Scared To Death Review: A Campy Orphanage Séance That Horror Fans Will Appreciate

Scared To Death (2026) is an upcoming horror-comedy written and directed by Scottish filmmaker Paul Boyd. On the surface, Scared To Death appears to be a fun and campy romp into the somewhat oversaturated horror genre. Yet, this independent movie has a healthy dose of self-awareness that makes it a compelling watch.

The film revolves around Converse wearing Jasper (Olivier Paris), who is a young aspiring filmmaker working as a PA to a volatile director for a new horror movie. Whilst location scouting, Jasper meets an alleged medium, Felix Crust (Bill Moseley), who convinces Jasper to hold a séance with the film’s cast in a creepy, abandoned orphanage, which was the site of the suspicious deaths of several children.

So far, so predictable, right? 

Well, Scared To Death utilises the talents of horror veterans: Bill Moseley (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects) and Lin Shaye (Insidious franchise) play the fabulously unhinged director, Max. As expected, Shaye’s character appears to be able to commune with the orphanage’s spirits whilst drunk and high on cocaine. Horror fans will find Shaye’s impressive performance familiar. Boyd includes several nods to horror history with a shot of a Raggedy Ann doll, possibly representing The Conjuring universe. The setup of video cameras recording several rooms throughout the house, paying homage to Paranormal Activity? True horror nerds (such as myself) will recognise where the number three mocking the Holy Trinity comes from! Even the in-universe horror legend, Gregory ‘The Grog’ Rockston, played by Kurt Deimer (Halloween 2018), overall look seems to be inspired by musician turned horror movie director, Rob Zombie. Or at the very least a Metallica member! Interestingly, Deimer has also released a single named ‘Scared to Death’ to coincide with the film. 

Scared To Death has an arguably cliched plot, but the eclectic group of characters will keep you watching! Each actor gives an admirable performance, with special shout-out to Victoria Konefal, who plays the glamorous, in-universe, coke-snorting, leading actress, Lena. The cast plays off each other well, and their combined terror at being stuck in a ludicrous situation gives the film its much-needed intensity.

The film is beautifully shot, even with the house looking remarkably well preserved for somewhere that was allegedly abandoned for 70 years! There is an oddly comforting feel to the set, which clashes perfectly with the grisly goings-on.

Scared to Death is a film for horror movie fans. Complete with the compulsory twist ending!  

Three stars.

Scared To Death will be released on March 13^th (US).