Horror Movie Review: Haunted House of Pancakes (2025)

From director Nathan Dalton, who co-wrote it with Paul Newton, comes Haunted House of Pancakes. A silly, campy, tongue in cheek horror comedy that manages to rise above its blasé and overtly familiar story to be an enjoyable watch. All thanks to likable characters, great visual effects, and plenty of blood and guts.

It’s Halloween, and after procuring a mysterious waffle iron, diner owner Frank (Chris De Christopher) is seeing a future filled with waffles, pancakes, and other tasty treats. For brothers Jay (Fabian Guerrero) and Carlos (Patrick Johnston), it’s just another night serving the locals. Even if the former can’t stop making ‘heart eyes’ at Sarah (Jada Krueger), a student trying to work in peace and quiet. Which makes a busy diner on Halloween an odd choice.

Noise is the least of her problems though as it turns out that the waffle iron is a bit cursed, and after being ‘bit’ by it, Carlos becomes possessed. Now under its control, he sets about making all kinds of food for the hungry patrons to enjoy, except this isn’t food that they can eat, rather it’s food that wants to eat them.

Will Jay be able to save his brother, his crush, and himself? Will Frank ever realise his dream of a pancake franchise? Will the forces of evil transform everyone into food monstrosities and bring about the Foodmageddon? The answer to all these questions, and more, is obvious if you’ve ever seen this kind of film before. An unexpected hero, a love that blossoms out of adversity, mean people getting their comeuppance, betrayal, a chaotic middle that sees countless people killed in bloody fashion, and a final boss.

There’s absolutely nothing new here, and when the film slows down, it really does become noticeable. However, this is more forgivable because everything else is so darn entertaining. For starters, the film looks great. Dripping in Halloween style, soaked in vibrant colours, and with a mix of practical and CGI effects. There’s some imaginative stuff going on here, and even though the CGI isn’t that effective, it’s used sparingly and often when it clearly would have been impossible for it to be a practical effect. Right up to the end, it continues to delight, especially when the ‘pancake monster’ is revealed.

Then there is the cast, a strong set of actors working with basic characters, but throwing their all into them and making them feel more real. The leads are all likable, even if their plights aren’t that investible. Those required to die at the hands of possessed food (and there’s a lot of them) play up to the silliness and deliver plenty of amusing moments as they pass from this world to the next. It’s this cheesiness that makes Haunted House of Pancakes a funny film, even if there’s nothing outright hilarious.

It’s ok though, as it’s a film that knows exactly what it wants to be and who its target audience is. An ‘unchain your brain’ flick that is best enjoyed with a few beers. There’s nothing groundbreaking and it won’t live too long in the memory, but it will hold most watcher’s interest over its runtime.