Hallow Road

It's so simple, almost an audio play and yet it's so very good. We've all been here before, we've all had arguments with our parents and some of us who are lucky enough to have children have had arguments with our kids. But this takes it to a whole new level. I was never sold by "inside car films" such as "LOCKE" with Tom Hardy but this film, this to me actually has a reason to be fully set in a car, the tension is agonizing and the end whole probably difficult or perhaps preposterous for some was for me suitable and fascinating.

In a world with awful endless marvel, superhero and sequel movies, this is largely a great breath of fresh air.

Hallow Road is a film that completely surprised me. I knew nothing about it going in, and was absorbed from start to finish.

It is a short, sharp, tense, and gripping affair that is contained in largely to three performances, a car, and a phone conversation. I won't go into many more plot details as it is best approached cold, as you go on the journey with the characters. I've seen some people quibble with the third act and the direction the film takes. Whether the final moments are a satisfying conclusion only you can determine. I do think there is a nice amount of ambiguity left in the ending though which leaves it up to you to decide, and for me it worked quite well.

The performances from Matthew Rhys and Rosamund Pike are both brilliant. They capture every emotion possible and really take you on the emotional rollercoaster with them.

Hallow Road is an utter surprise and a simple but thoroughly effective suspense thriller.

It's the middle of the night and a married couple (Rosamund Pyke and Matthew Rhys) are woken by a frantic 'phone call from their teenage daughter Alice. Alice has taken her father's car without permission, she has crashed it on a remote woodland road, hitting a young woman in the process. Mum (a paramedic) and Dad drive the 40 something miles to find her. Most of the movie consists of Alice talking on the 'phone to her parents in their vehicle and their drive is in real time, quite an interesting idea though it will not please everyone, no doubt some viewers will find it boring. The good performances and the urgency of the family's plight do help keep the movie together. This is a film that you could follow with your eyes closed for the bulk of the running time. And it also proves that suggested horror can be far more scary than actually seeing it. Hallow Road is a creepy and unnerving journey. However, it is not all good. For a start I found the ending a bit disappointing, I had hoped for more. Also the film is set in England/The UK, the road markings aren't British, the car's Satnav reads in miles but its speedometer is in KM/H (it was filmed in Ireland and the Czech Republic). And it is obvious that the vehicle isn't always moving when it is meant to be (bear in mind most of the plot takes place in the car). I didn't know what to expect from this suspense thriller, it is quite unique and I was fairly happy with it though I wouldn't watch it again.

In the categories "disturbingly realistic" and "true nightmares you really don't want to go through yourself", Hallow Road is a film that scores very high. Director Babak Anvari ("I Came By") delivers a very intense and compelling thriller here, even though the story largely takes place in one enclosed location (a car) and has only two main characters (and also a few voices over the phone).

The concept is simple, but that makes it even more efficient. In the middle of the night, parents Maddie and Franck receive a panicky phone call from their teenage daughter Alice. She caused an accident with her father's car. The car is stuck and damaged, but - much worse - there is another girl lying motionless on the road. The parents jump in the car and stay in touch with Alice, but during the long journey the problems pile up. Is the girl who was hit by a car still alive? Where is the ambulance? Why did Alice drive to such a remote place? Was she sober? Will this incident destroy the rest of her life?

There are 2 main reasons why "Hallow Road" is the most haunting and unforgettable thriller you will see this year (and perhaps also in the coming years). First and foremost because it is - simply - a realistic scenario. The chance this horror will happen to yourself, or someone close to you, is much greater than, say, moving into a haunted house or having to fight werewolves and zombies. You read about hit-and-run accidents almost daily, and behind each of these incidents is a tragic story for both sides. Secondly, because Matthew Rhys and - especially - Rosamund Pike give away such incredibly strong performances. Director Anvari felt that the story couldn't just end like a random news fact, and so there are some weird twists in the script towards the end. Still very absorbing, though. The ending is completely open to interpretation, and that too is the best they could have done. Powerful film, recommended!

Just Got out of a Screening of Hallow Road

📱- It was such a Great watch, lots of tension building because of the situation and the phone calls, the parents on their way to Alice at Night Time, on a long Dark road. The Constant Phone Calls Back and Forth etc. All of that was Great.

😳 - The Deeply Unsettling Sound Effects, talks of Dead Bodies Faces Morphing was Very Disturbing as I watched.

🤔 - All of this leads to 2 Things for the Viewer.

🤔 - Either, all that built up was for pretty much nothing, and when you leave the Cinema, you will be disappointed with the Explanation. Because when we get to the destination, #1. All of the Stuff Preceding it wouldn't have made any sense. Or #2. You Will Embrace the Supernatural/Well then what Really Happened? Direction.

So Overall, a Great Watch with what would be seen to be multiple interpretations of what really happened. It's up to the Viewer to Examine and Conclude to an Explanation of What actually Happened.