The Appalachian area often goes overlooked in horror cinema, so at the very least, Daniel Byers’ Dark Hollow is a nice break from urban stories. The environment here is well suited for a movie about evils hiding in both plain sight and out of sight.
First there’s the greedy, polluting corporation that has the town under its thumb, then there’s the uncanny threat lurking below the earth. In between, but no less urgent, threats include the unclean air, black lung disease, and a local drug crisis.
Those here for monster mayhem will have to wait a good while, due to the movie’s chief interest in its tragic human characters. Namely June Schreiner’s role as KC, a young mother whose property is soon the victim of an eminent domain eviction. And as if life isn’t bad enough for KC and her kin, her partner, the equally troubled Jesse (David Garelik), has gone missing.
While it’s a stretch to call this movie’s creature “unique”, the design is still somewhat satisfying. Killer Croc-esque, constantly drooling and lots of teeth? Yes, on all accounts. Byers also isn’t shy about showing that freak of nature. The only problem is, you can’t see it, save for a very few highly visible money shots. As for the monster effects, an uneven mix of practical and digital, they have a shining moment or two. It’s just unfortunate that this movie resorts to hiding practically everything under a veil of darkness.
Putting aside any gripes about the lighting and monster, Byers does have the occasional flair for visuals. Early on, it’s nightmares that show his artistic aptitude; later it’s the whole third act. The movie’s most provoking sequences are in the coal mine, which, naturally, becomes the site of the final battle. On top of the minor hellscape we see down there is some rather grotesque imagery.
You may feel like a pain voyeur as you watch Dark Hollow. There’s so much sadness and hurt on the screen that it’s easy to feel sympathy. At the same time, getting invested in these characters could prove challenging, due to their glaring underdevelopment. A couple is bordering on caricatures, albeit unfunny ones. Luckily, the movie rests on Schreiner’s shoulders, and she’s a bright spot in this bleak and cursory story.
On paper, Dark Hollow has a lot going for it: a Southern Gothic backdrop, a heroic “final girl” sort of character, and most of all, a horrifying monster. Yet in the end, this movie is only a partial success. The individual elements simply don’t come together as well as they could have.
Monsters as metaphors for real life are hardly a new concept, and Dark Hollow has a high possibility of getting lost during a small surge. This year alone has had a couple of other instances, particularly on the indie side. Regrettably, though, this movie doesn’t quite stand out, story or creature-wise, and overall it’s just a little too lackluster.
Brainstorm Media releases Dark Hollow in select theaters and On Demand on September 4.
