Tinsman Road: The ‘haunting’ horror film leaving moviegoers in tears

by

A frightening new horror movie, filmed as if it were real, is unexpectedly moving audiences to tears this Halloween.

Tinsman Road, a film about a young man looking for his sister who disappeared in the New Jersey woods, is being compared to found-footage horror hits like The Blair Witch Project and Lake Mungo.

Some reviewers have praised the film as being remarkably realistic and one of the best examples of found footage filmmaking.

However, it’s not the film’s chilling scenes that have disturbed viewers – it’s the emotion. 

People who’ve seen the movie Tinsman Road at film festivals are sharing their reactions online, and many report being deeply moved and crying after watching it.

One viewer described the film’s ending as incredibly suspenseful, adding it was the first found footage movie to nearly bring them to tears.

‘I feel like I’ve just experienced a true haunting – scary and upsetting and sad,’ wrote another.

A review from Dread Central called it ‘impressive found footage epic’ with ‘a deeply moving story’.

One critic described the film’s beautiful symmetry as deeply moving, saying it could easily bring viewers to tears by the end.

Critic Alex Modica notes that Robbie Banfitch’s newest film deliberately uses the look of early 2000s home videos – shot on Mini-DV with a grainy, square aspect ratio. This choice removes the polish often found in mockumentary horror, bringing the genre back to its simple, disturbing origins.

The movie Tinsman Road began showing in select LOOK Cinemas on October 31st. You can currently see it in Los Angeles, Georgia, Dallas, Fort Worth, and other locations.

This isn’t the first time that director Banfitch has shocked viewers with one of his films. 

In 2023, a new horror film called The Outwaters shocked and unsettled audiences, quickly gaining a reputation for being deeply disturbing.

Despite being made with very little money, the independent film impressed critics and received excellent reviews.

In The Outwaters, things turn terrifying after a camping trip to the Mojave Desert goes very wrong.

The four campers, while filming a music video in the desert, began experiencing frightening events, like unusual animal activity and unsettling vibrations.

Someone recently saw the movie @TheOutwaters and was completely blown away. They said it was incredibly frightening and left them speechless, but they’re already planning to watch it again!

Another penned: ‘Second viewing because the first time was still haunting me.’

Someone else shared that they just watched #TheOutwaters and found it incredibly effective, wishing they’d experienced it in a theater. They described it as disorienting, disturbing, and intensely anxiety-provoking – a truly harrowing experience. They highly recommend it!

Someone else added: ‘The Outwaters is the first film to give me nightmares since childhood.’

Another wrote: ‘Due to this and the Outwaters I will probably never visit the desert again.’

Someone else said they’re still trying to make sense of the movie #TheOutwaters, and weren’t sure if they enjoyed it. The sound design was so disorienting it made them feel incredibly dizzy and they actually had to leave the theater to be sick – something that’s never happened to them before. They described it as more unsettling than frightening.

Critics also offered their opinions, with Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times noting that while some viewers might find the film slow or difficult to follow, Banfitch’s artistic vision is commendable.

‘The Outwaters genuinely feels like a first-person perspective on the end of the world.

‘Just don’t forget your anti-nausea tablets if you’re planning on watching the movie.’

Read More

2025-10-31 04:19