Kaylah Walton
In a shocking twist on “America’s Got Talent,” the show reached new levels of strangeness in Season 19 on July 16. The introduction of Forest of Haunts, a zombie-like group from Slovenia, turned the stage into a scene reminiscent of a horror movie. Judges Simon Cowell and Sofía Vergara found themselves stunned and slightly unnerved by the eerie performance.
Like a scene from a chilling Stephen King novel, a creature approached the judges’ table, setting the stage for an act more akin to “Night of the Living Dead” than a typical talent show. Before the audience could recover, Simon and Sofía were called to the stage for a disturbing game that felt like it was straight out of a haunted carnival.
The game involved Simon popping balloons over Sofía’s blindfolded head, with the twist being that the contents of the balloons were unknown. Initially harmless confetti showered down, offering a brief moment of relief for the ‘Modern Family’ star amidst the escalating tension. However, just when it seemed safe, the final balloon burst to reveal a ghastly surprise: maggots. Fortunately, Sofía was spared, but the horror of the moment lingered.
Forest of Haunts’ Performance Divides ‘America’s Got Talent’ Judges
Simon gave the eerie magicians a backhanded compliment stating, “That was repulsive, but brilliant,” while Judge Heidi Klum hit the “X” button in a bid to end the nightmare. Howie Mandel, the eternal skeptic, suspected a setup but lightened the mood with a joke comparing the act to a scene from Sofía’s Netflix series “Griselda.” Sofía, surprised and relieved, deferred to the enthusiastic crowd who thoroughly enjoyed every horrifying moment.
Heidi found the performance “hideous,” but Howie managed to see a positive aspect in it. He humorously declared, “A win for the maggots,” hinting that he might have secretly enjoyed the madness more than he let on.
The audience was captivated. Various reactions flooded social media, expressing everything from astonishment to delight. A user on X summarized it by saying, “This act is fantastic. I enjoy scary performances. The conclusion was unpleasant, but I loved it.” Another commenter remarked, “I enjoyed it, and in my opinion, they are similar to the Maphilindo Sacred Riana AGT of the Schengen Zone EU. Both acts are chilling.“
So, who are the performers behind this eerie show? Forest of Haunts, or “Gozd Strahov” in Slovenian, add a spine-chilling twist to their live magic displays.
