Hallow Road – Film Review
by Fran Winston

Directed by: Babak Anvari
Starring:  Rosamund Pike, Matthew Rhys, Megan McDonnell

In cinemas May 16

Before we even meet any characters, the opening credits of this film indicate there has been some sort of family drama as it pans through a home where there has clearly been an argument with things knocked over and glass broken.

Matthew Rhys and Rosamund Pike play Frank and Maddie, the couple who inhabit the house. They get a distressed phone call from their daughter Alice (McDonnel) at 2am, confessing she has hit someone while driving her father’s car. They naturally panic and jump into Maddie’s car to get to her on the Hallow Road of the title. It is located deep in a forest and is a popular spot for teenagers to do drugs.

This sets the scene for most of the drama, which takes place on the hour-long car journey to support their teenager. Alice assures them she has called an ambulance, and Maddie, a paramedic, tries to talk her through CPR.  The couple clearly have their own issues, which come to the fore as they disagree about how to handle the situation. Both have differing opinions on how the youngster should deal with this life-changing crisis as she hysterically keeps them updated on speakerphone.

We only ever hear Alice’s voice, and she is seen in a smiling image in her phone avatar, in contrast to the weepy mess we are listening to. Tensions build further when another couple arrive at the scene of the accident, and things take a sinister turn when they realise there has been an accident as helpless Frank and Maddie listen on.

This is a very simple idea, with the claustrophobic setting of the vehicle only adding to the tense feel. Indeed, it would make a great radio play since the premise gives the director so much audio to play with. There are numerous plot holes and quite a bit of telegraphing, ensuring anyone familiar with this kind of thriller will figure out the twist pretty early on. However, excellent performances from both Pike and Rhys help you to overlook this as they are so engaging.

At 89 minutes long, it doesn’t outstay its welcome, and while the ending is predictable, the drama during the car journey is enough to keep you watching and curious about how they will execute this. A simple but solid effort, this is the kind of film that creeps up on you after you leave, as you realise you actually quite liked it.