Spookers

Spookers is an intriguing, whimsical 2017 documentary directed by Florian Habicht. This distinctive film is characterized by its extraordinary concept, fascinating characters, and goosebumps-inducing backdrop. Featuring Claudia Aiono, Huia Apiata, Barbara Armstrong, and many other participants, the film takes its audience on an eerie yet heartwarming expedition into the world's most peculiar family theme park.

Set in the outskirts of Auckland, New Zealand, Spookers unfolds within the walls of a converted psychiatric hospital, the Kingseat Hospital. Today, this once-dreaded institutional building has been transformed into 'Spookers,' the southern hemisphere's largest 'scream park’. Think of it as a haunted house experience, but on a much grander, wilder scale. This unusual recreational park attracts thousands of thrill-seekers, predominantly those with a penchant for everything bizarre, grotesque, and horror-themed.

The movie explores the daily lives of the interesting ensemble of real-life characters that run Spookers, including Claudia Aiono, Huia Apiata, and Barbara Armstrong. These individuals aren't your everyday amusement park staff - they're professional scarers, vampire royals, and zombie bridesmaids. Painted in elaborate horror makeup and dressed in nightmarish costumes, their job is to scare the living daylights out of the park visitors.

Spookers is not just an expanse of manufactured horror and roaring chain saws. At its heart, it’s a human story about its unique cast of characters. Claudia, a zombie scare-actor, confronts her personal fears outside the park's eerie setting. Huia, fondly referred to as the zombie queen, candidly shares her experiences in the unusual vocation of scaring people for a living.

Director Habicht masterfully transitions between the grotesquely horrifying and the achingly personal, delving deep into how the thrill of scare-acting impacts the lives of those involved. This exploration extends to the park's visitors as well, examining why people are drawn to experience fear in a controlled, simulated environment.

Spookers also delves into the diverse backgrounds of its actors. Habicht offers viewers a never-before-seen look into the lives of horror entertainer aspirants, who confront their personal struggles, fears, and anxieties by adopting these alternative identities. In many ways, the performers relate their on-camera experiences to broader questions about fear, courage, identity and human psychology. Multiple interviews scattered throughout the film extend the narrative beyond the barriers of the park, revealing the often-overlooked human element underscoring the theme park's monstrous façade.

As the on-screen journey unravels, the viewers are encouraged to ponder over the concept of fear, its impact, and the human fascination with horror. Each actor’s story becomes a testament of resilience, humor, and passion that builds up to a touching storyline that challenges the stereotypical images of 'horror.'

The documentary also delves into the history of the place that hosts Spookers, shedding light on the chilling history of the Kingseat Hospital. Stories of unexplained occurrences lend an eerie authenticity to the horror theme park. Expertly interspersing reality with fictional re-enactments, Habicht creates a perfectly discomforting yet comedic ambiance that inspires nervous laughter one moment and dread the next.

Arsenij Gusev's ominous soundtrack effectively heightens the sense of foreboding - a creepy lullaby here, a thunderous orchestral piece there, always in perfect sync with the visual narrative. The cinematography, too, perfectly captures the deviously dark atmosphere of the theme park.

Spookers is a documentary like no other. Equal parts touching and terrifying, it fuses escapism, entertainment, and emotional storytelling, presenting a deeply empathetic portrayal of an unusual profession and its practitioners. It brings shed light on the world's most unusual family business, where the most profound fear and utmost joy are both raw materials of trade.

In its own unique and suspenseful way, Spookers offers a rare reminder: just as in life, behind every mask, there is a human story. Such is the charm of Spookers, a film that takes the world of scares and screams and dares to see the heart within it. It's horrifying, hilarious, and heartwarming - often at the same time. A must-watch for lovers of unconventional cinema.