Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood from Sept. 4 to Nov. 3 is one of the most popular scare attractions in Southern Calif., captivating thousands of fans weekly. With eight haunted houses, such as the Terror Tram studio tour and anticipated franchises like Terrifier or Five Nights at Freddy’s, the event offers a night of frights and thrills. While every maze delivered its share of thrills and jump scares, these five stood out as the most unforgettable experiences of the night.
Spoiler warning for the event going forward
Fifth place: WWE Presents: The Horrors of the Wyatt Sicks
Scares: 9/10
Set/Costume design: 7/10
Theming: 6/10
Thoughts: It turned out to be the scariest maze of the night, with some genuinely unexpected jumpscares and moments. The scare actors for the Wyatt Sicks troupe had amazing costumes, with each character having their own themed room in the maze. However, without WWE fan knowledge or some previous research, the characters and plot of the maze might not make much sense. Luckily, not knowing the lore doesn’t take away from the fun.
Overall: 7.5/10
Fourth place: Fallout
Scares: 6/10
Set/Costume Design: 10/10
Theming: 9/10
Thoughts: Seeing a maze based on the Fallout video game franchise was very interesting. Although the maze is based on the TV series of the same name and source material, there are still elements that appeal to both fans of the game and the series. The sets are immersive — there’s a fair amount of well-incorporated moments with scare actors and the most impressive part: a huge puppeteered Yao Guai jumpscare. From walking into a Vault to the Super Duper Mart, the maze captured the Fallout universe very accurately.
Overall: 8/10
Third place: Five Nights at Freddy’s
Scares: 4/10
Set/Costume Design: 10/10
Theming: 10/10
Thoughts: This was the most anticipated, busiest and fan-favorite maze of the whole event. Similar to Fallout, the maze isn’t directly based on the video game franchise, but rather the movie of the same name and source material. The facade of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria looked movie-accurate and the inside set design was perfect. Fans of the game will instantly recognize the security room, especially. The animatronics looked amazing, despite not being the best jumpscare material. Walking through the maze is more fun and nostalgic than scary, but a good time nonetheless.
Overall: 8/10
Second place: Terrifier
Scares: 7.5/10
Costume/Set Design: 9/10
Theming: 10/10
Thoughts: The maze was a great representation of the Terrifier franchise. On the outside, the one-to-one recreation of the funhouse from the second movie added the perfect facade. Inside the maze, there were plenty of scare actors and impressive set pieces, victims and props. The special effects looked great throughout, but the Art actors used masks instead of makeup, making them look a little goofy at times. The immersion, transitions, maze design and effects made for a very enjoyable walkthrough.
Overall: 8.5/10
First place: Jason Universe
Scares: 8.5/10
Set/Costume Design: 10/10
Theming: 10/10
Thoughts: The iconic slasher Jason Voorhees is truly brought to life throughout this maze. It incorporates different iterations of Jason throughout the Friday the 13th series in a dark, spooky Crystal Lake campground setting – even producing a familiar campfire smell. Each scare actor had amazing costuming and they mix iconic scenes with jumpscare moments very well. The Jasons interact with the environment seamlessly, from ripping a heart out of a camper to sawing through a car roof with a machete.
Overall: 9/10
With a blend of scares and immersive fun, Halloween Horror Nights is a perfect event to enjoy solo or with friends.
