The Hallow **
Things go bump in the night – and all that horror jazz. However, filmmaker Corin Hardy’s new Irish chiller, The Hallow is more stylised than scary, and pretty much of a muchness as a haunting goes.
‘Outsiders’, husband and wife, Adam (Joseph Mawle) and Clare (Bojana Novakovic) Hitchens have moved from the big smoke to forest-strewn Ireland because scientist Adam studies trees. They have also brought along their baby boy to these idyllic, green surroundings. But things are far from ‘idyllic’ in their rustic home when they ignore local folklore and advice, and their old digs comes under threat from a supernatural force.
The actual horror story follows all the usual tropes, right down to the Hitchens checking out the attic space. The addition of the baby only ramps up the chill factor – he’s in virtually every scene, implying he’s vulnerable and prey to the ‘dark force’ trying to break in.
The Hallow bucks the trend a little by having the attack on the couple coming from the outside, rather than from within – to begin with. The trouble is, it’s like Hardy and his creative team are so proud of their animatronics ghouls that they show them off a little too soon. Something needs to be left to the imagination here, or proceedings become mundane.
In fact, the film’s only real positive is its organic production design. It’s rich in earthy substance that’s literally oozing menace. Even the subsequent ‘The Fly’ transformation is pretty impressive for a film on a limited budget. It is highly imaginative in this sense.
Aside from that, there is nothing very remarkable about The Hallow – it makes no real mark, even though it leaves matters open to a possible sequel. Still, you could argue Hardy is merely flexing his creative muscles before working on the reboot of The Crow. The Hallow is certainly a place to start.
2/5 stars
By @FilmGazer
by lgileskeddie
