The Stairs Review

The Stairs Review

Dir: Peter 'Drago' Tiemann

Writers: Jason L. Lowe, Peter 'Drago' Tiemann

Starring: Kathleen Quinlan, John Schneider, Brent Bailey, Stacey Oristano, Adam Korson, Josh Crotty, Tyra Colar

1h 32m

What starts as a weeklong camping adventure with friends quickly turns into a terrifying fight for survival in THE STAIRS. 

As the recent winner of Best Horror Feature Film at Phoenix Film Festival/International Horror Sci-Fi Film Festival, I enjoyed sitting in a darkened theater again with fellow horror fans to see this unique tale unfold.

The film starts out in 1997, when a young boy goes out hunting with grandfather. He quickly gets distracted and separated from his grandfather, then stumbles upon a mysterious staircase deep in the woods. As his grandfather hears his cries for help, some “thing” takes them both. 

The subsequent disappearance leaves locals baffled as to the fate of the wayward pair and creates many urban legends.

Twenty years later, a group of hikers set off for a long camping trip, deep into the same stretch of wilderness. With each step further away from civilization, they are pulled deeper into the treacherous trap of the same set of ominous stairs.

Without giving away any spoilers, the third act of the film is an intense creature feature where survival is key.

The writers did a fantastic job of shaping their characters with their own quirks and personality so you get to enjoy them more as the story unfolds. Crowd favorite was crass, love-him-or-hate-him, Doug. 

At times, the plot can feel a bit jerky as some scenes felt a bit too short and lacked some explanation. There was a lot the writers wanted to tell, and it is a bit obvious that some of the fat was left on the cutting floor. But the meat of the story is prime and enjoyable. 

What made this film was the setting. The forest was welcoming yet precarious. The stairs are jarring, out of place and just add to the uneasiness. The creature isn’t too cheesy and is featured just enough so not to kill some of the more intense plot moments.

Like the stairs themselves, it’s a very intriguing story. You will want more after the credits.

While not perfect, for a lower budget horror film, THE STAIRS is one I still contemplate and want to share with others.

Theresa's Rating 

3.50 out of 5.00