The Hallow

Last updated

The Hallow
The Hallow.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Corin Hardy
Written by
  • Corin Hardy
  • Felipe Marino
Produced by
  • Joe Neurauter
  • Felipe Marino
Starring
CinematographyMartijn Van Broekhuizen
Edited byNick Emerson
Music byJames Gosling
Production
companies
Distributed by Entertainment One
Release dates
  • 25 January 2015 (2015-01-25)(Sundance) [1]
  • 10 July 2015 (2015-07-10)(United Kingdom)
Running time
97 minutes [2]
Countries
  • United Kingdom [3]
  • Ireland [3]
  • United States [3]
LanguageEnglish

The Hallow (originally titled The Woods) is a 2015 horror film directed by Corin Hardy, written by Hardy and Felipe Marino, and starring Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, and Michael Smiley. It is a British-Irish co-production filmed in Ireland. It premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on 25 January 2015.

Contents

Plot

Adam Hitchens, a British conservationist specializing in plant and fungal life, his wife Claire, and baby son Finn travel to a remote Irish village surrounded by a large forest. While exploring the forest with Finn, Adam stumbles upon an animal carcass with a strange fungal substance that has burst open the body. Adam takes a sample and returns home with Finn while Claire has an encounter with a local called Colm Donnelly who seems unhappy that the family has moved in.

That night, the window in Finn's room is broken while he is sleeping. While the couple suspects the culprit is Colm in an attempt to scare them away, the police arrive and suggest that a bird flew in. The officers inform them of the legend about the surrounding forest—that is inhabited by "The Hallow", a breed of "fairies, banshees and baby stealers". Later, Adam spots strange movement in the woods and Claire is puzzled by the fact that the windows of the house are all covered in iron bars. The next day Adam and Finn arrive in town to replace the broken window, when they are treated coldly by the villagers who repeat the legend of The Hallow. Colm arrives at the house again, frightening Claire, and warns her to leave before giving her an old book.

On the drive back, Adam's car breaks down, and he discovers the fungus substance has entered the engine of his car. As he investigates the rest of the car, something pushes him into the boot and locks him in. Adam hears Finn crying as the car starts to shake, and he manages to break out through the backseats. He finds Finn unharmed but the car covered in scratch marks. Unnerved, Adam and Finn return home on foot as night falls, and Claire tells them about Colm. Adam tells Claire to call the police and arms himself with a shotgun. The power goes out, and they find the house has been ransacked. They decide to flee to the car, whereupon they are attacked by the creatures the villagers have warned them about. Adam, Claire, and Finn drive away, but the creatures cause them to crash into a ravine, and they retreat back to the house.

While looking out of a keyhole, Adam is stabbed in the eye by a stinger from one of the creatures and realizes that light repels them. Claire and Finn flee into the attic while Adam goes to start the backup generator. The creatures attack Claire and Finn and nearly stab Claire in the eye too, but Adam is able to start the generator and ward the attackers off. The couple barricades the house and locks Finn in a cupboard. They discover the book that Colm gave Claire is filled with information about The Hallow, including their use of changelings. One of The Hallow manages to abduct Finn before his parents can stop it, and Adam breaks his leg, knocking himself unconscious. Claire pursues the creature and Finn into the forest and retrieves him safely from a pond.

Adam sets his broken leg and, upon Claire and Finn's return to the house, begins to suspect that the Finn that Claire rescued is actually a changeling. Claire refuses to believe this, and the couple fight as Claire notices Adam starting to mutate via the fungus injected into him through the stinger. Claire stabs Adam and panics, fleeing into the forest with Finn. Adam soon follows them as his symptoms worsen, and he grows weak around lights. Claire escapes the forest, running to a nearby house for help. Colm is revealed to be the owner, and he sends Claire and Finn away at gunpoint, claiming that The Hallow took his daughter Cora as well. Adam enters The Hallow's nest and retrieves the real Finn from a fully transformed Cora. Claire fends off a group of The Hallow with a camera flash and reunites with Adam, who convinces her that he has the real Finn. They swap babies before Adam is fatally wounded by one of the creatures. The sun rises, forcing the creatures to retreat and destroying the changeling, proving that Adam was right.

Adam dies from his wounds while Claire escapes to the house and cries with the real Finn over Adam's death. Later, a logging company start to cut down the forest, and the fungus substance is revealed to be on several logs being driven away.

Cast

Production

Development

The film was written to segue from a relationship drama into more of a dark fairytale, and the pacing matched this transition. Hardy wanted to touch upon many different subgenres of horror, including body horror and creature feature. [4] Inspirations for the film were Hardy's love for fairytales, Ray Harryhausen (with whom Hardy was close friends), and horror films like The Evil Dead , Alien , and The Thing . It was pitched as " Straw Dogs meets Pan's Labyrinth ". [5] Although Hardy is a fan of vampires, werewolves, and zombies, he felt that there were already enough films based around those monsters, and he wanted to do something less overexposed. He decided on using Irish folktales as a base. As a fan of Mawle, Hardy wrote the lead role for him. [6]

Filming

Shooting took place in Ireland for six weeks. [5] Hardy wanted to keep the shooting "as real as possible". This involved shooting on location in forests and around lakes, including one scene where Hardy wore a wetsuit to shoot from inside a lake. Continuing this theme of realism, Hardy focused on giving the narrative a more rational, scientific base than the traditional magic-based fable. [7] Martijn van Broekhuizen was the cinematographer. van Broekhuizen and Hardy had not worked together previously, but van Broekhuizen was aware of his work. After talking together on Skype, van Broekhuizen was impressed with Hardy's ability to clearly express his vision. van Broekhuizen credited his work on a Dutch film in which he shot complex nighttime scenes in a forest as the reason why he was hired for The Hallow. Shooting took place with an Arri Alexa digital camera, and the lighting was designed to evoke a fairytale atmosphere. [8] Hardy had wanted to shoot on film, but budget limitations prevented this. [9] Hardy characterized the production as having both "good fear" and "bad fear": the good kind inspired them to perform to the best of their ability, and the bad kind caused them to be averse to taking risks. Hardy credited his confidence in the production as raising morale when they were performing long shoots in rural locations. [10]

The creatures were done by British SFX artist John Nolan, whom Hardy sought out in an effort to find what he called the British equivalent to Stan Winston or Rob Bottin. The effects were primarily practical. [7] The creatures were a mix of practical effects and CGI. Although a fan of old-school "man in a rubber suit" effects, Hardy took advantage of modern technology to augment the look of the creatures. In order to make the creatures more unsettling, their limbs were extended using practical effects, as Hardy believed a full-CGI monster would not be scary. This allowed the filmmakers to use on-set lighting to heighten the creepiness. This was inspired in part by Alien. The baby seen in the film is a mix of animatronics and twins that were digitally shot in front of a blue screen. [4] The effects were inspired in part by the 2001 version of Planet of the Apes , which Hardy said "mixed those gritty real environments with the slick performance capture to blur the lines". [5]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 73% of 56 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 6.2/10. The site's consensus reads: "Drenched in dark atmosphere and bolstered with some real emotion underneath all the chills, The Hallow suggests a wonderfully horrifying future for director Corin Hardy." [11] It has a score of 65/100 on Metacritic based on 12 reviews. [12] Geoff Berkshire of Variety wrote, "It takes time for The Hallow to get rolling, but once it reaches a bang-up final act, genre fans could walk out clamoring for a sequel." [13] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "As first films go, this one is visually energized, dynamically paced and discerning in its cine-literate references. It's also a kickass calling card for Hardy as he moves on to bigger projects." [14] Michael Roffman of Consequence of Sound rated it C− and wrote, "Despite a number of supremely original sequences – one of which involves a car trunk, another a cavernous dwelling – they’re all carried out rather predictably, cinching any warranted tension within seconds." [15] Fred Topel of Bloody Disgusting rated it 4/5 stars and called for sequels to revisit the film's mythology, which he praised. [16]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Changeling</i> (film) 1980 Canadian supernatural psychological horror film

The Changeling is a 1980 Canadian supernatural horror film directed by Peter Medak and starring George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, and Melvyn Douglas. Its plot follows an esteemed New York City composer who relocates to Seattle, Washington, where he moves into a mansion he comes to believe is haunted. The screenplay is based upon events that writer Russell Hunter claimed he experienced while he was living in the Henry Treat Rogers mansion in the Cheesman Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, in the late 1960s; Hunter served as a co-writer of the film.

<i>The Descent</i> 2005 film directed by Neil Marshall

The Descent is a 2005 British horror film written and directed by Neil Marshall. The film stars actresses Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, Nora-Jane Noone and MyAnna Buring. The plot follows six women who enter an uncharted cave system and struggle to survive against the monstrous cannibals inside.

<i>It Waits</i> 2005 American film

It Waits is a 2005 American horror film directed by Steven R. Monroe and starring Cerina Vincent, Dominic Zamprogna, and Greg Kean. Written by Richard Christian Matheson, Thomas E. Szollosi, and Stephen J. Cannell, the film is about a forest ranger who encounters a terrible creature who has been killing people in the remote national forest where she works. When the creature attacks her isolated ranger station and kills her forest ranger boyfriend, she goes after the creature. Filmed on location in British Columbia, Canada, It Waits was a direct-to-DVD release in the United States and worldwide.

<i>Changeling</i> (film) 2008 film by Clint Eastwood

Changeling is a 2008 American mystery crime drama film directed, produced, and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by J. Michael Straczynski. The story was based on real-life events, specifically the 1928 Wineville Chicken Coop murders in Mira Loma, California. It stars Angelina Jolie as a woman united with a boy who she realizes is not her missing son. When she tries to demonstrate that to the police and city authorities, she is vilified as delusional, labeled as an unfit mother and confined to a psychiatric ward. The film explores themes of child endangerment, female disempowerment, political corruption, and mistreatment of mental health patients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bojana Novakovic</span> Australian actress

Bojana Novakovic is an Australian actress. She is known for starring in the police procedural television series Instinct (2018–2019).

Joseph Daniel Turner Mawle is an English actor. Mawle is best known for his roles as Benjen Stark in Game of Thrones, Detective Inspector Jedediah Shine in Ripper Street, Firebrace in Birdsong, Jesus Christ in The Passion, Adar in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Odysseus in Troy: Fall of a City.

Felipe Marino is an American independent film producer best known for his work on All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006) and The Wackness (2008) with Keith Calder and Joe Neurauter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finn Wittrock</span> American actor

Peter L. Wittrock Jr., known professionally as Finn Wittrock, is an American actor who began his career in guest roles on several television shows. He made his film debut in 2004, in Halloweentown High before returning to films in the 2010 film Twelve. After studying theater at The Juilliard School, he was a regular in the soap opera All My Children from 2009 to 2011, while performing in several theatrical productions. In 2011, he performed in playwright Tony Kushner's Off-Broadway play The Illusion and made his Broadway debut in 2012 as Happy Loman in the revival of Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman, directed by Mike Nichols.

<i>Dark Was the Night</i> (2014 film) 2014 American film

Dark Was the Night is a 2014 American horror film directed and produced by Jack Heller, and written by Tyler Hisel. It stars Kevin Durand, Lukas Haas, and Bianca Kajlich.

<i>Locke</i> (film) 2013 British–American drama film

Locke is a 2013 psychological drama road film written and directed by Steven Knight. It stars Tom Hardy in the title role as he drives while conducting a series of phone conversations with characters voiced by Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, Ben Daniels, Tom Holland and Bill Milner.

<i>The Witch</i> (2015 film) Film by Robert Eggers

The Witch is a 2015 folk horror film written and directed by Robert Eggers in his feature directorial debut. It stars Anya Taylor-Joy in her feature film debut, alongside Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, and Lucas Dawson. Set in 1630s New England, its plot follows a Puritan family who encounter forces of evil in the woods beyond their farm.

<i>Lake Placid vs. Anaconda</i> 2015 film by A.B. Stone

Lake Placid vs. Anaconda is a 2015 American comedy horror television film directed by A.B. Stone, written by Berkeley Anderson and starring Corin Nemec, Yancy Butler and Robert Englund. The film premiered on April 25, 2015, on Syfy. It is a crossover between the Anaconda film series and Lake Placid film series, and the fifth installment in both their respective series.

<i>Hellions</i> (film) 2015 Canadian film

Hellions is a 2015 Canadian horror film directed by Bruce McDonald, written by Pascal Trottier and starring Chloe Rose. The film was an official selection of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival lineup and also screened at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

<i>A Christmas Horror Story</i> 2015 Canadian film

A Christmas Horror Story is a 2015 Canadian anthology horror film directed by Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban, and Brett Sullivan. It premiered on July 20, 2015, at the Fantasia International Film Festival and had a limited theatrical release on October 2, 2015, along with a VOD release. The film is a series of interwoven stories tied together by a framework story featuring William Shatner as a radio DJ.

<i>Antibirth</i> 2016 film by Danny Perez

Antibirth is a 2016 psychedelic body horror film written and directed by Danny Perez and starring Natasha Lyonne, Chloë Sevigny, Meg Tilly, Mark Webber, Maxwell McCabe-Lokos and Emmanuel Kabongo. The film follows a drug-addled woman in a remote Michigan town who becomes pregnant after taking a strange drug. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016. The film was released in the United States on September 2, 2016, by IFC Midnight.

<i>The Nun</i> (2018 film) Film by Corin Hardy

The Nun is a 2018 American gothic supernatural horror film directed by Corin Hardy and written by Gary Dauberman, from a story by Dauberman and James Wan. It serves as a spiritual spin-off to The Conjuring 2 and is the fifth installment in The Conjuring shared universe. The film stars Taissa Farmiga, Demián Bichir and Jonas Bloquet, with Bonnie Aarons reprising her role as the Demon Nun, an incarnation of Valak, from The Conjuring 2. The plot follows a Roman Catholic priest and a nun in her novitiate as they uncover an unholy secret in 1952 Romania. It is followed by a sequel The Nun II, released in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corin Hardy</span> English film director

Corin Hardy is an English film director. He made his directorial debut with the 2015 horror film The Hallow, which he also co-wrote.

<i>The Hole in the Ground</i> (film) 2019 film by Lee Cronin

The Hole in the Ground is a 2019 supernatural horror film, directed by Lee Cronin in his feature debut film, from an original screenplay he wrote with Stephen Shields. It stars Seána Kerslake, James Cosmo, Kati Outinen, Simone Kirby, Steve Wall, and James Quinn Markey. It follows a woman who begins to suspect that her son's disturbing behaviour is linked to a mysterious sinkhole.

Gangs of London is a British action thriller crime television series created by Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery. Based on the 2006 video game, serving as the fourth installment in The Getaway franchise created by Brendan McNamara and Katie Ellwood, Gangs of London follows the struggles between rival gangs and other criminal organisations in present-day London.

<i>The Cursed</i> (2021 film) 2021 film by Sean Ellis

The Cursed is a 2021 gothic horror film written, directed and co-produced by Sean Ellis. The film stars Boyd Holbrook, Kelly Reilly, Alistair Petrie, and Roxane Duran. Its plot follows a 19th-century village in rural France that is menaced by a werewolf.

References

  1. ↑ Moore, Debi (23 January 2015). "Sundance 2015: Fight Back Against this Clip from The Hallow". Dread Central . Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  2. ↑ "THE HALLOW (15)". British Board of Film Classification . 7 May 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Hallow (2015)". British Film Institute . Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  4. 1 2 Topel, Fred (27 January 2015). "Sundance 2015 Interview: Corin Hardy on 'The Hallow' & 'The Crow'". CraveOnline . Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 Sandwell, Ian (5 November 2014). "Corin Hardy, The Hallow". Screen Daily . Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  6. ↑ Gingold, Michael (23 January 2015). "Sundance '15: Director Corin Hardy Talks the Dark Folklore of "THE HALLOW"". Fangoria . Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  7. 1 2 Collis, Clark (22 January 2015). "Sundance 2015: Check out a creepy clip from horror film 'The Hallow'". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  8. ↑ Macaulay, Scott (2 February 2015). "Cinematographer Martijn van Broekhuizen on Shooting Sundance Horror Drama, The Hallow". Filmmaker . Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  9. ↑ Narasaki, Rosie (27 January 2015). "Meet the 2015 Sundance Filmmakers #34: Corin Hardy Explores the Perils of Parenting in 'The Hallow'". Indiewire . Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  10. ↑ ""There is Good Fear and Bad Fear": The Hallow | Director Corin Hardy". Filmmaker . 25 January 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "The Hallow (The Woods) (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  12. ↑ "The Hallow". Metacritic . Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  13. ↑ Berkshire, Geoff (31 January 2015). "Sundance Film Review: 'The Hallow'". Variety . Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Rooney, David (30 January 2015). "'The Hallow': Sundance Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  15. ↑ Roffman, Michael (29 January 2015). "Sundance Film Review: The Hallow". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  16. ↑ Topel, Fred (27 January 2015). "[Sundance '15 Review] 'The Hallow' Is a Relentless Creature Feature!". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved 26 March 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.