So here are my thoughts on this maze announcement...
When the rumors appeared for this maze, naturally I was in the "i'll believe it when I see it" camp. When it became more real due to the facade appearing on the backlot, I wasn't sure what to expect because I haven't seen either film (still haven't).. Once I pulled up the synopsis for both movies & a compilation video on youtube of Unfriended's death scenes, I actually was not against the idea of this being a maze unlike everyone else that just wanted to hate on it because they couldn't see past the actual films.
Both films feature an unseen demon entity/ghost, which is similar to The Exorcist with Pazuzu. So when I thought about it, I realized these movies can go the Exorcist route & make the demon/ghost a physical scareactor like Pazuzu. Still wasn't sure how the rest of the film's content would be addressed, but I was more open to the idea of this maze.
As soon as Murdy went into the details of the maze I was relieved that it would be taking a very creative approach. Again, everyone wanted to hate on this maze for its two film choices, but what nobody did was think outside of the box. Movies like these, especially Unfriended required Murdy & company to think outside of the box. They had to take an unconventional IP that challenged them in order to bring it to life for HHN. This is actually a very good thing. It can either end up being one of the best mazes or a complete flop (however, while design/execution plays a huge part, the success also relies heavily on the scareactor talent).
Unfriended using each bedroom as a scene is smart. TorD using the mexico setting should be interesting (I expect the smell of dirt). Bringing the Blumhouse logo to life as its own IP should be fun and creepy. I firmly believe this maze will be highly underestimated & well received. (............or it will be crap)
I'm with Wesker on this.
I think people hated on Unfriended because of the "darn kids!" factor of the whole thing, which I guess I can get, but the whole thing does so much with the gimmick that I really can't hate it. Little things like the spotify playlist filling up with repetitions of the same song, the "x" icon disappearing, the "I GOT HER" message repeating, the hilarious web-cam ad, that was all good stuff. The glitches, especially during the deaths, were legitimately terrifying. I know that people say that the main characters were "unlikable," but I mean, wasn't that kind of the point of the film? And yeah, maybe a kid should know what a "troll" is, but like, that's one line in a 90 minute film.
Besides that, yeah I think this maze has a lot of potential. They're doing so much original with it, with video effects and the story of the abbey. I'm reminded of Happy Death Day last year, which sure, was mostly a farce, but featured memorable moments like Baby Face jumping out of the window (totally got me) and the drop panel behind the notice board. They can do a lot with just bedrooms and projection effects, and I trust them to do Unfriended right.
I absolutely would have preferred IT or The Conjuring in Blumhouse 2's place, but I have to admit, I already
know what I'd see in IT or The Conjuring. There just isn't as much opportunity for surprises. I legitimately can't wait to see how they do this maze, and that's a good feeling to have. I know I'm setting myself up for disappointment, but eh, whatevs.