In 1912, a family of eight was bludgeoned to death in their home in Villisca, Iowa. To this day, the crime remains unsolved. The Axe Murders of Villisca is the fictional account of three amateur ghost hunters who break into the site of these grisly murders hoping for one last big story. While well acted, this film focuses too much on the characters and not enough on the ghost story itself. I was hoping for more spooks and less teen drama. I felt it was lacking a real explanation as to why events escalated in the manner that they did. That said, the special effects on the ghostly Moore children were definitely creepy, and delivered some effective chills. If you keep in mind this film is a modern day, character-driven tale and doesn’t delve too deep into the Villisca story itself, The Axe Murders of Villisca is an entertaining watch.
