SparkMore
n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.
Sameer Callahan
It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
Phillida
Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Stephen Abell
This is a very special horror film... because it's a horror film! This flick really does meet all the criteria of the genre... Secluded house in the woods; Check. Something strange happening in the woods; Check. Monsters of fairy tales and legend; Check. A newlywed couple with a newborn child; Check. Tension to create fear; Check. Atmosphere to give a nice spooky eerieness; Check. Special effects to make you shake and shudder; Check.The only thing this appears to be missing is a priest and a few teenagers, but hey! I can live without them.When I read the blurb of the story I knew I had to watch the film. Adam's (Mawle) new job as a woodsman in Ireland's last forest, brings his family to a secluded millhouse. On one of his investigations of the woodland, he comes across the carcass of a dead animal, which has a strange substance growing out of it. Taking a sample, he finds it to be a living organism... one that can destroy it's hosts cells. But before he can make the report other, more violent events occur. At first, he believes it's the locals as they see him as the enemy since he works for the men wanting to pulp the trees. But before long, he and Claire (Novakovic) begin to realise that it's not the locals they need to be afraid of.The film is beautifully shot and the opening sequence sets the atmosphere for the rest of the movie very well. Though the new family are smiling and looking forward to a prosperous future, the overcast sky gives the feeling of a storm ready to break... things are not going to be sunny for this family. The pace is quite meandering and builds slowly into soft peaks, this has the effect of letting the tension and unease get under your skin. Not just a hack slash and scream film. Along with some strong acting from the cast, it makes the film very enjoyable.The thing I liked about the characters is their ordinariness. This makes them more believable and easier to relate too. The only actor that appears to go a little over the top is the Police Officer, Garda Davey (Smiley), though I do know people of the same temperament as him so I can overlook it. It's the subtleness of the actor's and actress' portrayals that make this film stronger, especially Mawle, who does a good concerned wonder.However, there are a few drawbacks. The main one being the creatures themselves. these are meant to be the Fairies and Banshees, etc, of Irish myth. But, to me, they look nothing like you would expect. It would have been nice to see smaller Fairies and screechier Banshees, for a start. But these are minor things, they may have added a strength to the overall film, however, as they are, they don't detract the viewer from the story at all.If you're a lover of real horror films then this one is for you. It's one I'll be only too happy to watch again... and again...
nicolettescott
I was a little hesitant about taking Leliana and Tony to this one, but since they liked The Witch so much, I decided why not? It was so worth it! The fairies were beautiful, the mommy and daddy were so nice, and the baby was adorable! I just thought it was wonderful how the fairies offered to babysit for free, and they took such good care of Finn. Heck, they're probably better parents than me and my husband! And it was so touching when the mom took care of the little fairy baby.After the movie, Leliana kept asking me if she could live with fairies too. I said of course she could, so now we're planning a trip to Ireland next month. She's so excited!
blatherskitenoir
"Elves are terrific, the beget terror" -Terry Pratchett, Lords and LadiesFairy tales were the original horror stories, so a return to the source is a refreshing departure from the Tinker Bells and Caspers of today. And the woodland creatures in The Hallows are creepy enough to fit the bill.However, the oblivious, bumbling, pig-headed stupidity of the male lead will so frustrate you, you'll start to wish he'd die faster. His much-smarter-than-him wife is constantly calling his name like the teacher from Beuller as he completely ignores her and does yet another idiotic thing that gets him stabbed in the eye. Further aggravation is to be had as the writers ignore traditional lore and begin making up their own rules, twisting the Fae until they more closely resemble contagious alien vampires. Freaky they are, accurate they are not. And then they start contradicting the guidelines they made up for themselves.To conclude, the cool practical effects and few scary moments are not enough to save this ultimately irritating and dumb movie.
absinthechinadoll
I do not write that many reviews on here, but after reading the other reviews, I felt compelled to write this and stand up for this movie!! I personally thought it was EXCELLENT with only a few (very few) flaws. I read many reviews stating that this movie was unoriginal and had been done over and over in other titles. Perhaps so, but then again, it seems to be a difficult thing to do in the horror genre...I mean really, look at how many Friday the 13th movies there are, and how many vampire movies, and how many haunted house stories, and exorcisms, etc. So what if this has a similar plot to others? The main thing is that it was just plain good.First off, the two main characters are extremely likable and you find yourself rooting for them. They are NOT the typical stupid college kids that just go to the woods to get drunk and have sex and act like bullies or stuck up snobs. One reviewer said that there was no one famous in it - I disagree. The father's character is also Benjen Stark from Game of Thrones!! I do not personally know much about the mother and her other roles, but she did a fine job acting. Also, they did what normal people would do - they tried to flee!! They tried to save their baby!! There are no scantily clad women running around, there are no jerk/jock boyfriends that deserved to die as in soo many other horror movies that try to use nudity to capture the audience's attention.I'm not going to give too many spoilers here, but let's just say the basic premise of the movie involves the mythical "changelings". One reviewer didn't understand why there were two babies - just read up on changelings and you won't be confused anymore.The setting in the woods were absolutely gorgeous, and the director even was thoughtful enough to bring in smaller details regarding changelings, such as the iron scissors on the door for protection. Kudos to him for bringing in elements of the original mythology.As for the scare factors and the creature/monster effects - absolutely EXCELLENT for such a small budget. It's nice being able to have a clear view of the creatures, and they looked amazing. Someone else said the creatures reminded them of Pan's Labyrinth, but this reviewer also gave Pan's Labyrinth only 1 star. The creature effects were very, very good. I don't know if they were CGI or just great costuming and make- up. There were some seriously intense scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat - such as when the father is in the trunk of the car, or when the mother was trying to hold down the attic door with the slimy ooze "hand" going for her eye. Some reviewers called it a slow movie - come on, what did they expect? So what if the movie took 10 minutes to give us some background? Geez, people are so critical. It's a MOVIE, it's there to entertain us, give it chance!! I am even tempted to give the movie 10 stars (and no, I'm not part of the production crew giving it a false high rating). The main reason that I take away a star is because the baby crying so much was annoying... But then again, you'd cry too if dozens of demonic looking forest fairies start attacking you in your baby crib.So please - give this movie a chance. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Considering the fact that I mainly watch horror movies and nothing else, this one was a gem!!
