Short Film Review: Never Hike In The Snow (2020)

Never Hike In The Snow is a fan-made film from Womp Stomp Films. It was written and directed by Vincente DiSanti and based on Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th franchise. DiSanti also wrote and directed a previous Friday the 13th fan film called Never Hike Alone in 2017 which had a lot of success, and deservedly so. Never Hike Alone was filmed partially found-footage style, and partially in the traditional format, and Never Hike In The Snow was filmed entirely in the traditional format. While we enjoyed both, we thought that Never Hike In The Snow really seemed a lot more polished than the previous film in the way it was shot, some of the audio presentation, and in a few other ways. Womp Stomp Films somehow found a way to outdo themselves and provided another fantastic entry. The fans are also to thank for these projects, as these fan films were 100% funded by the horror community.

The story is about a young photographer who leaves to take some photos in the nearby woods and comes up missing. The police get involved, and as you can probably imagine, Jason is ever-present in the situations surrounding the photographer, and he never did like the police.

One thing we noticed right off the bat is that the scenes seemed much more fluid than the first film. It was only shot in the traditional style, and while it was a neat concept to switch back and forth in the first film, Never Hike In The Snow seemed to flow much better. We really enjoyed the cinematography and audio in this. There were a couple of moments that make you jump, but those moments are well-timed and not predictable. The sound department was great, too. They found a great balance of tension that keeps you right in that pocket where you are on the edge of your seat but also anxious at the same time. It creates an awesome atmosphere for a Jason film.

Another thing that should be praised is the respect given to the original series’ films. Thom Mathews (Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Never Hike Alone) reprised his role as Tommy Jarvis, and Vincent Guastaferro (Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives) reprised his role as now Sheriff Rick Cologne who was a deputy in Jason Lives. They also have some other great easter eggs in there to enjoy. There is just outstanding attention to detail here, and it is so cool to see those characters come back in these fan films.

The gore was also something to appreciate. There wasn’t a lot of it expected in a 30-minute film, but when it was there, it was done right. We absolutely loved the scenes where Jason got busy. The presentation and practical-effect use were just perfect where it was necessary. And sometimes Jason makes it super-necessary.

Overall, we think this is just an exceptional fan film for Friday the 13th fans. It is well-rounded and has just about everything you could ask for. They pack so much into just about 31 minutes and leave you wanting another 60. We would really love to see a feature-length fan film come to fruition from Womp Stomp Films and sincerely hope it can happen in the future. So, keep an eye out for future projects, and help #SupportIndieHorror. Never Hike In The Snow released today, Friday the 13th, so go check it out!

Here is the trailer for the film, but head over to the Womp Stomp Films YouTube page, and you can watch the full film in its entirety, and the previous film as well!