The notorious and nightmarish McKamey Manor, an extreme haunted house located in Tennessee, is currently under investigation by the state’s attorney general following its feature in a Hulu documentary titled Monster Inside: America’s Most Extreme Haunted House. The documentary, which combines documentary storytelling with elements of a horror film, explores the reasons why people willingly subject themselves to harm by participating in the torture “tour” at McKamey Manor. The film has gained significant attention since its release on October 12 and has even caught the eye of the attorney general.
Director Andrew Renzi expressed his surprise at the involvement of law enforcement, stating that while many individuals who felt victimized by the experience have long desired this action, they lacked the necessary resources or outlets to capture anyone’s attention. The Tennessee Attorney General, Jonathan Skrmetti, announced on Tuesday that his office would be investigating McKamey Manor. Skrmetti raised serious concerns about the haunted attraction’s business practices and emphasized his office’s commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all Tennesseans.
Assistant Attorney General Kristine Knowles subsequently sent a letter to the owner of McKamey Manor, Russ McKamey. In the letter, Knowles expressed their concerns and stated that a formal request for documents and information would be sent to determine whether the practices of McKamey Manor violate consumer protection laws. One of the main concerns highlighted in the letter was the lack of means for participants to stop the tour. Knowles cited a statement made by McKamey in the documentary, where he claimed that they were known for having no quitting and no safe wording. Additionally, participants reportedly do not have access to a detailed waiver outlining the risks involved with the tour before signing up.
Another concern raised was the alleged $20,000 prize awarded to anyone who completes the McKamey Manor challenge. Knowles stated that this prize either does not exist or is impossible to win. McKamey had previously admitted in an interview that no one would ever win the challenge because it is mentally and physically challenging. Knowles also mentioned the extreme nature of the experiences depicted in a 2019 promotional video from McKamey Manor’s YouTube page, which included participants being dragged by heavy chains and locked into confined spaces while water poured in.
In response to the news of the investigation, Renzi shared his thoughts on the inspiration behind Monster Inside and how the project’s storytelling approach may have contributed to capturing the attention of the state’s attorney general. He noted that he had been contemplating the absence of the horror genre within the world of documentary films and saw an opportunity to create a true genre film that would be entirely real. When Hulu introduced him to LionTV, who had materials on McKamey Manor, Renzi realized that it could be a story about people seeking extreme experiences to become the stars of their own real-life horror film.
During the course of working on the project, Renzi found the most surprising aspect to be the realization that the horrific imagery he witnessed in the videos of McKamey Manor was all real. He was initially skeptical and thought it had to be fake, but upon delving deeper, he discovered that thousands of people were willingly subjecting themselves to brutal experiences. Renzi became intrigued by the motivations of these individuals and discovered that many of them had traumatic pasts and were using extreme experiences as a way to heal and overcome their fears.
With the attorney general now involved, the future of McKamey Manor remains uncertain. The investigation will determine whether the haunted house’s practices violate consumer protection laws and prioritize the safety and wellbeing of participants. The intense experiences offered by McKamey Manor may have been intriguing to some, but the potential risks and concerns raised by investigators cannot be ignored. As the investigation progresses, the fate of this notorious haunted house will be closely watched by both supporters and critics alike.
