opposition to figures within the wasteland and the Gulper may need been higher.

Professional-tip: The Fallout meals is a extra enjoyable expertise; we suggest the Roasted Radroach Legs but in addition had a selected affinity for the Roasted Stingwing. There’s additionally RadAway in pouches for you, in-universe-specific merchandise followers.

Common Studios Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood is open now via November 2. Get tickets here.

Need extra io9 information? Try when to anticipate the newest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and every part it’s worthwhile to find out about the way forward for Doctor Who.