From director Travis Stephens comes the new horror movie Girl on the Third Floor, which just had its regional premiere at the esteemed Nightmares Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio. Using a screenplay co-written with Paul Johnston and Ben Parker, the movie stars wrestling legend Phil “CM Punk” Brooks in his acting debut as a man renovating an old home only to discover the house’s dark and paranormal secrets (along with plenty of black goo) hidden within its walls. The result is a truly unique horror film which will have you thinking about it long after the credits roll.
Our story begins with a simple premise that only grows more mysterious as Brooks’ character digs deeper into his new home. As an ex-lawyer with a troubled past looking to make a fresh start with his very-pregnant wife Liz (Trieste Kelly Dunn), Don Koch (Brooks) purchases a very old and run-down house with the hopes of renovating it into a beautiful home for his family to live in. While issues with the home will present their own set of problems, things only seem to get even worse for Don when his seductive new neighbor Sarah (Sarah Yates) literally shows up on his doorstep.
Very early into the movie, it’s quite clear something in seriously wrong with this house. Black goo can be seen randomly oozing from the walls and pipes. Another sticky white substance seeps out of the outlets and the shower head. On top of that, the home has a penchant for eerily emitting marbles from various spots throughout the building. For Don, none of it exactly makes sense, but ignoring the warning signs, he sees it all as nothing more than a problem to be remedied with some simple home renovation.
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Of course, things only grow more bizarre as the film goes on to the point where it seems like the house has a mind of its own. Things get tense as Don struggles to find out what’s happening in his new house while trying to convince his wife through video-calling that everything is going just fine. Meanwhile, Don’s mind begins to unravel in the same way his house is leaking black goo in every room. The film will definitely keep your attention as you see where the story is going, though the ending might not give you as many answers as you may be hoping for.
Wrestling fans will know Phil “CM Punk” Brooks best from his days in WWE as one of their biggest superstars. His transition into horror seems to be a natural one for him, as the former wrestler excelled in his role. That said, it was mildly amusing to see the character smoking pot and drinking beer soon after we see Brooks’ real-life “STRAIGHT EDGE” tattoo in big letters on his stomach. To be clear, this isn’t necessarily a movie mistake, as Don seems like the kind of guy who would get such a tattoo and still get drunk and stoned anyway.
Where Girl on the Third Floor also shines is with its interesting visuals and dark humor. There are plenty of moments in the film which are a bit grotesque, and the FX in these scenes look fantastic. Even with the more serious moments, however, the movie entertains with plenty of rather hilarious moments as well, which kept the Nightmares Film Festival audience laughing throughout. In other words, the movie is dark, yet fun, and all around entertaining. Check it out if you get the chance!
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