Hallow Road

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!

It's basically 3 actors for the whole movie and then 4 more by the end of it. I don't mind that, I've seen movies like that before.

But it could seriously be just a podcast. No video required.

I watched this movie because I thought it was a horror film (like the imdb tag suggests) but it's really not. The only horror aspect of the film happens 10 minutes before the end and it doesn't even show it. So much potential lost there.

It's definitely a thriller though.

Babak Anvari directs an engaging thriller about the responsibility of parenting, presented through a complex and metaphorical narrative that, as it progresses, draws us in and intrigues us more and more.

Starring Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys, this duo carries the film on their shoulders with two remarkable performances. Especially Pike, who once again embodies a character as complex as the one in Gone Girl. Once again, she plays a cold and layered woman, who captures your attention with a constant dilemma of decisions and reactions that the film develops throughout its precise running time.

The film can be divided into two parts: the first, a captivating moral reflection on the decisions of parenthood and how much you're willing to sacrifice for it; and the second half, where this thriller transforms into a truly fascinating and metaphorical folk horror that surprises you with its final twist. It's a powerful story sustained by intelligent direction and two nuanced performances, which apply different layers to a story that's quite captivating from its genesis.

The director's skill in making the most of scarce resources is the film's greatest strength. He manages to keep us engaged with every plot twist, using only one road, one vehicle, and two performances that sustain all the intensity needed for the story to evolve appropriately. Although the film can be a bit long-winded in some decisions and dialogue, it's a vibrant horror story that eats away at you with the tension of a well-thought-out and executed mise-en-scène.

A very interesting offering that invites genre fans to enjoy a metaphorical and thoughtful thriller that stirs emotions and poses questions designed to make you uncomfortable throughout. A well-executed British folk tale that successfully delivers on its promise. It's not perfect, but it's a very rewarding pastime.

I feel a bit gaslit by this one as critics and audience reviews are pretty good but I just didn't connect with it.

Hallow Road takes place in near real time mostly inside of a car as two parents race to the scene of an accident (on "Hallow Road") their daughter has been involved in. I say "near" real time because the drive is only 40 minutes and yet surely takes up longer in the movie as it's ~80%+ of the runtime.

The problem for me is that this felt like a cheap episode of a TV drama that would be shown on ITV. The parents were annoying, particularly the father and the car setting began to get tedious, especially every time the sat-nav told the audience how far we had to go. For some this will rachet up tension and desperation to get there quicker, but for me the journey felt like a slow crawl.

For me the ending left much to be desired. An earlier throwaway line about how the parents "will never find resolution" felt like expectations management from the director - when I heard this I prepared for the worst and was still disappointed. Another cop out ending in a critically acclaimed indie movie? Surely not?!

The second twist is revealed when the lights come up, but this one itself was largely guessable if you were paying attention - but even if you weren't, spelling it out in this fashion felt like an odd bolt-on to the movie. It would have benefitted from being included in the film and not the credits.

Overall Hallow Road is a largely tepid, slightly creepy story of parents rushing to the aid of the child but I now grow weary of so many indie films choosing to use amibiguity as a means to add weight to their story. Sometimes I would just like a tied up ending.

I am seeing this pattern of ending with nothingness with Babak Anvari's movies. Like the ending of Wounds this one was also full of confusion and questions. Wounds had the most shocking endings I ever saw. Not because of the story but because it is so sudden that you expect more but the movie is over.

I can relate that to his style but that makes the movies anti climactic. So I learned that Anvari's movies are just fun to watch but have no expectation to satisfy my questions. I kinda feel that the endings are not well written. But thats just my opinion. As a Persian I am proud of what he is doing.

Ps. The car speed compared to the tension of the movie was the most off thing about this movie.