Best of Frightfest: As the twentieth anniversary of Arrow Video Frightfest approaches, we at team THN take a look back at some of the best and brightest films that have screened over the last two decades. Today we take a trip to The Hallow.
More famous these days for his The Conjuring universe filmThe Nun, director Corin Hardy debuted his first feature film, The Hallow, at Frightfest in 2015. The film is a super dark fairytale that taps into every parent’s worst nightmare, what if something happened to your child. New parents Adam (Joseph Mawle) and Clare (Bojana Novakovic) have relocated to Ireland from England for Adam’s work, which involves marking trees for destruction, something that isn’t going down well with the locals. The land that Adam is working on is also the subject of local folklore, and when strange things start happening the couple must protect their son and themselves from an unknown threat.
The Hallow manages something that a lot of horror movies try and fail to do – to remain grounded in reality. The story deals with fairies and goblins and various supernaturally magic creatures, yet always keeps one foot in the ‘real’ world. As magical as these critters are, there is also a degree of science attached to proceedings which make the threat seem more tangibly plausible.
Corin Hardy made a Hell of an impression with The Hallow. He showcased his visual aesthetic and gothic tones perfectly, and it’s easy to see why he was picked to helm The Nun. The colour palette in The Hallow is forest greens and earthy tones, which are made bleaker with the minimal lighting. Essentially it’s a movie that manages to beautifully encapsulate a rainy autumnal night. It isn’t just the visuals that work well, the plot is clever and innovative, and this is a rare example of a family unit within the genre that works. The pairing of Joseph Mawle and Bojana Novakovic appears authentic – they look, feel, and act like a real couple. The tangibility of the clan makes it all the most heartbreaking as events unravel and inevitably take a turn for the worse.
A special mention should go out to the child of our trio. Not since Labyrinth has a baby gone through so much. Just like in the aforementioned movie, the child is highly coveted by the creatures of the hallow, and his parents have to do everything they can to keep him safe. In places he feels a little like the put-upon Jonesy (the cat in Alien) of the tale, but again the choice of utilising an infant helps make the story feel real. They say there is nothing greater than parental love and The Hallow showcases just how strong a mother and father can be when necessary.
In terms of horror elements, we have malevolent beings, some surprisingly squeamish moments (eye lovers beware), and some excellently executed jump-scares. The Hallow is also a film for the true genre fans, oozing references to all the classics – The Thing, Evil Dead and Alien. Wait for a rainy evening, crack open the mulled wine or hot chocolate, and enjoy this deliciously dark atmospheric tale.
Arrow Video Frightfest returns for its twentieth year on 22nd August 2019. Full details about the event can be found on the Frightfest website.
Kat Hughes is a UK born film critic and interviewer who has a passion for horror films. An editor for THN, Kat is also a Rotten Tomatoes Approved Critic. She has bylines with Ghouls Magazine, Arrow Video, Film Stories, Certified Forgotten and FILMHOUNDS and has had essays published in home entertainment releases by Vinegar Syndrome and Second Sight. When not writing about horror, Kat hosts micro podcast Movies with Mummy along with her five-year-old daughter.
