The Hallow ** (2015, Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Stuart Graham, Gary Lydon) – Movie Review

A London-based conservationist tree surgeon called Adam Hitchens (Joseph Mawle from Game of Thrones) is sent to Ireland to survey an area of forest believed to be hallowed ground by the superstitious local folk.

Adam and his wife Clare (Bojana Novakovic) move into a remote mill house with their infant child and disturb a horde of monsters who prey on the lost. The couple then find themselves under siege and batting for their lives against relentless attacks by the demonic creatures living in the woods [The movie was originally titled The Woods].

Debut director (and co-writer) Corin Hardy’s low-budget British supernatural horror film isn’t bad and has things to recommend it. It is properly macabre and disquieting, and has flairful visual style. But it also isn’t really strong enough, creepy enough, or dynamic enough or different enough to make its distinctive mark in a crowded market.

The script’s messy and unfocused, but the doomy atmosphere’s good and the performances are fine. Yet, once the Pan’s Labyrinth-style animatronic demonic creatures set in, we see far too much of them, and the air of mystery and the chills evaporate just when they should be stoking up. Hardy shot the film on location in Ireland to make it feel as real as possible, and that works, mixed with the Irish folk lore ideas.

We probably all agree with Hardy that the films of Ray Harryhausen, and the horror films Alien (1979), The Evil Dead (1981) and The Thing (1982) are all good things. But it’s risky to cite such films as influences because audiences will compare them with The Hallow for achievement.

I get that woods can be creepy, but trees, not so much.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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Debut director (and co-writer) Corin Hardy.