From its outset, Corin Hardy’s atmospheric horror flick The Hallow is steeped in Irish lore. It opens with a cryptic quote from The Book of Invasions (c 1150): “Hallow be their name / And blest be their claim / If you who trespass put down roots / Then Hallow be your name.” Post-screening research reveals the ancient book of poems and prose supposedly recounted the history of Ireland from the beginning of the world to the Middle Ages. Now regarded as a collection of tales that mixes early Christianity with Pagan mythology, The Book of Invasions perfectly foreshadows the unwelcome adventure one family will undertake.
Adam and Clare Hitchens (Joseph Mawle and Bojana Novakovic) have moved with their infant son Finn from London to an old house in a remote Irish forest. Adam, a scientist and conservationist, has been sent to survey the once-public land for future development. Of course, the Hitchenses aren’t welcomed into their new community with open arms. Their closest neighbor, Colm Donnelly (Michael McElhatton), tries repeatedly to meet with Adam and Clare—to warn them about tampering with the trees—but they rebuff him as the superstitious village kook.
As Adam wanders deeper into the forest to explore the territory, baby Finn strapped to his back, he finds a decaying deer’s head entwined with roots and covered in black slime. Ever the scientist, he takes a sample home to test. Turns out it’s a parasitic “zombie fungus,” which later also happens to leak from the family’s ceiling onto Finn’s crib.
First-time feature director Hardy unleashes almost every trick in the horror genre playbook—from a stalled car on a deserted road to the house’s generator failure and the appearance of Irish mythological creatures, banshees and changelings. But rather than falling into cliché, Hardy’s quickening pace, coupled with truly creepy cinematography by Martijn van Broekhuizen and gruesome makeup, creates a surprisingly taut thriller. Both Hardy’s and van Broekhuizen’s extensive portfolios in music videos have trained them to keep the story succinct and visually appealing (and we can’t wait for them to team up again for the upcoming Crow remake).