The Hallow is an Irish horror film that drew much praise upon its release and premièred at the Sundance film festival. A conservationist from London, with his wife and infant child, moves to a secluded forest land in order to survey it for future construction. But he unwittingly disturbs an ancient evil long feared by the local villagers, alone he must battle to protect his family from the hordes of demonic forces that are desperate to preserve their sacred hallow.
Newcomer Corin Hardy makes a real solid start to his directing career here. This is easily one of the best premises for a horror film. An unexplained evil, hidden for centuries in a dark foreboding woods begins terrorising a family living in a secluded location far away from any help. It is always refreshing to see a film that plays on more adult fears such as the safety of a man’s family, as oppose to the usual teen fare. Although the characters aren’t exactly memorable, the acting is still top quality and these performances ensure there is genuine emotion beneath the horror. Joseph Mawle (Benjen Stark from Game of Thrones) is convincing as the beleaguered father and he has good chemistry with Bojana Novakovic (Devil) who is also spot on as the terrified mother. Also look out for Michael McElhatton, who acts as the evil Roose Bolton in Game of Thrones, as a superstitious and not too helpful villager.
The best aspect of the film has to be the dark atmosphere and setting. It genuinely feels like the family are being constantly watched by an unstoppable force and you get the feeling that the woods themselves are closing in on them more and more with every scene. Plus the blend of digital and practical affects brings to life the eye catching and scary creatures really effectively. However, considering how good the affects are, there was nowhere near enough carnage on display here. The Descent and We Are Still Here are fine examples of horror films drenched in atmosphere and full of suspense that all built to a third act that effectively exploded with uncompromising gore and violence.
To the films credit the horror isn’t purely built on visceral thrill, but is also amped up by the believable family drama. The problem with this is that it makes the film only sporadically scary and with a surprisingly restrained third act, this horror is strangely forgettable. The Hallow has an excellent premise, a great set-up boosted by a suffocating and spooky atmosphere with brilliant special effects. And there is good quality acting and a heartfelt drama at its centre. This is surely more than enough for a horror in the modern era to stand out amongst the rest.
However, the premise and set-up are wasted here as the film lacks in intensity and doesn’t flow. The Hallow seems to mix in moments of horror and tension with quiet family scenes. The third act is far too restrained and the film deserved a more memorable finale. It is seldom we see a man wielding a flaming scythe against hordes of demonic creatures that is so unmemorable! Hardy has written and directed a film he can be proud of for his feature directing debut; but despite the perfect set-up he doesn’t quite delivery the satisfyingly scary horror he clearly intended. This all combines to make The Hallow a good quality horror that is curiously forgettable.
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