If last year's Disney movie invited you to go Into The Woods, THE HALLOW would tell you to stay the hell away from the woods. I think someone like Guillermo del Toro would enjoy this film because it's like the perfect cross between Pan's Labyrinth's mysticism/dark fantasies and Crimson Peak's demons but with endless night of terror.
Co-writer/director Corin Hardy gives you this story of a couple and their baby, relocating in the secluded forest land in rural Ireland. Villagers nearby have warned them of a certain dark power called The Hallow that roams the woods, that if you trespass against them, they trespass against you. And that's exactly what befalls them. The Hallow, angry, relentless, and vengeful, starts messing with the family's car, messing with their electricity, torturing their dog, scaring them in their own house, possessing them, they get bombarded one after another. This small family is left fending for themselves.
I don't know much about this rising film director Corin Hardy other than he was supposed to helm "The Crow" reboot but that project is now up in the air ever since Relativity filed for bankruptcy. But Corin does come from a special effects and monster-creating background, so I'd like to think that THE HALLOW is his way of applying his long-held skills. It also, to a certain extent, pays homage to many of the '80s gruesome horror films, and when the creatures do attack, it switches gears to thriller. It's a modern horror fable that's intense, pulse-pounding, and it makes you wonder why on earth would anyone want to move to places out in the boonies.
I think the wood demons, if you will, look amazing in THE HALLOW, their designs look like if "Guardians Of The Galaxy"s Groot had babies and they all go berserk. Kudos to the actors for taking on what seems to be physically excruciating roles, especially with the scenes mostly taking place at night. Just like those demons, THE HALLOW is extremely persistent, it's one of the scarier horror films I've seen this year.
Co-writer/director Corin Hardy gives you this story of a couple and their baby, relocating in the secluded forest land in rural Ireland. Villagers nearby have warned them of a certain dark power called The Hallow that roams the woods, that if you trespass against them, they trespass against you. And that's exactly what befalls them. The Hallow, angry, relentless, and vengeful, starts messing with the family's car, messing with their electricity, torturing their dog, scaring them in their own house, possessing them, they get bombarded one after another. This small family is left fending for themselves.
I don't know much about this rising film director Corin Hardy other than he was supposed to helm "The Crow" reboot but that project is now up in the air ever since Relativity filed for bankruptcy. But Corin does come from a special effects and monster-creating background, so I'd like to think that THE HALLOW is his way of applying his long-held skills. It also, to a certain extent, pays homage to many of the '80s gruesome horror films, and when the creatures do attack, it switches gears to thriller. It's a modern horror fable that's intense, pulse-pounding, and it makes you wonder why on earth would anyone want to move to places out in the boonies.
I think the wood demons, if you will, look amazing in THE HALLOW, their designs look like if "Guardians Of The Galaxy"s Groot had babies and they all go berserk. Kudos to the actors for taking on what seems to be physically excruciating roles, especially with the scenes mostly taking place at night. Just like those demons, THE HALLOW is extremely persistent, it's one of the scarier horror films I've seen this year.