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HorrorWorld Halloween 2021: Back to the Black

HorrorWorld’s Into the Black is back! That’s great news because HorrorWorld is one of the scariest haunted attractions in the Southland, and it has been three years since they featured Into the Black as their walk-through maze: they could not secure a suitable location in 2019; we all know what happened in 2020; and when they reopened this August, their maze used a The Texas Chainsaw Massacre theme.

Now it’s Halloween 2021, and the demons are back, haunting the shadowy corridors of the Into the Black* maze, now located within HorrorWorld’s retail space inside the appealing Haven City Market in Rancho Cucamonga. It’s a little bit of a drive for Los Angeles haunt-seekers, but the scares are worth the trip.


HorrorWorld Halloween 2021 Review: Overview

There have been a few changes since the last Into the Black presentation. Although the settings look familiar, the new location features a different layout (seen in the Chainsaw Massacre show). Also, victims are allowed in two at a time instead of alone. This number is a small enough to prevent safety in numbers, but it does move the line a little faster. The demons seem to be of a different breed but no less terrifying.

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The funny thing about HorrorWorld is that, on paper, it’s not too hard to make its maze sound unimpressive: a fair chunk of Into the Black consists of walking through dimly lit plywood corridors, waiting for the scare-actors to show up. However accurate, this description is grossly misleading. In fact, HorrorWorld achieves what other haunts have only claimed to attempt: low-key lighting, enhanced by ominous sound effects, bathes the settings in unsettling atmosphere, and the empty spaces create a dreadful sense of anticipation as you realize you are being stalked by unseen things in the dark. Absent chainsaws and mechanical pop-scares, the fear induced is of an eerier, skin-crawling variety seldom seen – or felt – in other haunted attractions.


HorrorWorld Halloween 2021 Review: Conclusion

Our one minor complaint with HorrorWorld’s Halloween 2021 presentation is that we encountered few if any of the full-body makeups that distinguished past versions of Into the Black. This season, the demons manifest cloaked in dark shrouds revealing only their faces. Fortunately, within the shadowy realm of the maze, this was more than enough to inflict terror. With its emphasis on shudders rather than shocks, HorrorWorld’s Into the Black remains the most hair-raising maze available this season.

Footnote:

  • Just to be clear about nomenclature: The haunt debuted in 2017 as “Into the Black.” The name “HorrorWorld” was adopted in 2018 when the haunt expanded to three mazes, including Into the Black. The phrase “Into the Black” is still used on promotional materials. To avoid confusion, it is best to think of “HorrorWorld” as an umbrella term for the location and event, including a haunted market selling horror-themed merchandise; “Into the Black” refers to the maze’s theme and contents.
HorrorWorld Hallowee 2021 Ratings
95%

Bottom Line

HorrorWorld’s Into the Black maze inflicts a shuddery form of terror unlike any other Halloween haunt. Highly recommended.

HorrorWorld continues on Fridays and Saturdays in October, plus October 24, 28, and Halloween Night. Hours are 7-10pm. Update: Final shows cancelled! HorrorWorld also features a haunted market selling sinister merchandise, and Haven City Market offers a variety of food options. The address is at 8443 Haven Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga, 91730.  Get more information on Instagram or their Facebook page

 

HorrorWorld Halloween 2021 Review: Additional Photographs

Steve Biodrowski, Administrator

A graduate of USC film school, Steve Biodrowski has worked as a film critic, journalist, and editor at Movieline, Premiere, Le Cinephage, The Dark Side., Cinefantastique magazine, Fandom.com, and Cinescape Online. He is currently Managing Editor of Cinefantastique Online and owner-operator of Hollywood Gothique.