Like Rene said, atmosphere is the word. And like Phil noted, Berridge looks insanely young at the beginning. Like creepily so, like I checked Wikipedia to find out she was exactly 18 when she filmed it creepy.
The opening, aside from said jailbait, is kind of goofy in just how much it references both Giallo and the Halloween film and I guess the Psycho movie. I’ve never thought of Hooper as some who was particularly affectionate towards other horror movies so I was surprised at how many references and nods he stuffs into those first five minutes.
I also love the tone of the set-up. There’s a transgressive element to the Carnival which Hooper milks for all it’s worth and it creates a real sense of unease. I also kind of like the four main kids, you can tell that Hooper doesn’t particularly care for them but they’re far better drawn than most kids if horror movies and they actually have distinct personalities and dynamics.
I think the film is a little slack in the middle and the third act is a little scattershot, but it’s a really fun effective piece and I kind of love how the actual attacks are established and shot. There's something really visceral about Richie getting strung up, largely due to the sound work and the fact all you can really see is his flailing legs.
