The Curse of the Fall

The Curse of the Fall is a 2020 horror film directed by Michael Chaves. The film is based around four friends who explore a hiking area notorious for a series of murders in the 1970s, only to be killed off one by one. The film was conceived in late 2018, with filming starting in February 2019 and wrapping up in June. Post-production started in July and finished in October. The film was originally set to release on April 17, 2020, but was pushed back to November 13, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Released theatrically on November 20, 2020, one week after its changed release date, the film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the suspense but criticized the overreliance on gore and jump-scares, but was a box office success, grossing $48 million against a budget of $6 million.

Plot
In 1978, there were two good friends who were going on a hike. The were exploring the mountain they were on when one of them accidentally stepped backwards and fell off a cliff. His friend caught his hand, but his grip was loosening by the second. He tried his best to hold on, but his hand slipped away from his friend's, and his friend fell into an enormous pit. His friend felt guilty, so he took one step back and jumped in to "pay for his sins." He crashed to the ground and saw a glimpse of his friend's dead body before he died himself. Not soon after, another hiker reported the situation, but he was suddenly stabbed by a masked man. Police cars showed up, and the story appeared on the news, but legend has it, anyone who goes near the pit will die a slow, gruesome death.

40 years later, the story is believed to be a myth due to the media covering it up, and all recordings of any news reports regarding the situation are destroyed by the government. One day, two college students decide to hike around the area and document it to show that it wasn't real. They packed their bags and brought along two friends to go with them. They reached the mountain and camped out there. When they woke up, someone found a bear claw mark near their tent. They decided to leave very quickly. When they got to where they parked their car, it was gone. They decided to move on with their hike, but they were creeped out.

They found a cave and decided to discover it. When they saw a skull, they tried to leave, but the entrance had caved in. They were seriously scared now, and one of them tried to call for help, but the area he was standing in caved in, and he was crushed to death by rocks. The three remaining friends tried to search their backpacks for items to escape, but everything was taken out of their backpacks. They kept on walking, and they found multiple skulls with blood stains on them. Suddenly, one of the friends saw a blade in the distance, and he ducked low to avoid it, but the blade lowered and sliced off his head. The two remaining friends then huddle together and try to find an opening, but one of them suddenly disappeared, and seconds later, a bloody arm rolled out. The last friend remaining found an opening and was able to successfully escape. A man started talking to him and reveals to the survivor that he is a descendant of the person who "paid for their sins" 40 years ago. He is spared, and he walks out to find himself greatly saddened that his friends are gone, and even though his car has appeared, he decides to live with his ancestor and jumps off the cliff. He slams to the ground and dies instantly, but he dies happily. Other hikers show up at the cliff, but nothing happens to them, as the man who fell 40 years ago is now pleased with his descendant for joining him. Suddenly, a hiker backs up and almost falls off, but his friend catches his hand. His grip loosens very quickly, however, and the hiker falls in. However, the other hiker decides to walk away, and the floor beneath him breaks, engulfing him in a pit of darkness for not "paying for his sins."