Rating: 6 of 10
A dark fantasy inspired by Irish myths and folklore that’ll make you extra vigilant the next time you go wandering in the woods.
Synopsis: “When a conservationist is sent to Ireland with his wife and infant child to survey an area of forest believed to be hallowed ground by superstitious locals, his actions unwittingly disturb a horde of demonic creatures who prey upon the lost. Alone and deep within the darkness of the remote wilderness, he must now fight back to protect his family against the ancient forces’ relentless attack.” (source)
My thoughts: When mainstream audiences, especially those who don’t read a lot, hear “fairy tale,” they think Disney and cute characters and poofy skirts and happily-ever-afters for everyone (except the “villains,” of course). The truth is, fairy tales are dark, scary, and often filled with all sorts of horrible goings-on. And that’s not even taking into account stories with actual faeries, based on the ‘Fae’ or ‘Fair Folk’ as they’re sometimes called.
So I was pleasantly surprised to discover THE HALLOW, which I at first took for a run-of-the-mill creature feature. Turns out this is one terrifying supernatural horror movie! Outstanding effects made the “creatures” even more ghoulish and frightening, and I especially enjoyed the depiction of changelings. The isolated setting and the mysterious “fungus” evoked such a feeling of claustrophobia and suffocation that I felt their influence right along with Adam and Claire. The ending says, to me, that no matter how much we tear down and destroy, nature will always fight back.
Highly recommended if you enjoyed films like PAN’S LABYRINTH or NEVERLAKE.
Check out THE HALLOW on IFC Midnight | on IMDb | on Facebook | Watch the trailer
(Watched on Netflix 6/10/2016)