THERE IS SO MUCH that is going right for this feature and I’m probably its’ biggest champion being a fan of the mystical, fairytale nature with its dark, dark storytelling.

And there is indeed much to be said about this approach from director Corin Hardy’s directorial debut.
It also holds a strong cast in its ranks with Joseph Mawie (Game of Thrones, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), Bojana Novakovic (Drag Me To Hell, Devil) who move to a remote millhouse in Ireland with their baby son, only to be hounded by these creatures from deep within the forest.

There is a lot to like in this believable couple who are at odd ends when they come face to face with a hidden danger, and the build up to the creatures reveal is handled with the right side of tension, but once they are revealed, this is where the film starts to fall short for me.

I do like my horror to have a certain mystery surrounding it, particularly when it comes to creatures.
The element of the unknown is often much more scary than the real thing.

Supposedly, Hardy searched Britain to find his answer to Stan Winston’s creature design approach and although John Nolan provides a fine effort in these mythical beings, it does feel that once we know of them, the mystery and therefore the scare factor drops a little.

There are elements that play really well and the world that is created is a believable one, captured by the stunning scenery that is on show.

Mix that in with plenty of backs to the wall, fight for their lives scenarios and you have the recipe of a solid horror movie.

It’s not perfect, but it can stand tall as an original piece with plenty of promise.
Hardy is definitely a director to keep an eye on and this is why The Hallow is our movie choice of the week.

-Paul Farrell