[yasr_overall_rating]
A young filmmaker documents his ghost-hunting, reality show friends as their routine investigation of an abandoned orphanage turns into a nightmare from which they can’t escape.
There are so many reality shows on TV these days it’s hard to keep up. What’s more, there are numerous reality shows that revolve around so-called ‘real-life hauntings’ and for me, that is not mind-boggling, human nature has always been fascinated with the paranormal and the unknown, what amazes me is the fact that while all these shows allege that they are the real deal, not one of them has ever produced solid evidence of the supernatural. Shows like “Ghost Adventures,” “Ghost Hunters,” “The Dead Files” and “Haunted Highway.”
As an indie filmmaker myself for over thirty years, I know how easy it is to add in some spooky sound effects and even the occasional ghostly figure in the background but personally, while I’ve had a few of my own mysterious experiences, these shows, for the most part, are entertaining. Sort of like watching a terrible B-movie late at night that you cannot stop watching because it is so horrendously bad.
With “Hollows Grove,” we have two friends, Tim (Matt Doherty) and Harold (Matthew Carey) and with Harold having just found out that his girlfriend of several years had been cheating on him, Tim, the host of a cheesy ghost-hunter TV show called “S.P.I.T.” (Spirit Paranormal Investigation Team), asks him to come along to film behind-the-scenes footage of the team at work, hoping that this will keep his mind off his ex. We meet the rest of the team, co-host Roger (Sunkrish Bala), producer Julie (Bresha Webb) and the show’s cameraman Chad (Val Morrison).
Along the way, we also meet Bill (Lance Henriksen), a special effects guru who, much to Harold’s surprise, rigs every episode with cheesy props and sound effects. Their next destination? The haunted Hollows Grove Orphanage, where many young children and staff members lost their lives to rampant illness but also experienced many unexplained deaths.
The location is as you’d expect, old, creepy and very run down. Upon arrival, they meet the building’s groundskeeper, Hector (Eddie Perez), who initially won’t let them in, claiming it’s for their own good but eventually, Tim manages to talk him into letting them in. Then the TV show begins. Tim and Roger begin to make their way around the dilapidated building, constantly talking into the camera, informing the viewers as to the history of the orphanage and gradually, they begin hearing strange noises.
Naturally, none of them are worried because as is the norm, Bill always makes his way to the destination before the crew arrives so he can rig it with props and special effects but as the power goes out, and people start disappearing, the team finally realizes that they are not alone and with no way out of the building, and locked doors opening up on every floor, they must work together to stay alive or become a part of the building’s murderous history.
All of the characters were likable from their initial introduction and for any sort of film when you have an ensemble cast, onscreen chemistry is vital for the film’s survival so that aspect helped elevate the film above its genre contemporaries but the other element was the actual building itself. Filmed at the abandoned Linda Vista Community Hospital in Los Angeles, it has become a popular filming location for horror-themed productions, including films, TV shows, and music videos. It has also become the subject of several paranormal investigations so this setting for the movie was perfect.
Under normal circumstances, the characters within the film probably would have left at the first sign of trouble but thinking that their special effects guy arrived ahead of time to unleash his bag of tricks, this plot device was cleverly utilized so that the characters, and indeed the audience, wouldn’t suspect anything out of the ordinary, even when unexplainable actions were transpiring.
“Hollows Grove” is a creepy, atmospheric film which achieves its desired objective by employing believable characters, genuinely frightening sound effects and some nightmarish images. Lance Henriksen was inspired casting, I just wish there had been more of him throughout.
Available on Video On Demand May 12th
