Countyline Fright’s The Evil Within is an elevated haunted house in Yucaipa, California that combines innovative scares within linear corridors. While the actual haunt is only fifteen to twenty minutes in length, there is plenty to marvel at—including gorgeous sets, scares coming from above and below, and even some rooms that require you to watch a scene before allowing you to progress. This is a fantastic sophomore experience, only building out their scares and adding in more of a narrative focus compared to last year (see our review here). This isn’t immersive horror and actors will not touch you; yet, you should expect to get scared and have a great time doing so.

Escape A Killer’s House

This year Countyline Fright has added a VIP upgrade escape room that helps kick off the experience, setting the backstory for the events that take place inside the house. A detective has found the home of a notorious serial killer that skins his victims alive, and has since gone missing, leaving it to your group to rescue him and find out the truth happening inside. You start by searching for clues in the parlor of his home.

Aesthetically similar to Edward Tandy’s home in The Basement, the escape room matches the décor inside the haunted house but lacks the innovation and cleverness of the rest of The Evil Within. The entire room is a series of four combo locks that has participants finding puzzles on neatly laminated paper. This room is meant for beginners or those who want to do every escape room out there—and offers little to the experience beyond setting up the narrative.

We recommend skipping this one unless you’re a die-hard fan or have time to kill while waiting in line.

The Evil Within

The Evil Within is where Countyline Fright excels. While their haunt is a bit of a drive from Los Angeles, it is well worth it. The haunt is a traditionally styled, linear maze in which audiences walk through the home of a serial killer and descend deeper into his madness. Yet, it offers some immersive elements, such as doors that don’t open until a scene plays out, actors that will happily tell you a story if you only pause long enough to listen, and some truly impressive scares that subvert expectation.

It’s these scares that truly make The Evil Within stand out from other haunted houses, offering something just a bit scarier than your Halloween Horror Nights or your Knott’s Scary Farm. For example, one of my favorite scares comes from a room piled with luggage—seemingly normal until one of the suitcases opens up and an actor crammed inside startled our entire group. They place scares where other haunts have trained me to not look—and this is exactly why Countyline is one of the few haunts that does frighten me.

As it is serial killer themed, the sets may feel familiar to veteran haunted house goers, but they are some of the best. They have some clever passageways, with real doors that you need to open—and even some trick passageways that may surprise you. Further, the house looks like a real lived-in home, complete with all the rooms you’d expect in a home. You traverse the entry way, the hallway, the kitchen, the bedroom, and end up in the garage and what lies beyond. The narrative further reflects this, as the start is brightly lit and welcoming—but as you descend deeper, the lights dim, the fog grows, and the screams are just that much louder.

The acting further helps set this haunted house apart. While this isn’t theater by any regard, there is a nice scene at the start with a police officer that sets the scene—and then you meet the various members of the serial killer’s family home. His mother is wonderfully creepy and charming, offering us a leg of Larry slow cooking in the oven. The killer’s sister is a highlight—and her room cleverly plays a common theme of dolls. And as you near the end, the killer seems to be everywhere, appearing from where you least expect him.

Finally, Countyline Fright and The Evil Within do a great job of spacing participants out when going through the maze. As such, you truly feel alone in the haunt. You will never see a group in front of you or behind you, and this is not a conga-line experience.

Final Thoughts

Countyline Fright is exceptional at what they do—elevating the classic linear maze and cleverly reimagining it as an immersive haunted house. The Evil Within is frighteningly fun and captures the imagination, leaving scenes in your mind that will stick with you long after the haunt is over.

While the escape room doesn’t land the same way the haunt does, it is a nice add-on for those looking for something more to do (or check out Castle Dark or Dark Harvest on your way back to Los Angeles).

Countyline Fright has proved with The Evil Within that they are one of the best haunted house creators out there. Filling the space that Sinister Pointe used to hold as a haunted house that just offered a bit more, we recommend this experience strongly. Just make sure you don’t end up getting lost inside and lose your skin. I know a killer who needs a new coat.

For More information about CountyLine Fright and The Evil Within, checkout their website, Facebook and Instagram. To find other events similar to this one, check out our Event Catalog.

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Countyline Fright returns with The Evil Within. The Evil Within is a haunt themed around Serial Killers. Can you escape The Evil Within? 

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Countyline Fright returns with The Evil Within. The Evil Within is a haunt themed around Serial Killers. Can you escape The Evil Within?