Chateau: The No-Go Chateau

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park is famous as one of the locations used for The Shining. Yet, it still regularly hosts weddings, so plans to turn the Chateau Haute Jaure into a wedding palace should hardly be hindered by its appearance in this small upstart horror movie, provided they do some serious work on the surrounding grounds. However, an influencer without influence has a hard time checking out when she tries to film a ghost-hunting video there in director-screenwriter Luke Genton’s Chateau, which releases Friday on VOD.

James has many reasons to hate her abusive mother, starting with her name. She has been working odd jobs to support her stay in Paris, leaving her sister to deal with their mother’s slow demise and funeral. She was hoping to find her fame and fortune on YouTube, but it has not happened yet. However, her roommate Dash has the brilliant idea to film inside the “No-Go Chateau,” which is notorious on the internet for alleged disappearances of those who visit.

Since the No-Go is still a private home, James must go undercover, as a temp maid sent by a cleaning service. It is a big property, so she will have a full day to dust and scrub, while the owner is in town. Since James is a skeptic, she invites Dash to join her, so he can “liven” things up, but viewers can tell from the shapes and shadows moving behind them that they are in for a long night.

Obviously, Chateau is like hundreds of previous ghost-chasing gone wrong found footage horror movies. However, Genton’s film has two things going for it that makes a world of difference. The first is the atmospheric Chateau Haute Jaure setting, which Genton fully capitalizes on. The second is his first-rate execution, which steadily builds tension and earns scares. Even though experienced horror viewers have been down this road numerous times before, they will still get caught up in the spookiness if it all.

Frankly, both Cathy Marks and Colton Tran can be like fingernails on a blackboard, as the shallow and foolhardy James and Dash, but in a film like this, they should sort of be asking for trouble. Rachel Alig is distinctively off as Fleur Prescott, a former temp-employee at the Chateau who desperately wants to tell her story, while Julie Tessier radiates the right high-handedness elitism for Andrea, the owner.

Granted, Genton and company earn few points for originality, but they find their way to a fitting conclusion. Horror fans will be surprised how unnerved they will feel getting to that point. Consider it an over-achiever, which makes for a pleasant surprise. Recommended for genre fans who still enjoy some well-done found footage, Chateau releases this Friday (12/6) on VOD.