Whenever I’m feeling under the weather or a bit down emotionally, I find comfort in watching ghost-hunting shows. I love learning about the background and history of haunted places before the actual hunt begins, which adds an intriguing layer of mystery to the experience. However, you could skip that part; the ghost-hunting segments, themselves, are suspenseful and entertaining enough on their own. Plus, the equipment used during the hunts is genuinely fascinating, from electromagnetic field meters to infrared cameras, each piece of gear adds to the excitement.
My favorite content to watch is on YouTube from a duo named Sam and Colby. They have built an enormous following over the years and are highly successful, even having released a film that premiered in theaters in 2024. Occasionally, they feature guests, with Celina Myers and Kris Collins most frequently appearing. Both Celina and Kris also run a popular YouTube channel focused on ghost hunting and paranormal investigations.
Celina and Kris have taken a page out of Sam and Colby’s book by releasing a found-footage film called House on Eden. To top it off, RLJE Films and Shudder, a significant distributor of horror projects, acquired it. That’s amazing for two self-made content creators! Together, they have an audience of more than 70 million followers under the handles “KallMeKris” and “CelinaSpookyBoo.” If you haven’t seen Celina’s sleepwalking videos, I highly recommend doing so because they are hilarious.
That’s one of the attributes Celina and Kris bring to the table: comedy. They have excellent banter and chemistry; it’s clear they’ve been friends for a long time. Since I’ve watched several of their videos, I’m familiar with how they work and operate together. However, if you’re not familiar with it, this movie may not meet your expectations.
House on Eden follows Kris, Celina and their videographer, Jay (played by Jason-Christopher Mayer), as they set out to investigate a haunted property. They venture deep into the woods and discover a massive, abandoned house that Kris knows a little about — something Celina and Jay are unaware of. The house is fully furnished and surprisingly clean despite being seemingly deserted, so they decide to spend the night before beginning their paranormal investigation. As the night unfolds, strange occurrences begin to happen, culminating in a hellish finale.
The movie was written and directed by Kris and produced by all three actors. It is rated R for graphic nudity, bloody content and foul language. What it all comes down to is that this feels like one long YouTube video with a fictional ending. Like most low-budget found footage movies, most of the runtime is spent following the crew on their investigation. It isn’t until the last 15 minutes or so that the real horrifying action happens. I don’t have a problem with that as long as the payoff is worth the wait.
And to my surprise, this movie does deliver a brutal ending (hence, the R rating).
The story itself isn’t original at all; we’ve seen it many times before. However, I’m not bothered by that, as I’m open to giving movies a chance, even if they can become predictable. The script is cohesive, with hints and clues sprinkled throughout that lead up to the final scene. For a first-time feature film, it’s a promising start for someone aiming for a career in cinema.
If this same movie had no recognizable or well-known actors, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it at all, since my interest in it partly stems from Celina and Kris. However, because they already have a dedicated following and established reputations in the industry, their presence is likely to attract more viewers to watch the film.
Suppose you’re not familiar with these two actors. In that case, some elements of the movie — such as their acting style or the context of their roles — may raise questions or seem somewhat confusing until you’re better acquainted with their work or the characters they portray. For example, if you didn’t know Celina is sensitive to the energy of the spirit world (she is, and it’s never addressed in the movie), you might find her role strange or overly cheesy. The same applies to the comedic tone; if you don’t realize how silly Celina and Kris are together, you’ll think this movie is stupid. Period.
However, the love for the found-footage genre remains a key aspect of this movie. The film was shot within one week to create a more authentic feeling. Hi8 cameras and 8 mm film are also used to try to achieve classic, practical visuals. I love the look of 8 mm film, but it is used too frequently in the first half of the movie, which disrupts the narrative flow. Some of the shots are beautiful to look at, but they add an awkward silence! I had to catch myself while eating popcorn, so no one would hear me chowing down.
Practical effects are used throughout and look very realistic. I praise anyone who prefers practical effects over CGI. The effects are most prominent in the climax, and I was pleasantly surprised by how gory and shocking it was, so be prepared! They also use several of the ghost-hunting devices featured in their YouTube shows. They do provide a brief description of how each one works, but if I wasn’t already familiar with these devices, I would be very confused or question its authenticity.
The third act, when the horror finally intensifies, had me on the edge of my seat. Throughout most of the movie, I was enjoying my snack, hoping for something — anything — that would make me want to cover my eyes in fear.
When the moment of tension and dread finally arrived, I covered my eyes during some of the scenes. Found footage tends to do that to me because I feel like I’m in the driver’s seat. I have a love-hate relationship with it! Since this movie has no music or score, that made the scenes even more eerie, especially the final shot.
Considering this film for what it is, I found it to be better than I expected. No offense to Celina or Kris because I respect their work, but I had very low expectations for a full-length movie. Still, for a low-budget film shot within a week, it’s pretty good. I recommend this to fans of Frogman and #ChadGetsTheAxe. It follows a similar pattern with a comedic tone throughout, where the ending is what matters most.
I rate House on Eden a two and a half out of five stars. I would personally wait for it to stream on Shudder because it’s not worth rushing to the theater. In a world where prices keep rising on everything, going to the cinema should be an experience you expect to be worth it. I look forward to seeing the girls craft a more original and captivating story in their future adventures. Until that moment arrives, I’ll be quietly observing their ghost-hunting escapades with a bowl of popcorn from the cozy comfort of my bed.
House on Eden opens in theaters July 25th.