I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Irish horror. The legends and myths just land with me for some reason (spoiler: I’m Irish), and there’s still infinite untapped potential within the horror genre to dredge up some of the scariest bits of Celtic folklore. Last year’s The Watchers gave it an earnest yet uneven attempt, and Evil Dead Rise’s Lee Cronin debuted with the A24 flick The Hole in the Ground, a terrifying tale of a changeling run amok.
Changelings tend to be the most popular, really. The sensational indie You Are Not My Mother tread similar ground with body-swaps, and The Cellar dabbles in some pretty frightening Lovecraftian mythos. Among the best, however, and a personal favorite of mine, has to be Corin Hardy’s The Hallow. It’s a stripped-down home invasion shocker that supplants conventional antagonists with a forest full of hostile fairies. If you’ve missed it, I’ve got great news—The Hallow is now streaming free on Pihlo.
Per Philo: A family is forced to fight demonic creatures for survival after they move into a remote millhouse in Ireland.
I love a good old-fashioned monster movie, and The Hallow is among the best there’s ever been. Director Corin Hardy would later lend his gothic sensibilities to the expanded Conjuring Universe, helming 2018’s The Nun, which remains one of the most visually striking films in the entire franchise. The collective, titular hallow is a hodgepodge of fairies, banshees, and general nasty little things that aren’t too happy to see their land encroached upon, and they’re more than willing to fight to defend it in increasingly violent and terrifying ways.
In our original review of Hardy’s debut back in 2015, we wrote, “Hardy has turned in a refreshingly spirited debut of a film, and as an evident fan of practical effects, tension, and relentless suspense, he will have no problem garnering a loyal fan base that appreciates a director willing to put his lifelong education in horror to work. The genre — and Hollywood in general — would benefit from more inspired talent and projects of passion like this.”
While Hardy hasn’t helmed another feature since The Nun, I’m really excited to see what original project he might be cooking up next.
What do you think? You can stream The Hallow for free here, and when you do, let me know what you think over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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