NEVER HIKE IN THE SNOW (2020)

NEVER HIKE IN THE SNOW (2020)

A FRIDAY THE 13TH FAN FILM 

Okay so this one is actually a prequel set 3 months prior to NEVER HIKE ALONE. For my full thoughts on where this movie might occur check out my NEVER HIKE ALONE review. We do know this happens at least at some point after Part VI because Tommy Jarvis (played by Thom Mathews) is in it as a much older adult. We also know is that it acknowledges that the original series happened at least through Part VI. Throughout this movie there are even markers at the old Camp Crystal Lake site that refer to deaths that happened in other films. 

This one is set in the winter, hence the name. There is a dramatic scene right at the beginning of the movie that sets the tone. It centers around a hiker named Mark Hill that went missing during a snow hike. It also dives a bit deeper into Jason’s Voorhees living arrangement and even features some flashbacks from Jason himself. Tommy Jarvis has been tracking Jason and is doing everything he can to bring attention to the fact that the killer is back. Of course the sheriff is having none of it. 

This one is not as haunting to me as NEVER HIKE IN THE SNOW, but it doesn’t’ waste a lot of time with exposition. It just cuts right to the chase. For this thing that is both good and bad. They do establish that Rick Cologne (the deputy from JASON LIVES : FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI) is now the sheriff. He is even played by the same actor Vincent Guastaferro and he still has a bone to pick with Tommy Jarvis (played by Thom Mathews also from JASON LIVES : FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI). Tommy oddly is not a paramedic or an ambulance driver in this film which either conflicts with NEVER HIKE ALONE, or this movie was too short to get into what happens in the 3 months between this, and the next film. 

Vincente DiSanti is back to direct and play Jason and both of those aspects of the movie are solid. We also get a really cool score and the direction is top notch. Even the practical effects harken back to the 80’s which is epic. However, I do kind of question the release of this thing at a running time of 30 minutes. The ending is not only abrupt, it’s actually kind of annoying. This isn’t a full story. I guess the follow ups will fill in the gaps, but we all might have been better off if they had crammed the 3 remaining planned sequels into one movie? We will have to see. It’s possible that the money from this was needed to make the rest? 

As of the writing of this review the following films from Womp Stomp Films have been listed as “in development”.

NEVER HIKE ALONE II : NEVER HIKE AGAIN 

NEVER HIKE ALONE III : JASON TAKES CRYSTAL LAKE 

NEVER HIKE ALONE IV : THE FINAL HIKE

All 3 already have posters and judging by those they likely end this film then jump to after NEVER HIKE ALONE. 

Because this movie doesn’t really have an ending I have to rate it on what we got. For me this is going to land at a 3 out of 7. Maybe that rating goes up after we actually get a complete film. 
 

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF WOMP STOMP FILMS AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY.  

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