Head Count (2018) - Slow, but holds your attention

How many horror films' blubs begins... 'A group of teenagers...' Well, in this case your average group of American teenagers meet up in a holiday home in the middle of the desert, only to invoke a supernatural curse and start falling foul to its evil ways.

The characters are at least likable, even if you probably won't remember their names by the time the credits roll and it's believable that they're all a group of friends.  Plus they don't make completely dumb decisions all the time like so many of their ilk in this genre.  Therefore, at least you feel something for their plight when the bad stuff goes down - but you will have to wait for said 'bad stuff.'

It's a slow burn all right.  Most of the film is taken up with character building and the occasional 'creep out' scare (of which they are nicely done and I did appreciate the subtlety when they arrive and take you off guard.

It's not a long film and when the final act comes around you get a bit of special effects in term of the monster itself.  I couldn't work out whether I thought it was good, or goofy.  I guess it depends on your taste as to whether you'll actually find the antagonist scary or not.

'Head Count' hardly gives us anything we haven't seen before, but if you can find it on a streaming service as part of a package and you're in the mood for a creepy little slow-burner of a horror film, then you might enjoy this one.  These days I normally judge a film by how tempted I am to check my phone during its runtime and I have to say that this one kept my attention without me checking Instagram twenty times in ninety minutes.

6/10 Should probably keep you awake if Freddy Krueger was haunting your nights