The Hallow (2015) Movie Review: Where are the Leprechauns?

Drinking Game

Take a Drink: whenever The Hallow is mentioned.

Take a Drink: every time the creepy neighbor shows up randomly.

Do a Shot: for each Game of Thrones cast member in the movie.

Take a Drink: for every dumb decision.

Do a Shot: for foreshadowing.

By: Frankie B. (Three Beers) –

The Hallow is a movie that I absolutely knew nothing about before seeing it. It had been on a couple of lists for most anticipated horror movies of 2015, but I never read too deep into what it was about. I then had the opportunity to see it, and given the time of year I could not pass up the promise of a solid horror movie.

Adam Hitchens (Joseph Mawle) is a conservationist tasked with investigating an Irish forest for a logging company. He brings his wife (Bojana Novakovic), young son (Unknown baby), and dog (Dog) with him to the countryside of Ireland. He unfortunately is not popular with his neighbors and they are actively trying to run him out of town. It also seems as though the forest might not want him around either as strange things start happening the more frequently he visits it.

A Toast

This is a movie that nails the “creepy” atmosphere almost perfectly. From the set design, sound design, and effects, everything is pretty on point. All I know is that I would never want to go into those woods for any amount of money. It looks like you would instantly disappear as soon as you step into them. Also hearing constant whispering might drive me a little nuts. These are all things that made me like the movie even more as I realized that the characters were in an incredibly hellish situation that is actually pretty horrifying.

The monster design in this is also surprisingly solid for a smaller independent horror movie. They are super creepy and are utterly terrifying as they generally come in packs. Creepy creature design is always essential to a great horror movie, and this movie attempts to emulate the very best. Alien, The Evil Dead, and The Fly all seem to be major influences on this movie. I am not going to say how in fear of spoiling the movie. You are just going to have to watch it and make your own observations.

Beer Two

The plot is pretty basic, and once a certain book is introduced into the plot, the ending is pretty much spoiled. It is pretty much the standard family fighting for their lives against an unstoppable force. You’ve seen it a bunch of times and this only plays out just like 99% of those movies.

Beer Three

For a movie that is about Irish folklore, there is a huge lack of Leprechauns. I know that I might seem ignorant of Irish culture, but those Lucky Charms little bastards are made of pure terror and would make any movie more terrifying.

Verdict

This is one solid horror movie and is one of the better VOD releases that I have seen in a while. If you are a fan of horror movies, you should really check this one out.