Chertsey, Surrey, UK
October 9th, 2024 – Massive rides drenched in eerie neon purple and green lighting? Yep, that sounds like Fright Nights. A subversive new maze themed to a nightclub infested with demons? Yep, that sounds like Fright Nights. Flames bursting into the sky of a scare zone, while dancers twist hypnotically to an infectious drum n bass soundtrack? Yep, that sounds like Fright Nights.
Well, Fright Nights of the past 3 years, to be exact. No you won’t find Lionsgate IPs or questionable asylum themes here in 2024.
Thorpe Park’s huge Halloween affair is now an event so assured in its blossoming kitsch identity that its creators have begun to take interesting creative risks. And boy, do those risks pay off. That’s the immediate strength of Fright Nights in 2024: it scares in ways you wouldn’t expect.
Like bird-watching for spooks, you could bring a checklist to most other major UK haunt events and witness the same horror character tropes over and over again: there will be a clown maze, a zombie maze, a maze with nuns. You’ll assuredly be able to tick off every haunted house cliche faster than you can say “chainsaw run out.”
But will there be a giant teddy bear leaping out of a claustrophobic tunnel made from stuffed animals? Probably not. That’s the kind of outrageous scare that belongs to Thorpe Park Fright Nights, specifically their Stitches horror maze which playfully juxtaposes toys against gore. Packed with memorable moments, Stitches features beautifully crafted sets and dynamic actors that tell the unsuspecting yet unsettling story of the Toymaker. 9/10
You’d be forgiven for forgetting that the building which houses the park’s brand new scare maze Deadbeat was once home to Black Mirror Labyrinth. The space has been utterly transformed into a dingy nightclub – now completely unrecognisable from its previous mirror maze form. Similarly to the toy factory setting of Stitches, the night club scenario of Deadbeat is not an obviously scary one. Its exterior, covered in posters with subtle Fright Nights references, is more cool and inviting than dark and foreboding.
This cleverly lures guests into a false sense of security before the demons of Deadbeat leap out on the dance floor in hectic flashes of strobe. Featuring a hypnotic soundtrack and incredible overhead scares, Deadbeat is a well- executed Fright Nights risk that answers the question: can you make a cloakroom scary? Turns out: yes, Thorpe Park can.
My only criticism of this maze is that the story line isn’t very clear. Why are the clubbers being sick? How does this relate to the demons? For comparison, entering the world of Stitches, it’s made very obvious who the Toymaker is and what she wants. However, when it comes to DJ Calistro of Deadbeat, I left the maze still not really knowing what his character is all about.
But if a few narrative tweaks are made after it’s debut year, Deadbeat has the potential to one day join the list of Fright Nights classics. It’s a very fun concept. 8/10
Speaking of Fright Nights classics, Trailers has reached peak form. With new scenes added that pay homage to even more old Fright Nights mazes from the past, Trailers is the most awesome trip down memory lane any Fright Nights fan could ask for. They even reference the old Fright Nights mascot The Director in the opening scene.
New scenes include: Creek Freak Massacre, Deaths Doors and Platform 15, which nestle perfectly between the classic scenes of The Big Top and Breakout at Brainsburys.
The best thing about Trailers is: if you’re a Fright Nights fan, you will appreciate the fan-service on so many levels; but if you’ve never been to Fright Nights before – the concept of walking through a cinema screen and into horror trailers is strong enough to captivate guests who aren’t aware of all the lore. A truly spectacular maze, a real gem in Fright Nights crown. 10/10
Survival Games starts strong in 2024, with a shocking opening scene featuring an actor in an electric chair. As usual, guests are separated into cages, then pulled into the bulk of the maze which is heavily inspired by Netflix’s Squid Games. It’s an assault on the senses in terms of shouting actors, loud banging noises and dark corridors, which sadly verge on irritating as opposed to scary. This maze is less about jump scares and more a continual loop of relentless chaos. Being sent in circles and told to stand in a corner, only to be left waiting for something to happen loses impact after it happens multiple times. The chainsaw at the end of Survival Games would have been better placed in the Creek Freak section of Trailers, seen as that was a huge element of the original Creek Freak maze. But even after a chainsaw runout, it’s still easy to leave Survival Games underwhelmed. If there’s one Fright Nights maze that leaves the line up next year, I would like it to be Survival Games. 4/10
I’m pleased to report that The Crows of Mawkin Meadow have got on the property ladder, with their autumnal scare zone now featuring a little house. Pumpkins, hay bales, crosses, smoke and the jittery movement of The Crows all come together to make a haunting experience that’s very easily the best scare zone in the UK. 10/10
It’s great to have a central hub area for Fright Nights and Lucifer’s Lair does a fantastic job of entertaining guests with fire performers, interactive winged devil actors plus a live rock band. The fire show is once again the highlight of Lucifer’s Lair, boasting a new impressively-layered audio mix and a troupe of talented dancers.
Another cool Fright Nights show can be found next to the entrance of Stealth, in the form of Creature Campus. The dancers put on a very energetic display of moves, continuing the cute campus rivalry storyline of witches vs. the world.
We cannot close this review without acknowledging how stunning the park looks for Fright Nights this year. Colourful lighting around the park elevates the spooky atmosphere, adding an extra edge to ferocious night rides on Thorpes great selection of coasters.
Review by Serena Cherry at the Press Launch of the event.
For tickets and further about Fright Nights, check out Thorpe Park’s website.