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The Hallow
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCorin Hardy
Written by
  • Corin Hardy
  • Felipe Marino
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMartijn Van Broekhuizen
Edited byNick Emerson
Music byJames Gosling
Production
companies
Distributed byEntertainment One
Release dates
  • 25 January 2015 (2015-01-25) (Sundance)[1]
  • 10 July 2015 (2015-07-10) (United Kingdom)
Running time
97 minutes[3]
Countries
  • United Kingdom[2]
  • Ireland[2]
  • United States[2]
LanguageEnglish

The Hallow (originally titled The Woods) is a 2015 supernatural horror film directed by Corin Hardy, written by Hardy and Felipe Marino, and starring Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, and Michael Smiley. It is a British-Irish co-production filmed in Ireland. It premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on 25 January 2015.

In the film a conservationist and his family visit an isolated village in Ireland, because he wants to explore a nearby forest. Local legend suggests that the forest is inhabited by hostile fairies, and the family is soon attacked by these fairies.

Plot

[edit]

Adam Hitchens, a British conservationist specializing in plant and fungal life, his wife Claire, and baby son Finn travel to a remote Irish village surrounded by a large forest. While exploring the forest with Finn, Adam stumbles upon an animal carcass with a strange fungal substance that has burst open the body. Adam takes a sample and returns home with Finn while Claire (in the midst of removing iron bars from the upper exterior of their home) has an encounter with a local called Colm Donnelly who seems unhappy that the family has moved in.

That night, the window in Finn's room is broken while he is sleeping. While the couple suspects the culprit is Colm in an attempt to scare them away, the police arrive and suggest that a bird flew in. The officers inform them of the legend about the surrounding forest—that is inhabited by "The Hallow", a breed of "fairies, banshees and baby stealers". Later, Adam spots strange movement in the woods. The next day Adam and Finn arrive in town to replace the broken window, when they are treated coldly by the villagers who repeat the legend of The Hallow and tell them to put back the iron bars. Colm arrives at the house again, frightening Claire, and warns her to leave before giving her an old book.

On the drive back, Adam's car breaks down, and he discovers the fungus substance has entered the engine of his car. As he investigates the rest of the car, something pushes him into the boot and locks him in. Adam hears Finn crying as the car starts to shake, and he manages to break out through the backseats. He finds Finn unharmed but the car covered in scratch marks. Unnerved, Adam and Finn return home on foot as night falls, and Claire tells them about Colm. Adam tells Claire to call the police and arms himself with a shotgun. The power goes out, and they find the house has been ransacked. They decide to flee to the car, whereupon they are attacked by the creatures the villagers have warned them about. Adam, Claire, and Finn drive away, but the creatures cause them to crash into a ravine, and they retreat back to the house.

While looking out of a keyhole, Adam is stabbed in the eye by a stinger from one of the creatures and realizes that light repels them. Claire and Finn flee into the attic while Adam goes to start the backup generator. The creatures attack Claire and Finn and nearly stab Claire in the eye too, but Adam is able to start the generator and ward the attackers off. The couple barricades the house and locks Finn in a cupboard. They discover the book that Colm gave Claire is filled with information about The Hallow, including their use of changelings. One of The Hallow manages to abduct Finn before his parents can stop it, and Adam breaks his leg, knocking himself unconscious. Claire pursues the creature and Finn into the forest and retrieves him safely from a pond.

Adam sets his broken leg and, upon Claire and Finn's return to the house, begins to suspect that the Finn that Claire rescued is actually a changeling. Claire refuses to believe this, and the couple fight as Claire notices Adam starting to mutate via the fungus injected into him through the stinger. Claire stabs Adam and panics, fleeing into the forest with Finn. Adam soon follows them as his symptoms worsen, and he grows weak around lights. Claire escapes the forest, running to a nearby house for help. Colm is revealed to be the owner, and he sends Claire and Finn away at gunpoint, claiming that The Hallow took his daughter Cora as well. Adam enters The Hallow's nest and retrieves the real Finn from a fully transformed Cora. Claire fends off a group of The Hallow with a camera flash and reunites with Adam, who convinces her that he has the real Finn. They swap babies before Adam is fatally wounded by one of the creatures. The sun rises, forcing the creatures to retreat and destroying the changeling, proving that Adam was right.

Adam dies from his wounds while Claire escapes to the house and cries with the real Finn over Adam's death. Later, a logging company start to cut down the forest, and the fungus substance is revealed to be on several logs being driven away.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

The film was written to segue from a relationship drama into more of a dark fairytale, and the pacing matched this transition. Hardy wanted to touch upon many different subgenres of horror, including body horror and creature feature.[4] Inspirations for the film were Hardy's love for fairytales, Ray Harryhausen (with whom Hardy was close friends), and horror films like The Evil Dead, Alien, and The Thing. It was pitched as "Straw Dogs meets Pan's Labyrinth".[5] Although Hardy is a fan of vampires, werewolves, and zombies, he felt that there were already enough films based around those monsters, and he wanted to do something less overexposed. He decided on using Irish folktales as a base. As a fan of Mawle, Hardy wrote the lead role for him.[6]

Filming

[edit]

Shooting took place in Ireland for six weeks.[5] Hardy wanted to keep the shooting "as real as possible". This involved shooting on location in forests and around lakes, including one scene where Hardy wore a wetsuit to shoot from inside a lake. Continuing this theme of realism, Hardy focused on giving the narrative a more rational, scientific base than the traditional magic-based fable.[7] Martijn van Broekhuizen was the cinematographer. van Broekhuizen and Hardy had not worked together previously, but van Broekhuizen was aware of his work. After talking together on Skype, van Broekhuizen was impressed with Hardy's ability to clearly express his vision. van Broekhuizen credited his work on a Dutch film in which he shot complex nighttime scenes in a forest as the reason why he was hired for The Hallow. Shooting took place with an Arri Alexa digital camera, and the lighting was designed to evoke a fairytale atmosphere.[8] Hardy had wanted to shoot on film, but budget limitations prevented this.[9] Hardy characterized the production as having both "good fear" and "bad fear": the good kind inspired them to perform to the best of their ability, and the bad kind caused them to be averse to taking risks. Hardy credited his confidence in the production as raising morale when they were performing long shoots in rural locations.[10]

The creatures were done by British SFX artist John Nolan, whom Hardy sought out in an effort to find what he called the British equivalent to Stan Winston or Rob Bottin. The effects were primarily practical.[7] The creatures were a mix of practical effects and CGI. Although a fan of old-school "man in a rubber suit" effects, Hardy took advantage of modern technology to augment the look of the creatures. In order to make the creatures more unsettling, their limbs were extended using practical effects, as Hardy believed a full-CGI monster would not be scary. This allowed the filmmakers to use on-set lighting to heighten the creepiness. This was inspired in part by Alien. The baby seen in the film is a mix of animatronics and twins that were digitally shot in front of a blue screen.[4] The effects were inspired in part by the 2001 version of Planet of the Apes, which Hardy said "mixed those gritty real environments with the slick performance capture to blur the lines".[5]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 73% of 56 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 6.2/10. The site's consensus reads: "Drenched in dark atmosphere and bolstered with some real emotion underneath all the chills, The Hallow suggests a wonderfully horrifying future for director Corin Hardy."[11] It has a score of 65/100 on Metacritic based on 12 reviews.[12]

Geoff Berkshire of Variety wrote, "It takes time for The Hallow to get rolling, but once it reaches a bang-up final act, genre fans could walk out clamoring for a sequel."[13] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "As first films go, this one is visually energized, dynamically paced and discerning in its cine-literate references. It's also a kickass calling card for Hardy as he moves on to bigger projects."[14] Michael Roffman of Consequence of Sound rated it C− and wrote, "Despite a number of supremely original sequences – one of which involves a car trunk, another a cavernous dwelling – they’re all carried out rather predictably, cinching any warranted tension within seconds."[15]

Fred Topel of Bloody Disgusting rated it 4/5 stars and called for sequels to revisit the film's mythology, which he praised.[16]

References

[edit]
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The Hallow

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The Hallow (originally titled The Woods) is a 2015 supernatural horror film written and directed by Corin Hardy in his feature-length directorial debut, co-written by Felipe Marino, and starring Joseph Mawle as Adam Hitchens, Bojana Novakovic as his wife Claire, and Michael McElhatton as local landowner Colm Donnelly. The story centers on a British family—a forest ranger, his wife, and their infant son—who relocate from London to a remote, decaying millhouse on the edge of an ancient Irish woodland, where they uncover malevolent, folklore-inspired creatures that threaten their lives and force a desperate fight for survival. Drawing on Irish mythology, the film blends elements of demonic entities and fairy-tale horror, emphasizing isolation and the perils of encroaching on hallowed natural spaces. A British-Irish co-production, The Hallow was developed by Hardy following his work on music videos and short films, with production handled by companies including Occupant Entertainment and Altitude Film Entertainment. Principal photography took place entirely in Ireland, capturing the lush, foreboding forests of County Galway to evoke the film's atmospheric dread. Producers included Joe Neurauter, Felipe Marino, Brendan McCarthy, and John McDonnell, with executive producers from Altitude Film Entertainment and others supporting the project's focus on practical effects and creature design inspired by traditional folklore. The runtime is 97 minutes. The film premiered at the on January 25, 2015, and received a in the United States on November 6, 2015, distributed domestically by IFC Films. It grossed $13,906 in the U.S. but achieved a worldwide total of $1,862,407, with strong international performance in markets like ($745,975) and the ($144,981). Critically, it holds a 69% approval rating on based on 59 reviews, praised for its visuals and atmosphere but critiqued for narrative weaknesses, while audience scores stand at 43% from over 5,000 ratings. On , it has an average rating of 5.7/10 from nearly 20,000 users.

Plot and Characters

Plot

Adam, a conservationist specializing in forest ecosystems, relocates with his wife Clare and their infant son Finn to a secluded cottage on the edge of an in rural , where he has been assigned to survey the area for potential commercial logging. The family encounters immediate hostility from the local villagers, who warn them to avoid the surrounding , known as the Hallow, which they believe is protected by malevolent supernatural beings rooted in Celtic . Despite these cautions, Adam ventures and discovers eerie ancient markings carved into the trees, along with a peculiar black fungal growth that he collects for analysis. As night falls, strange occurrences escalate: the family's dog is viciously attacked and killed by an unseen entity, and Clare hears a haunting, banshee-like wail echoing through the trees. A visiting police officer reinforces the villagers' legends, explaining that the Hallow is inhabited by fairies and other mythical creatures that curse intruders, but Adam dismisses these tales as superstition. That evening, shadowy figures emerge from the forest and besiege the cottage in a terrifying assault, using the darkness to their advantage; during the chaos, the creatures abduct Finn from his crib and replace him with a changeling—a deformed, otherworldly infant that mimics the baby but reveals its true nature through unnatural behavior. Adam identifies the changeling and informs Clare, who had desperately protected it believing it to be their son, while he examines samples of the fungal spores left behind and uncovers their horrifying purpose: the Hallow creatures, ancient fungal-infected beings resembling goblins, deploy the spores to infect humans, gradually transforming them into new members of their kind to compensate for their dwindling numbers due to historical human encroachment. During a confrontation, Adam is scratched by one of the creatures and becomes infected, his body showing progressive signs of corruption—blackened veins, heightened aggression, and physical mutations—as the spores take hold. Driven by paternal instinct, he arms himself with a rifle and an old book of local folklore detailing the creatures' weaknesses and delves deeper into the forbidden forest to locate their underground lair. In a nearby cave system, battles the horde of Hallow creatures in a brutal, spore-filled confrontation, ultimately retrieving the real Finn amid practical effects-driven sequences of clawing attacks and grotesque transformations. Meanwhile, Clare flees the cottage with the but abandons it upon realizing its falsity; she reaches a neighboring owned by the reclusive , begging for , only to be turned away as he fears the spreading . Reuniting in the woods, Clare and the recovering Adam face a final onslaught, but Adam's advancing transformation forces a tragic choice: to ensure Clare and Finn's escape, he sacrifices himself by staying behind to hold off the pursuing creatures, fully succumbing to the infection and becoming one of them. The film concludes with Clare and Finn fleeing into the dawn, though the implications of the lingering spores and the forest's suggest their ordeal may not be entirely over.

Cast

The principal cast of The Hallow consists of a tight ensemble that emphasizes the isolated family unit and local interactions central to the film's horror elements. portrays Adam Hitchens, the protagonist father and conservationist whose protective instincts toward his family drive much of the narrative tension. plays Clare Hitchens, the mother who confronts the reality of the threats as they unfold. James Rodgers appears as Finn Hitchens, the young son whose vulnerability positions him at the heart of the family's confrontation with otherworldly forces. embodies Colm Donnelly, a local figure who shares knowledge of regional , alerting the newcomers to ancient warnings tied to the surrounding woods. takes on the role of Garda Davey, a ally who offers practical support amid the escalating isolation. This compact group of performers underscores the film's focus on interpersonal bonds under duress, amplifying the horror through confined settings and personal stakes without relying on expansive supporting roles.
ActorRoleCharacter Significance
Adam HitchensFather and conservationist; protective drive fuels family conflict.
Clare HitchensMother who confronts supernatural threats.
James RodgersFinn HitchensYoung son; central to familial peril.
Colm DonnellyLocal informant on ; provides cultural context.
Garda DaveyCommunity ally; aids in practical responses to isolation.

Production

Development

The development of The Hallow originated from director Corin Hardy's desire to craft a horror film deeply embedded in Irish folklore, transforming traditional fairy tales into a modern, grounded narrative that explores themes of family and survival against supernatural forces. Hardy drew inspiration from his childhood fascination with European fairy tales from the 1960s, as well as classic creature features like Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion animations and films such as The Thing, Alien, and Evil Dead. He also cited influences from Guillermo del Toro's fantastical style in movies like Pan's Labyrinth, blending it with the tense, isolated siege dynamics of Straw Dogs. Hardy co-wrote the screenplay with Felipe Marino, emphasizing a fusion of intimate family drama and visceral horror derived from Irish myths, including legends where steal human children and the eerie wail of banshees signaling doom. The script incorporated motifs of fungal decay and natural corruption to portray the film's creatures as extensions of the forest ecosystem, avoiding pure fantasy by rooting their behaviors in ecological and mythological realism. This approach stemmed from Hardy's research into authentic Irish lore, focusing on its darker, lesser-known aspects to depict "the Hallow" as a forbidden teeming with ancient, malevolent entities. Financing for the project was secured through a British-Irish co-production, involving UK-based Occupant Entertainment as a key producer alongside Irish partner Fantastic Films, with additional support from Hyperion Media Group, Prescience, and the Irish Film Board (Bord Scannán na hÉireann). This collaboration enabled a modest independent budget, allowing Hardy to prioritize practical effects and while marking his feature directorial debut following recognition as a Screen International Star of Tomorrow in 2011.

Filming

Principal photography for The Hallow commenced in 2014 and lasted six weeks, primarily in the west of to evoke the film's isolated rural setting. Locations included the region in , such as and surrounding forests and abandoned structures, chosen for their authentic, foreboding natural landscapes that enhanced the story's elements. Two interior sets were constructed at Studio Solas in Galway to depict the family home and creature lair. Cinematographer Martijn van Broekhuizen shot the film using digital cameras, emphasizing natural lighting and the region's frequent fog and mist to achieve a grounded, immersive visual tone that blended realism with subtle eeriness. This approach captured the overcast skies and damp woodlands during extensive outdoor sequences, minimizing artificial illumination to maintain atmospheric authenticity. The creatures and transformations relied heavily on practical effects supervised by John Nolan of John Nolan Studio, featuring custom for the Hallow beings' movements, silicone prosthetics simulating fungal growth and decay on actors, and in-camera techniques to prioritize tangible horror over digital fabrication. Minimal CGI was integrated post-shoot solely for enhancements like subtle environmental interactions, ensuring the effects felt visceral and integrated with the live-action footage. Filming presented logistical hurdles due to Ireland's unpredictable , with frequent rain turning outdoor sites muddy and delaying setups in the remote . Three weeks of night shoots amplified these issues, while sequences involving practical effects—such as creature attacks—required strict safety protocols for actors, including the leads and child performers, to navigate and prosthetics without risk. Shot compositions drew brief inspiration from development concepts, incorporating stop-motion-like fluidity in creature designs reminiscent of .

Release

Theatrical release

The Hallow had its world premiere at the on January 25, 2015, in the Midnight section, where it received attention for its atmospheric horror rooted in . The film subsequently screened at additional festivals, including and the , building anticipation ahead of its commercial rollout. Following its festival circuit, the film received an initial theatrical in the and on July 10, 2015, distributed by Vertigo Releasing, which targeted audiences interested in genre cinema. In the , it had a on November 6, 2015, through IFC Midnight, a division of IFC Films focused on independent horror titles. The U.S. version carried an MPAA rating of for horror violence and terror. The film's international expansion continued into 2016, with a release in on March 30, 2016, under the title Le Sanctuaire, distributed by . It also premiered in and select other markets during 2015-2016, often through limited theatrical runs or presentations. Marketing campaigns across these territories highlighted the film's exploration of , positioning it as a fresh take on creatures from ancient woodlands to appeal to fans of creature-feature horror.

Home media

The Hallow was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on April 5, 2016, by Scream Factory, a division of Shout! Factory. The physical editions included special features such as an audio commentary track with director , the "Surviving the Fairytale: The Making of The Hallow," behind-the-scenes segments on "The Story" and "The Creatures," and deleted scenes with optional commentary. Digital availability began prior to the physical release, with and purchase options on platforms including starting October 8, 2015, and on April 5, 2016. The film later streamed on in the United States, becoming available around late 2016 before rotating off the service. It has maintained presence on horror-focused platforms, including Shudder since at least April 2020, where it remains accessible as of 2025. In the , the DVD edition arrived on March 21, 2016, distributed by , with region-specific extras like subtitles and packaging tailored for the local market. The Blu-ray version followed a similar timeline, available through retailers like Amazon without additional unique features beyond the standard audio and video options. As of 2025, no major re-releases, anniversary editions, or upgrades to 4K UHD have occurred internationally. The film's home media has seen modest but steady consumer access, bolstered by its growing in the genre, ensuring ongoing availability through physical resale and digital rentals rather than widespread blockbuster sales.

Reception

Critical reception

The Hallow received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. On , the film holds a 69% approval rating based on 59 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. On , it scores 65 out of 100 from 12 critics, reflecting "mixed or average" reception. Critics frequently praised the film's atmospheric tension, practical effects, and integration of . Variety highlighted the "superlative craft" in camerawork, , and score that build eerie atmospherics throughout, while commending the thrilling mix of practical effects, , , and prosthetics for creating vivid, nightmarish monsters inspired by traditions. Roger Ebert's review emphasized the film's "highly satisfying preoccupation with practical creature/make-up effects," noting their detailed execution in delivering chills through and sequences. The incorporation of Irish myths, such as fairies, banshees, and baby-snatching entities, was seen as effective in blending folklore with horror, subverting traditional tales into malevolent forces. Corin Hardy's direction for his debut feature was lauded for its visually arresting style and evident passion for movie monsters, with clever setpieces that elevate the elements. However, common criticisms focused on pacing issues, predictable plot twists, and underdeveloped characters. Reviewers noted a slow start that delays momentum, with the first act dragging before a stronger finale, leading to uneven tension in the middle sections. Plot developments were often described as familiar and foreseeable, drawing comparisons to films like The Shining without sufficient innovation. Character depth was a frequent shortcoming, with protagonists portrayed as thinly written archetypes lacking emotional nuance beyond basic family dynamics. The Guardian called it an "uneven eco-themed horror," critiquing its derivative approach to woodland threats despite some genre-literate ideas. Thematic discussions centered on , family bonds, and the subversion of Irish myths, though these were often viewed as underdeveloped. The film's eco-subtext—portraying nature's wrath against human intrusion into sacred woods—was acknowledged but criticized for getting lost amid the scares, evoking Deliverance-style tensions without full exploration. Family bonds emerged through parental desperation to protect a child, intertwined with folklore's protective yet vengeful spirits, adding layers to the horror but remaining surface-level. The Hallow garnered festival buzz at its Sundance premiere in the Park City at Midnight section, where it drew attention for its visceral scares, though it received no major awards.

Box office

The Hallow was financed through international co-productions involving companies such as Occupant Entertainment, Hyperion Media, and the Irish Film Board (Bord Scannán na hÉireann). In the United States, the film received a on November 6, 2015, opening in 8 theaters and grossing $1,559 during its debut weekend. Its total domestic earnings reached $13,906. The film's international performance was stronger, with the emerging as its top European market at $144,981. Additional earnings came from ($129,403) and other territories, contributing to a worldwide gross of $1,862,407. Given its limited release strategy and modest budget, The Hallow achieved sustainable returns for an independent horror production, supported by ancillary revenue including estimated North American home video sales of $350,681.

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2474976/
  2. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hallow
  3. https://www.altitudefilment.com/film/sales/8/the-hallow
  4. https://hyperionmediagroup.com/portfolio_page/the-hallow/
  5. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2474976/
  6. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2474976/plotsummary/
  7. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-hallow-2015
  8. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2474976/fullcredits/
  9. https://www.fandango.com/the-hallow-186390/cast-and-crew
  10. https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Hallow-The
  11. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hallow/cast-and-crew
  12. https://www.screendaily.com/features/corin-hardy-the-hallow/5079529.article
  13. https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2015/11/hcf-exclusive-interview-with-corin-hardy-and-joseph-mawle-on-the-hallow-grimmfest2015/
  14. https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/springboard-how-the-hallow-director-corin-hardy-made-an-authentic-monster-movie-54754/
  15. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2379028/
  16. https://www.screenireland.ie/news-archive/view/2932
  17. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2474976/locations/
  18. https://filmmakermagazine.com/92505-cinematographer-martijn-van-broekhuizen-on-shooting-sundance-horror-drama-the-hallow/
  19. https://www.johnnolanstudio.com/
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  21. https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/sundance-film-review-the-hallow-1201420113/
  22. https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/feature/2015-06-29-interview-with-corin-hardy-about-the-hallow-feature-story-by-luke-shaw
  23. https://thefilmstage.com/review-the-hallow/
  24. https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=235389.html
  25. https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Hallow-Blu-ray/147551/
  26. https://www.newdvdreleasedates.com/m3653/the-hallow-dvd-release-date
  27. https://www.amazon.com/Hallow-Joseph-Mawle/dp/B01AB4Y726
  28. https://www.netflix.com/title/80038964
  29. https://www.shudder.com/movies/watch/the-hallow/4c1c20dadd13571f
  30. https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-hallow
  31. https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/the-hallow-dvd-2015-dvd-5030305519735
  32. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hallow-uncut-Blu-ray-Joseph-Mawle/dp/B01DHVLKTS
  33. https://culturecrypt.com/movie-reviews/the-hallow-2015
  34. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2474976/news/
  35. https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-hallow
  36. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/15/the-hallow-review-horror-corin-hardy
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