Horror Movie Review: Paranormal Highway (2017)

A group of college students who are all part of the debate team depart on a three-day journey to the national championships. Stuffed into a ‘past its best’ bus, their journey sees a number of strange events occur that constantly slows them down. It culminates in the bus hitting something in the road and breaking down at midnight on day 3.

That in itself is a problem but the creatures outside? They’re the real issue. Trapped on the bus, the group are forced to defend themselves and try and survive until morning.

Scratching your head in regards to where the ‘paranormal’ title comes from? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. At first it seems as though something ghostly might be about to occur but once we reach the final third, it’s perfectly obvious this is a movie all about unseen creatures/monsters.

Does that make it better? Kind of but it’s such a terrible movie that anything would be an improvement.

The biggest problem, the one that turns Paranormal Highway into a so-so movie into an absolute snore-fest is the pacing of the lacklustre story. It takes an absolute age for anything to happen and by time it does, it’s so unsatisfying it all feels pointless.

The cast are poor, a mix of wooden performances and hilarious attempts at adding depth to paper-thin characters. The concept is sound, debate team going to nationals except a few are clearly adults playing teens and the film doesn’t even try to hide that.

They’re boring and the snippets where they introduce themselves to the camera ends up feeling like serious padding. Cut all of that, cut all of the awful detectives reviewing footage and talking about the investigation and what we have here is movie that wouldn’t last 30 minutes.

Yes, this is a found-footage horror and everything that frustrates is here and present. While it’s not the worst of the bunch, it does employ odd cuts and effects that make you wonder why they chose this style of filming.

Not that it really matters as by time the credits roll the only feeling felt will be one of relief that is finally over.