“Urban legends are everywhere,” the original text of Lantern’s Lane tells us, before adding, “But some are real.”
And author/director Justin LaReau (Internal Demon) based his writing on the legend of his hometown Watseka Illinois. Still, somehow in the retelling, it went from a ghost story to a tailor. Layla (All Cheerleaders Die, Brooke Butler, The Sand) left home to go to college, and like most teenagers, she never travelled back. Now, she returns to visit her old friend Missy (Ashley Doris, Little Dead Rotting Hood, Flight 666).
He meets Missy, another old friend (Andy Cohen, Tales from the Hood 2, Aztec Revenge), and a new addition to the Shana band (Andy Cohen, Dark Cycle) at the bar. Drinks and souvenirs lead to a group that exits the city street, Lantern’s Lane. But something far more severe than a ghost awaits them.
Lantern’s Lane opens with a long exposure volume as the characters sit in the bar and fill us with everything we need to know about them. And that is a preview of what we will find in the rest of the film—lots of speeches. Throughout the talk, it is immediately apparent that Layla has moved on with her life while Missy pretends to be in high school. And she still finds it frustrating to treat Shana’s sister, even though the girl eventually committed suicide. Why the two would love to see each other again, or why Shana wants to be with Missy, is beyond me.
I was hoping that once they got out of Lantern’s Lane itself, things would get better. Unfortunately, the ghost that allegedly attacked the road did not appear to sit in the car and insult each other. Then they decided to go and look at the abandoned house with its horrible story connected to it. The story is not too scary, and the house looks like another empty, ruined house. But they are stuck there because, rightly so, their car broke down.
Lantern’s Lane closes the clock signal before the killer appears. I think they were meant to start the harassment immediately but fell asleep reading the text. Unfortunately, everything they bring is another set of cliches. The text is almost mindless and plays like a Stalk and Slash 101. syllabus. And that goes beyond both the identity of the killer and the attempts to mislead the audience about it.
Both the original announcement of Lantern’s Lane and its IMDB page classify it as a comedy and horror. But none of this is funny. Some insults may be ridiculous, but they are often the most irritating and irritating. It would be one thing if the script were to remove all these overused threads and tighten them, but if this is what LaReau did for you, he is more likely to fail than to do it out of fear.
LANTERN’S LANE is professionally written and directed by Justin LaReau, uses urban legends to create scenes on Friday the 13th or Urban Legend rather than Teke Teke. LANTERN’S LANE is in a perfect state of relaxation that people experience when they reconnect with old friends and how old resentments can grow. LANTERN’S LANE is a little fun with a few twists that viewers will see. There is occasional creepiness but no real scary things.
Layla played by Brooke Butler, has just graduated from college and is returning to her small town to visit. Layla visits the local bar where her high school friend named Missy, played by Ashley Doris, works. There is a lot of misunderstanding between them, especially on Layla’s end. His whole attitude exposes a person there under pressure. When something directly happens to change their ever-changing friendship, the film does not reveal it. Layla just went to college, city life and avoided going home. While she was away, Missy found a new friend Shana (Sydney Carvill), whose family lost high school.
Another friend arrives, Jason (Andy Cohen), and things take a turn for the worse. The life of Jason is no longer in their small town, although Jason visits regularly. Layla is warm to Jason, probably because he sees the connection. When her high school friends suggested that she visit Lantern’s Lane, an urban legend, she admits with great sadness, and they end up fighting for survival.
Disagreements between them arise from several factors. Layla utters harsh words about the lack of bonds people like Missy have as they can always get drunk. On the other hand, Missy pretends to be in high school and wants to relinquish her youthful charm of careless entertainment. As Layla’s comments and negative attitude continue, Missy and Shana’s frustration creeps into their friendly atmosphere. It would be a tricky balance when friends display a high school attitude, but it is equally annoying when a friend does something to suggest that they are now indeed grown up.
When they arrived at Lantern’s Lane, we read an urban legend that she would see an elderly ghost carrying a lamp — killed when she was looking for her lost husband — wandering the streets. Jason says he saw the light, but after flashing the glow of his car, nothing came out. The situation is getting worse as their vehicle stops working, and they decide to check out the fantastic house on Lantern’s Lane for the first time. Because of all the discomfort in them, I blamed everyone. So, the first twist was just a moment of “I knew.”
As fear enters and builds up, the music rises sharply. I loved the music in the movie. If they didn’t create the episode, music and characters would force it. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Threats do not work. The best part of the film is the interaction between the actors. Layla or Missy’s behaviour is okay; different levels are wrong. A “high school” is a valid excuse to release abusive and abusive people during those years that will come to that person. And that perspective will often be influenced by our high school experiences.
Play is good because each person does their part to add to the joint discomfort. As the plot is predicted, there is little you can enjoy. Actors Brooke Butler and Ashley Doris offered frenemy films that caught my attention. Once panic set in, it subsided — LANTERN’S LANE glugs and an unpredictable, formula-building structure with attractive characters. The relationship between the actors will keep you watching, but if you want to intimidate, LANTERN’S LANE will eventually disappoint.
LANTERN’S LANE is now available at selected theatres, Video On Demand and Digital.
Article Proofread and Edited by Shreedatri Banerjee.
