Before the light, there was darkness. Even the mythical Ravana – the 10-headed king of the rakshasas or demons – would be spooked by the ghastly ghosts and creatures that roam the grounds of Universal Studios Singapore (USS) after dark.
For three more nights, the theme park will be decked out with ghoulish paraphernalia as part of its yearly Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) event. The 14th edition returns with a particular focus on Asian folklore and local urban legends.
There are four haunted houses with themes that strike pretty close to home.
Think of the Karung Guni (or rag-and-bone man), who collects unwanted household items and recyclables to resell. USS reimagines him as a Gollum-like character with a morbid countenance and gravelly voice as he gets more and more possessed with each cursed item he brings back to his shophouse.
Each walkway and corner of the haunted house is intentionally designed to evoke a sense of claustrophobia. A total of 1,125 props – from broken altars and cracked mirrors to ritual objects and abandoned dolls – were made to fill up the space for an immersive experience.
Fans of horror movies or TV shows can check out the On Air house, which is part of the Singapore’s Most Haunted series at HHN. This one is reminiscent of all the ghost stories we were told by our older cousins during sleepovers.
Set in an abandoned broadcast studio, expect scenes of a student suspended in a reverse crawl on the ceiling of a secondary school classroom or a mistress with long, straight black hair that shrouds her face, standing at the top of a staircase.
The scare factor is high, courtesy of practical effects like “blood” splatters and animatronics that make it hard to distinguish between what’s real and what’s staged.
The scare actors are also fully committed to their assigned roles and strike at the moment when you least expect it. You’d be surprised at the scream that tears out of your throat. Be sure to pack a bottle of water and some lozenges to help with the aftermath.
Another tip is to have a portable fan to keep you cool as you wait in line to enter each house or scare zone. Most importantly, choose your crew wisely. A group of four or more people is the best way to experience HHN.
The braver ones should be positioned first and last, while the less brave ones can be placed in the middle. My strategy is to have everyone place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them to create an unbreakable link.
At least, until one member breaks away or gets stranded due to the chaos. I was separated from my team in the Karung Guni shophouse for a good few minutes, and it was the most fun I had in a long time.
Forcing myself to not be afraid and run past the hidden fiends to join the group of strangers ahead was truly a memorable moment. Not only did I make new friends, but I also became more thrilled with each adrenaline rush and looked forward to the next scare!
If you need a good laugh, you can also watch the reel we posted on tabla!’s Instagram page (@tabla_sph), in which we made two of our colleagues walk through the haunted houses!
Nothing brings a pack together like shared trauma, so go in with an open mind and embrace the Halloween spirit. Tickets are still available for sale on Resorts World Sentosa’s website.
A heartfelt petition to USS to include Indian-inspired ghouls and supernatural themes in the next HHN. There’s Kanchana and Chandramukhi from pop culture, or even a haunted house filled with Indian aunties who chide you for not getting married yet will also do the trick.
