The beginning of The Bell Keeper plays like a straight slasher movie. Randy Couture stands tall and menacing as Hank, axe in hand. There’s even a gruesome and bloody death. This opening leads to expectations that maybe, just maybe, we’re witnessing the birth of a new slasher. However, the film, while it has such elements, is really an uneven blend of horror subgenres. Some of them work, while others falter. The end result is a messy film that still has its highlights.

Directed by Colton Tran, with a script by Joe Davison and Luke Genton, the film follows a group of friends who hop in an RV with the intention of visiting various locations to document urban legends. It’s a pretty cool concept on paper, and collectively, the cast is a lot of fun, offering one positive to the film. They eventually wind up at a campsite. Rumors have it that if you ring the bell at midnight, you will indeed summon the murderous Hank, seen at the beginning of the film. The RV belongs to two brothers, Liam (Reid Miller) and Matthew (Mike Manning). The brothers’ dynamic and Miller and Manning’s performances are another highlight. Matthew is the extrovert, popular with the ladies and ready to party. Liam, meanwhile, is a shy introvert who, well, doesn’t have his brother’s finesse with women, let’s just say. This sibling relationship anchors the film and creates an interesting dynamic. It also adds a little levity to the film, especially Liam’s interactions with another character, Brittany (Kathleen Kenny). You start to wish that Matthew would just sit Liam down and give him some advice on how to date.

While the cast and concept are strong, the film falls apart when it suddenly introduces demons into the mix. It’s a weird merging of subgenres that pulls the film down, muddling it. The script would have been better served if it simply remained a slasher. To add, while a lot of the effects and deaths look good, the demons, however, do not. The film would have been better served if it stuck with the practical effects because some the CGI scenes look questionable at best and corny at their worst. There’s also a lot of dialogue that is sometimes cringeworthy, and it’s hard to tell if that was intentional or not. Yes, it’s entertaining, but I can’t imagine myself ever watching this film more than once.

While The Bell Keeper’s story doesn’t really hold up to scrutiny, the film does have its positives. It’s amusing, even at some of its worst moments. It also has solid performances, especially from Miller, Manning, and Kenny. Tran is a young director with several credits already. I do look forward to his future projects, hopefully with stronger scripts.

6 out of 10