Alright, so right off the bat, I'll tell you that this movie will only serve two purposes if you're living in Boise. The first is it's original purpose, which is to scare you because that's what horror movies exist for. The second purpose it can serve is to make you laugh at the way the Old Idaho Penitentiary is portrayed in the 2021 film 'Paranormal Prison' which is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

I found the movie when I was scrolling the horror category on Prime and when I read the synopsis, it seemed like a decent premise for a "found footage" film - investigators explore a haunted prison. Little did I know, the movie takes place right here in Boise and at the Old Idaho Penitentiary.

The movie, in the style of movies like 'The Blair Witch Project' and 'Paranormal Activity', follows a team of paranormal investigators that includes a skeptic filming a show. They're looking to capture proof of paranormal activity using "science" while the skeptic aims to logically explain the strange events.

Obviously, things aren't what they seem and the team encounters several bizarre events that occur around the prison. As a horror fan, I would compare the effects to that of a SyFy movie - not the best, but it serves its purpose.

I have to admit, I burst out laughing when the characters made subtle references to Boise or Idaho in general. For example, when the team was given a tour of the garden, one of the characters cryptically says "there's not much out here" implying the prison is in the middle of nowhere.

Another belly-busting moment came when the team revealed the entire reason for the investigation was because the Old Idaho Penitentiary would be demolished. We know that's not true but still - it made me wonder how many people saw this film and believed that the Old Idaho Penitentiary was, in fact, going to be demolished.

The film isn't award-winning by any means, it's not the worst, the premise is strong, but ultimately, the film serves its purpose - it entertains.

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