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The Hallow - Movie Review

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5 stars

Visual artist Corin Hardy’s directorial debut is, indeed, something to see.  Opening this weekend here in Kansas City, the horror film grabs viewers with its sheer intensity and atmospheric effects.  It’s a hard one to immediately shake off which is why my 4.5 rating easily gets rounded up to a solid 5 out of 5 stars. 

Full of suspense, tension, and some grueling moments of sheer terror thanks to a righteous display of practical effects, The Hallow is a twisted journey through a thick forest of fear that won’t think twice about ripping out your insides as it dares take that from a new family that is most cherished.  It is, specifically, what horror as a genre needs to do to its audience: scare the living daylights out of them. 

Set within the confines of Ireland’s oh-so-very natural world, The Hallow is about a group of supernatural sprites (for lack of a better term) who inhabit a dense part of the woods.  You hear them before you see them but they are always there…in the shadows.  The family dog senses this and you will, too.  Did something just move to the left of his shoulder?  I can’t tell. 

They aren’t long dormant either. 

When an expert and conservationist of all things leafy and green (played by Joseph Mawle) brings his wife (Bojana Novakovic) and their new baby into the sprite’s neck of the proverbial woods, they are about to pay the ultimate price and it is up to him to plan out their best defense. 

After the discovery of a bizarre-looking deer carcass, a warning from a nearby neighbor (Michael McElhatton), and the discovery of some icky black goo in their attic, dripping into their living space (and onto the baby’s crib), it seems there are no more warnings for Mawle to take his family and get the hell out of the woods.  They want his child and they will stop at nothing to claim it as their own and when you hear these banshees cry you will want to run in the opposite direction.

Written by Hardy and Felipe Marino, The Hallow gets vicious rather quickly as it executes all of the formulaic steps and procedures in the genre with notable skill and mastery.  The isolated cabin in the woods?  Check.  A magic book?  Check.  Cars that don’t start?  Check.  Fortified windows?  Check.  Supernatural beings with an unquenchable thirst for human flesh and bone and blood?  Check and mate.  They should have left those crosses in their windows after all. 

As you can guess, the atmosphere of this tree-laden flick is dense and saturated with paranoia.  Thanks to the fantastic efforts of John Nolan’s old-school effects and Martijn van Broekhuizen’s cinematography, you too share in the helplessness of the mossy (and messy) situation as these sprites and scary-ass fairies literally come through the walls and keyholes in their pursuit of this family’s infant. 

There is literally no safe place to turn and, when the family finally seeks refuge in the pitch-black oily night, they quickly find that, without a roof over their head, the only safe spot (until sunlight returns) is in the dark and depressing supernatural-surrounded woods.  Makes sense then that Hardy dedicates the film to Ray Harryhausen, Dick Smith and Stan Winston.  He’s following in their gigantic footsteps.  You know what?  He doesn’t fall in either. 

The Hallow – steeped in rich Irish lore – is a fine example of horror done correctly.  It is more than the creatures; more than the idea; and it builds upon a fabulous energy that just isn’t suppressed by scenes we know are bound to be coming. 

There are no real surprises throughout The Hallow but, when it is executed as restrained as it is here, the real surprise is just how effective old-school elements are in the digital age.

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The Hallow - Movie Review

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime:
97 mins
Director
: Corin Hardy
Writer:
Corin Hardy
Cast:
Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton
Genre
: Horror
Tagline:
Nature has a dark side.
Memorable Movie Quote: "He's in the forest again, is he?"
Distributor:
IFC Midnight
Official Site: http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-hallow/
Release Date:
November 6, 2015 (limited)
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
April 5, 2016
Synopsis: When London conservationist Adam (Joseph Mawle) and his wife Clare (Bojana Novakovic, Drag Me To Hell) move with their infant son to a remote house near the Irish forest, they quickly find their new neighbors unwelcoming. The discovery of a gruesome "zombie fungus" growing in the house is just the beginning, as the surrounding woods spew forth a terrifying array of folkloric banshees, baby snatchers, and demons. Awash in the otherworldly atmosphere of a dark fairy tale, The Hallow cleverly toys with genre conventions while unleashing some of the most nightmarishly terrifying creatures in years.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

The Hallow - Movie Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray
- April 5, 2016
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles
: English
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD)
Region Encoding: A

Scream Factory and IFC Films partner up and turn out an impressive-looking 1080p transfer, complete with a splashy slipcover and all, for the debut release of The Hallow. The 2.40:1/AVC-encoded image is another release to highlight the visual capacity – especially concerning its handling of details – of modern digital cameras. Colors are muted but strong and, with shadows mounting in all directions, the lines never lose their edge. There are practical effects everywhere and their display of realism is stunning. Throughout the film, there is a seamless blend of dense environments and strong effects that display just how spot-on digital filmmaking has become. Sound duties are handled effectively by a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound design. There are sound elements everywhere in the highly immersive mix.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • Corin Hardy provides his film with a strong commentary that highlights just how effective he is with the macabre element and to best use it in film. It's a good listen which fans will certainly appreciate.

Special Features:

Scream Factory delivers another round of goodies with this release. They definitely do not hold back and it is appreciated. Up first is a lengthy discussion concerning the making of the movie. What follows are behind-the-scenes looks at the filming of the movie, a collection of galleries, and the original trailer to the movie. For fans, this is a must own release.

  • Surviving the Fairytale: The Making of The Hallow (51 min)
  • Behind-the-Scenes: The Story (3 min)
  • Behind-the-Scenes: Influence (2 min)
  • Behind-the-Scenes: Practical F/X (2 min)
  • Director's Storyboards Gallery (3 min)
  • Director's Sketchbook Gallery (2 min)
  • The Book of Invasions Original Illustrations Gallery (3 min)
  • Creature Concepts Gallery (1 min)
  • Theatrical Trailer

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