The Jonestown Haunting (2020)

Directed by: Andrew Jones | 85 minutes | crime, drama | Actors: Derek Nelson, William Meredith, Andromeda Godfrey, Tiffany Ceri, Harriet Rees, Joshua C Jackson, Shirley Cook Brooks, Brendan Purcell, Robert Graham, Doug Cooper, Albert Clogston, Severin Ritter, Kevin Stemp, Marc Graham, Leah Jenkins, David Bridle, Lee Graham, Sorley Rome, Courtney Bartle, Sam Rome, Louis Graham

‘Based on a true story’ is a catchphrase that resonates with many movie viewers. Reality is often stranger than fiction and that can lead to beautiful productions. Films that move and inspire, because you witness normal people who have to deal with hefty setbacks. Usually the main character comes out stronger and the human mind turns out to be more elastic than was thought. Many filmmaker Andrew Jones was also inspired by reality, but it did not yield an inspiring exercise. A dubious and downright rancid vehicle…

‘The Jonestown Haunting’ revolves around Sarah. This woman survived the 1978 Jonestown massacre. Jim Jones was active in this American city. This cult leader had a fight with the authorities and in an ultimate act of desperation, he had his cult members ingest poison. Countless people – including young children – were killed and Jones decided to take his own life. Ten years after this horrific tragedy, Sarah decides to return to the cult’s home. She discovers that the dead are alive!

Jones based his cheap horror film on facts (the collective suicide in Jonestown actually took place and cost dozens of lives) and sprinkles this true tragedy with supernatural elements. It results in a rather dubious film that the victims’ families should not watch. It is rather tasteless to abuse a tragic event for a weak horror film with ghost elements. Jones did the same trick before. His ‘The Manson Family Massacre’ also brought fantasy and reality together. And yes, that was also quite painful to watch (and not just because of the lack of quality).

Tasteless or not: is there still something to shudder? Nah, not really. Jones’ trick is to grab attention with real dramas and add a few cheesy horror passages. The shock value is high, but that is not due to the amount of gore. What remains is an amateurishly made low budget film full of hysterical acting, weak special effects and a dubious approach.