Review – House of Horror – Brentwood, Essex

Blogging throws up a whole host of weird and wonderful experiences. Little did I know that an invite to the House of Horror Launch Event would end up being something that may have changed me forever. That is a dramatic statement, however – it’s very true! Allow me to explain..

What is the House of Horror?

The House of Horror is an An immersive 4D experience, located in Brentwood, Essex. You become the victim as you are dragged through 12 rooms of sheer horror. Described as a real-life horror-movie, actors will twist and turn you through a maze of puzzles and psychological pain. It’s a wicked fusion of a theatrical experience, scare maze and escape room. There are live actors and scares aplenty. Before entering the House of Horror all guests must sign a waiver. There is an optional Room 13, which has a secondary waiver and, for good reason.

When can I go to the House of Horror

The House of Horror is open on select dates from the 28th September 2018 to 31st October 2018. Tickets are £35 per person, or you can go as a group of 10 for £30 per person. If there’s 10 of you that want to go, I’d recommend doing it together, you’re batched into groups of 10 to go through the experience, although you do Room 13 on your own (if you choose to!)

What does the House of Horror experience entail?

You make your way through the 12 rooms of the House of Horror in your group of 10. Before you enter you aren’t allowed to take ANYTHING in with you. No bags, phones or cameras, these must be left before you go in. They actually sweep you with scanners to ensure you’ve not got anything concealed. Each room is very different from the last, and you’re guided through by different actors that will help (or hinder) you through. As with many scare attractions, things aren’t always what they seem, and you have to be ready for anything.

There are some sections where you’re made to wear a hood, the hoods are slightly opaque so you’re not completely blind. You can expect loud noises, jump scares, screaming, shouting and some VERY colourful language. It feels like a more grown up experience compared to the mazes you might find at Thorpe Park or Alton Towers.

The House of Horrors is a temporary attraction, but thankfully it doesn’t FEEL like one. The set design, props, and theming looks incredible. I was particularly impressed with the ‘Butcher’s’ room, the actors were great and it looked amazing. There’s also a room inspired by ‘The Exorcist’ where you have to get involved. I thoroughly enjoyed screaming ‘THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!’ to the girl ‘possessed by the demon’. There is plenty of interaction, and you may get your hands dirty (literally) – so make sure you get fully immersed.

These experiences are always vastly different depending on who you go with. We had a nice bunch in our crew who were up for joining in, the actors were very good at keeping control of a couple more ‘excited’ guests in our group. I don’t want to spoil the experience by going into great details, however – if you like scare mazes and horror attractions, you’ll love the House of Horror.

What do I need to know about the House of Horror?

Because of the ‘features’ of the maze clothing might become stained. Don’t go there wearing your best clothes, or indeed shoes – dress like a scruff and get involved! All the staining washed out of my clothes, but you might not be so lucky.

Also, if the experience becomes too much, there is a safe word – shout this at a member of staff and they’ll get you out ASAP.

What happens in Room 13 in the House of Horror?

Well once you’ve escaped through the tunnels, you find yourself outside Room 13. There is separate 2 page waiver to read and sign for Room 13. It essentially covers the staff, company and owners over anything bad that happens to you in Room 13 (and indeed outside it!). I suggest you read it very carefully, there’s a lot to take in.

What I will say to you though, is – DON’T GO INTO ROOM 13.

The staff will recommend you don’t go in Room 13, and I echo this wholeheartedly. It’s not a joke, it’s not a publicity stunt.

DO NOT GO INTO ROOM 13.

If, you’re like me, and determined that you WILL go in, and you WILL make it out the other side. Firstly, you’re an idiot, and secondly, you won’t. You see the waiver essentially gives them pretty free rein to do what they want to you – and they do. I’m not going to give you a blow-by-blow account of what happens in Room 13. Partly because it would definitely put you off, but partly because the experience isn’t entirely the same for everyone.

You will be roughed up, you will get wet, and they WILL break you, and have you shouting the safe word. The harder you fight back, the harder they’ll grind you down. Don’t be a hero. DON’T GO INTO ROOM 13.

There’s nothing I could offer that you’ll have ever experienced that comes close to what goes down in Room 13. It’s painful, hard going, and if you stay in there long enough, like I did. It will haunt you, and stay with you. I’ve been thinking about it a lot today, it’s been on my mind constantly. I honestly can’t believe some of the things I saw, heard and experienced. I mean this genuinely – it’s not a PR stunt. What I will tell you as a warning – if you’ve been the victim of some kind of abuse before REALLY give it a thought before going in.

If you’re Brave, an idiot, or both Room 13 is probably the scariest and intense thing you’ll ever go through, short of being captured by a Jigsaw-esque maniac.

Overall

I really enjoyed the House of Horror, it was nice to try out something different from the regular Fright Nights and Scarefests. It’s a fantastically thought out and well designed scare attraction. From the imposing exterior, to the highly detailed ‘rooms’ the House of Horror is utterly compelling. It’s good value for money, the whole experience will take around 90 minutes (although it might be longer if you go into Room 13). Whilst I’m not 100% convinced the main experience is as horrific as they’d have you believe, Room 13 is unlike any experience you’ll have this, or any Halloween.

I can not emphasise this enough, DO NOT GO IN ROOM 13. It will change the very essence of your being. It is utterly disgusting and harrowing. Thankfully, even if you don’t go into Room 13, the rest of the House of Horrors is a lot of fun. If you’ve got a group of 10 mates, I’d recommend going along with them and having a blast. Make sure you get fully into it, play along, and enjoy every moment, take in all the details. Don’t hesitate to book up, because it’s not open for very long, I imagine tickets will sell out quickly.

Massive thanks to Claire from Scareface for coming along with me!