HOLLOW

(A.k.a. DUNWICH)

HOLLOW is another entry in this century’s enduringly prolific ‘found footage’ sub-genre of horror cinema.

It’s based in Britain and, as such, begins with a disclaimer that the following footage has been retrieved by – and remains the property of – the East Anglian police constabulary.

And then we’re straight to the heart of the matter. The handheld camcorder footage introduces us to newly engaged couple Emma (Emily Plumtree) and Scott (Matt Stokoe), along with Emma’s ex James (Sam Stockman) and his intimidatingly gorgeous new girlfriend Lynne (Jessica Ellerby). They’re travelling by car to visit Emma’s late grandfather’s home in a remote village in the county of Suffolk.

Upon arrival, we learn that Emma’s granddad was a vicar who lived an eerily reclusive lifestyle in his country monastery home quite close to an ominous huge tree known locally as "the Suicide Tree".

The foursome is there to dig deeper into this local superstition, believing it to be little more than an entertaining urban myth. But they soon discover that the village residents take it more seriously than that, with the latest vicar (Simon Roberts) being the first to quiver afore their shaky camera.

In the meantime, our protagonists continue their stay at gramps’ abode while enjoying a night of drinks, chatter and games that involve stripping when you lose a round. None of them seem to care too much at this point that the electricity supply there is erratic, or that they have no signals on their mobile telephones. And who’s to mention the tensions which are rising between each couple over trivial matters from their past (mix-tapes etc).

The following morning they venture out on foot to the offending tree and explore this creepy landmark, along with the ruins positioned not too far away. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves still … but, there is a local superstition which dictates those who visit the tree and dare to peer into its hollow centre eventually commit suicide. Will this become reality?

And, even if one of this group does decide to end their life by hanging from said tree, will it be a direct result of the creepy local legend … or a by-product of unrequited love?

Michael Axelgaard’s HOLLOW is pretty formulaic in its aesthetic approach: jerky handheld camerawork; bad natural lighting during key scenes; asides to the screen; a lack of score for much of the action. Some edits are incongruous with the documentary filming style, as is the atmospheric lighting in some quieter moments. But, by and large, Axelgaard seems to understand the limitations and specifications of his chosen style.

The film also recognises that, for such a style of cinema to work – i.e., the deceit that what the audience is witnessing is genuine footage – the performances and script must be as natural as possible.

Here is where HOLLOW earns its highest points. The core cast are generally very good, extremely relaxed and fairly likeable. The script begins with light-hearted banter which skilfully weaves in exposition and character traits without undue bludgeoning, before progressing towards simmering group tension that threaten at any second to bubble over.

Such focus on characterisation and group dynamics does inevitably harm HOLLOW’s pace. For a 92-minute film, viewers may find it to be a long haul, especially around its mid-section.

When the tension finally mounts and the true malevolence of the central tree becomes explicit, a little too much momentum has been lost. The final moments do still work, however, eliciting an effective chill that stays for a short while after the show has ended.

The film was nominated for the "Raindance" award at the 2011 British Independent Film Awards ceremony, and made official selection for the prestigious Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal.

But how it will fare against a legion of hardcore horror fans becoming increasingly jaded by the saturated ‘found footage’ market, is anyone’s guess. But, despite a lack of originality (even the concept of a killer tree has been explored before – TALES THAT WITNESS MADNESS, for one), HOLLOW is still worth a look.

Metrodome provided an early test screener for review, devoid of menus or extras. However, the film looked good in a 16x9 transfer boasting sharp visuals and strong blacks.

Likewise, the English 2.0 audio on the test disc seemed fine throughout.

HOLLOW offers nothing new, but the cast are likeable (and easy on the eye), and this does emerge as one of the stronger ‘found footage’ offerings in recent memory.

Review by Stuart Willis