You may know Kris Collins and Celina Myers from their TikToks, posted under the names @KallMeKris and @CelinaSpookyBoo, respectively. Now, the content creators have once again teamed up with their friend and editor Jason-Christopher Mayer to make something a little different: a found footage feature titled House On Eden. Shot in just seven days, the trio aims to create a modern day Blair Witch Project, one that replaces college documentary filmmaking with YouTube paranormal investigations. And while what they create is admirable is in its own right, House On Eden ultimately struggles under the size of its own ambition, a microbudget production weighed down by one too many ideas and not enough connective tissue.
Collins, Myers, and Mayer each play fictionalized versions of themselves as a trio of ghost hunters constantly on the search for new places to film. This time, Celina and Jay think they’re heading to a haunted graveyard. But Kris has a different plan in mind: to find this mysterious House on Eden, an abandoned house so hidden, no one really knows about it. That makes it perfect for filming; they’ll be the first to share the house’s story and therefore they’ll rake in the views. Typical content creator story, right?
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The first half of the film follows the trio’s search for the house and their trek through the woods, led by a manic Kris, determined to find this strange place. Before they even set foot inside the house, there’s no doubt that something strange lurks in these woods. But once the group finds the house (which is fully furnished and perfectly set up), things only escalate and catapult these friends into a hell of their own creation.
Collins, Myers, and Mayer are already close friends in real life, with countless videos and collabs published online that document friendships that span countries and haunted locations. So, in creating House on Eden, the trio mines their existing chemistry and history of bits (here’s looking at you, Shit Shack) to craft a realistic dynamic onscreen. The banter feels real as each let their personalities shine, especially in the film’s opening sequences. This chemistry helps ground the stakes at hand and make the ensuing horrors feel more impactful. Plus, they also mine from their prior experience with paranormal investigations, which gives the film that extra dash of credibility, especially when they break out the Estes method.
But there isn’t just paranormal investigation knowledge on display here. It’s obvious that Collins, Myers, and Mayer are all horror fans and have a passion for found footage specifically. From using different kinds of cameras to making sure to scatter scares throughout the film rather than backload them into the film’s final act, Collins tries to avoid common genre pitfalls, even when the film wanders a bit too closely into Blair Witch Project territory.
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Despite a love and knowledge of found footage, and a solid attempt to avoid the subgenre’s pitfalls, House On Eden stumbles when it comes to creating a cohesive narrative that coalesces into something satisfying. Yes, we understand that the group is looking for a creepy abandoned house, but why exactly? Besides the views, of course. Lilith is somehow involved, but Collins never fleshes out the story beyond hazy mentions of the deity and Myers chanting in an unknown tongue. It’s all creepy as separate parts, but they never quite come together to create a cohesive, impactful story. The ideas are there, they just needed to be connected by more than single lines or off-handed remarks.
While House On Eden may not nail every narrative beat, the passion for the subgenre still shines through in every frame. Collins obviously has creative vision which is further bolstered by her chemistry with Myers and Mayer. Don’t write this off as another horror movie directed by TikTokers. Instead, go into House On Eden expecting a found footage experiment made by three close friends with a dream. It’s a fun Friday night watch, especially for those hungry for more found footage.
House On Eden comes to theaters on July 25, 2025.
Summary
While ‘House On Eden’ is admirable is in its ambition, that’s also its very undoing as the narrative is weighed down by one too many ideas and not enough connective tissue.
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