Horror Movie Review: Lemon Tree Passage (2014)

There are so many legends and urban myths out there that have inspired horror. One I had no prior knowledge about was the one surrounding Lemon Tree Passage Road. A location in Lemon Tree Passage in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.

It is said that if you speed down Lemon Tree Passage Road you will experience supernatural phenomena. Basically, you’ll see a ghost in your rear-view mirror. It’s not much to go on but regardless has inspired this movie, Lemon Tree Passage.

Lemon Tree Passage wants to be scary. It tries to be scary but falls woefully short. It’s so run of the mill that it’s more likely to put you to sleep then scare.

Two Australian men looking to score with some American backpackers decide to act out the legend of Lemon Tree Passage Road. The backpackers are more then up for it so the group go speeding down the road and get a glimpse of a bright light in the rear-view mirror. Their joy of experiencing the phenomena is short-lived though as they make the unfortunate discovery that the area around the road is haunted. They’ve disturbed the spirits and they don’t plan on letting anyone leave alive.

After the initial drive down the Road, Lemon Tree Passage slips comfortably into cliché ghostly-goings on with jump scares aplenty. However, seemingly in an attempt to change things up the filmmakers make the plot one of the most contrived things seen in a while. It’s utter nonsense and very confusing leaving you wishing it was just more bare bones.

Normally we’d praise any attempt to differ from the norm but Lemon Tree Passage does this so poorly it’s determinantal. The inconsistencies and shifting tones are infuriating. It’s not as though the basic ghost stuff is worth it either.

Bad acting with characters as bland as dry toast, rubbish scares and a mess of a plot. Avoid Lemon Tree Passage because of this movie, not the legend.