Director: Keith Boynton
Cast: Grayson Gwaze, Cedric Gegel, Kaitlyn Lunardi, Meghan Reed, Jamie Bernadette
The Haunted Forest is a 2025 American horror film directed by Keith Boynton, following a teenager who takes seasonal work at a haunted forest attraction and finds his understanding of fear — and himself — tested in ways no scare script could have prepared him for.
What is The Haunted Forest about?
Marcus is a restless teenager who lands a part-time gig as a scare actor inside a commercial haunted forest attraction. Dressed in costumes and following choreographed routines, he quickly forms an unexpected bond with his oddball crewmates — performers who have built an entire subculture around frightening strangers. The camaraderie is genuine and, for the first time, Marcus feels like he belongs somewhere. But when one of the crew dies under disturbing circumstances, the line between theatrical horror and something far more real begins to dissolve. Marcus is forced to examine what drew him to this world of darkness and whether the fascination was a creative outlet or something more unsettling.
Cast & crew
Director Keith Boynton also appears in the film as a performer, blurring the boundary between filmmaker and subject. The ensemble cast includes Grayson Gwaze and Cedric Gegel leading the younger players, with Jamie Bernadette and Mashka Wolfe among the more seasoned performers rounding out the scare-crew. Kaitlyn Lunardi and Meghan Reed add emotional texture to the supporting roles, and Myles Hamilton completes a tight-knit group dynamic.
Context & significance
Haunted forest and haunted house attractions are a distinctly North American cultural institution — seasonal Halloween businesses where actors terrorize paying guests for thrills. For Persian-speaking viewers in the diaspora, particularly those who have settled in Canada or the United States, this backdrop offers a window into a mainstream Halloween tradition that many have observed from the outside but rarely seen depicted on screen. The film carries a Persian dub, making it accessible to the whole family, and fits comfortably alongside the kind of modest, character-led horror that works well for an evening watch. At 93 minutes, it does not overstay its welcome.
Where & how to watch
The Haunted Forest is available on K-Time with a Persian dub and Persian subtitles. You can stream it on the web, on your TV دستگاه, or on your phone — no VPN required, no geo-blocking, and you can cancel anytime.