Hollow in the Land is quite an entertaining film. It will appeal to everyone who love watching small, low budget indie films. You also might like it if you enjoy films that have a darker, melancholic feel and are mostly character and performance driven. The story explores feelings of love, guilt, bravery, dedication and vengeance. If you live in a small town where everyone knows or want to know everything about each other then you will be able to feel a story even better in my opinion. The performances are good, characters feel real, the story is gripping, pace is even and there are some nice twists. I know Hollow in the Land did not receive many positive reviews so I suggest you see it and decide for yourself, you might be surprised.
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Lugo198929 December 2017
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dusan-229 December 2017I've seen a lot of negative reactions to this movie so just wanted to give my own opinion in contrast to that. Even though a small production movie, this is an entertaining flick with both decent acting and directing. I liked the way director played with mystery colors until the end but also the way he presented the social surroundings in the background as it's pretty realistic and much better than in most of the big production movies. Just before this movie I'd seen a new Hollywood flick of similar genre with really big names in it and it wasn't as half as entertaining as this one. Also managed to find out that this is the first feature movie of director Scooter Corkle and I must say I am pretty impressed. Keep on working Mr. Corkle, you are a very talented movie maker and don't mind the critics neither cause some of these can be really useful. I believe that as a movie buff but also as someone who studied movie-making. And information for all other viewers, I am not related to this movie in anyway as I am European living in Europe so this is really my opinion.
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bmco-247-72102510 December 2017I thought this was an above average film made more interesting by the capable acting of Dianna Argon as the lead character, Alison Miller. Throughout the story, Alison has to deal with a lot of disrespect from others in this blue collar environment largely due to the relationship between her father's crime and the local community, but also because of her younger brother's unruliness and general bias from Alison's being a lesbian. This all conspires to make her struggle to find her brother and hopefully prove his innocence more challenging and thereby interesting.
As the story develops, you learn there is a fair amount of interplay between the various people in the background and it can be a little confusing if you're not paying attention to the various character's names. If you do loose track as I did, it still manages to come together in the end. All said, in my view, a worthwhile watch. -
anmishoe6 April 2019This film was better than I expected but even at 90 minutes, it seemed long. Diana Agron was essentially the movie, in just about every scene, and she was pretty good. I suppose this isn't the most ringing endorsement, but I am not disappointed that I watched this film.
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Basically this movie is a pure family drama involving the guilty father with his two siblings whose fate should be rewritten and rebuild after their misfortune. But when the movie slowly takes it's full course it seems to be a movie out of the regular dramatic boundaries. It has the mysterious search of a sister for her brother...has the story of battle between the society and two lone warrior ....has the actions of twentyfirst century...has the strong finish of total background.
Recommended to thriller lovers who love to see drama type thriller. -
nogodnomasters30 December 2017Possible spoiler.
Keith Miller has been in jail for a year when the film starts. He robbed a store drunk and then killed a boy on a bicycle. He gets 15 years sitting in a Canadian jail listening to Anne Murray. His daughter Alison (Dianna Agron), the town lesbian, is given guardianship of her 17 year old brother Brandon ( Jared Abrahamson). Brandon spends his time as a miserable teen. When Earl (John Sampson), a man who the whole town hated, is killed, Brandon, the main suspect goes missing and Alison plays Nancy Drew and uncovers secrets about the town.
The investigation was "Winterbone" slow. The acting wasn't bad, but the pace needed to be better. Also all of the town secrets come at us at 75 minutes into the film without any real clues. We already have a guy we don't like and know it is going to go to him, but does so in a real idiotic fashion.
Guide; F-word. No sex or nudity -
SnoopyStyle5 January 2019It's been a year since Keith Miller got locked up for running over the Balkoff boy. His kids, Alison 'Al' (Dianna Agron) and Brandon, are outcasts and can't escape his infamy in the small mountain town. Darryl (Shawn Ashmore) is a sympathetic cop but the Chief has his sights set on Brandon. Brandon's girlfriend's dad is murdered. The girlfriend's mother Charlene Hinters (Rachelle Lefevre) is Al's lover. Brandon becomes the main suspect and goes missing. Al decides to investigate herself.
Agron can't escape her Miss America looks unless she does a Monster. This is the next best thing. She's not the best actress but she is more than her pretty face. Limited makeup and letting her dye job show does help to give her more heft. This has a great grinding rural ugliness. It's similar to Winter's Bone but inferior. Agron is not Lawrence. The action could be done better. Directing is generally inferior except it does get the mood right. It's a solid entry into the rural crime genre. -
toz4512 November 2019Do towns like this actually exist? I think if I lived in that town like that, I'd be out of there and never look back. Decently acted but not entertaining.
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I have seen so many movies filmed in British Columbia but the movie storyline is set in a northern U.S. state that I have long since lost count. I am not complaining, rather I find it remarkable. For some reason Hollywood likes to film in British Columbia but the storyline is set in Washington State, Minnesota, or New England. In an alternate universe by Hollywood, British Columbia is Washington State or else Washington State is much larger than it is in reality. The Washington State of Hollywood (as depicted by British Columbia) is a rural state filled north-to-south, east-to-west with forest-covered mountains and hills. Small, cozy towns and villages light up in a delightful kaleidoscope of lights and decorations for Christmas movies. But there are not-so-nice mountain towns, often decrepit looking for the crime action and mystery movies. In-between, normal looking mountain towns are for drama and science fiction and monster movies. At this point maybe the U.S. and Canada should just share B.C. and give the people there dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship.
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Siebert_Tenseven20 January 2018Anyone who can sit though this endless saga of perpetual wild-eyed suspense has got to have about as much nothing upstairs as the creators of this worthless butt stain of an awful movie. The viewer is forced through one and a half hours of a dimensionless young woman trying to find her equally dimensionless brother in a depressing landscape of bad haircuts and shotguns.
It would be OK if there were a few suspenseful moments leading up to a meaningful conclusion, but since the character development in this movie is about as neglected as a sweaty gym sock on the seat of a downtown express bus, by the time the determined yet sexy heroine catches up with her worthless idiot of a brother, nobody could care one doo-doo about anything but this movie ending as quickly as possible. -
jettison023 January 2018I really didnt know what to expect. the direction of the film seemed well thought out. the lead actress is gorgeous, and plays the role seriously serious. idk it was that girl from glee. iceman was cool, pun intended - youre welcome overall the movie was better than a one time watch. its dark, gritty, and totally brings you into the life of the characters.
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reddiemurf8120 April 2020Why don't we see her in more movies? She gave a really good performance (talking about Agron, of course).
This is one of the better indies I've seen in awhile. Very low budget, but that didn't deter from keeping my attention.
If you're in the mood for a good small town murder/who done it movie,, then go watch it! -
omendata17 December 2017Yet another in the long line of disappointing thrillers. No real story , no thrills, not even moderately interesting. There isnt really much more to add other than dont waste and hour and a half of your precious time on this turd of a movie like I did!
Siebert put it well - It is a butt stain on a pair of dirty old underpants of a movie! -
anniefairfield24 October 2019This movie had a strong performance from the lead actress (who is best known for her role in the TV show Glee), yet I never really felt fully pulled into the stakes of the story. The film was in a similar vein to Winter's Bone in that a young woman is trying to hold her broken family together in an atmosphere of poverty and crime.
When the woman's brother becomes the #1 suspect in a murder, she sets off to find him - and the truth. I think that some people will really love this movie, but it a little too slow and dreary for me. Overall, it was decent and it had a moody, atmospheric tone to it. -
westsideschl27 September 2018Another small town (Canadian in this case) embedded w/secrets which finally (I mean finally) get played out in the last 1/4 of the movie. Enough angst to keep some of us watching, others might bale for better fare elsewhere. Denouement was predictable for most characters. Couple of twists that if you haven't seen this scenario before might catch you. A lot of implausibles (sp) but that's movies. People die, but unlike most movies that feast on blood this movie's scenes of death were not shown which is kind of weird in itself.
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ktbh11013 June 2018This movie is better than what some of the reviews say.
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mrmikeme17 January 2019This film had me captivated beginning to end! A young woman, Agron struggling to hold it together and keep her brother out of trouble after there father is sent away for murder. The story begins a year after and things get worse. Another murder, this time her brother is the primary suspect and goes missing. Despite the worst odds Agron, sets out to find the truth, evade the police and those out to kill her and find and clear her brothers name! All set in a small suburb of Vancouver B.C in the cold of winter. Who can she trust? What really happened? You feel like you are with her in this dark landscape following the clues with her. Dianna Agron's performance is stellar!
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aSumuru17 April 2021A VERY good story that takes its time to unfold revealing layers of emotional roller coaster rides down a rabbit hole of stellar performances from each and every actor. Also love the color grading and the music of post production which sets the entire mood for the movie. Awesomeness to a T!
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Tina_jeppesen27 August 2018What more can u ask with movies sometimes ; I was entertained from beginning to end the people's confessions seemed a little too easy so that was kinda cheesy other than that I loved this movie
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lavatch22 May 2018If the characters of "Hollow in the Land" had been slightly more bizarre and if the film had been graced with an eerie soundtrack, this might have been an episode of "Twin Peaks."
The action takes place in a small, picturesque town in Western Canada. But the residents of Castlegar are too busy with custody battles, crime, drugs, and covering up their dirty laundry to take note of the beautiful landscape.
The narrative focuses on the character of Ally Miller, who is La Femme Nikita transplanted to the Pacific Northwest. Ally turns into a kinetic private eye as she attempts to clear the name of her young brother, who has been placed in her custody after the incarceration of their father, Keith Miller, who was convicted of vehicular manslaughter.
The young lad that was killed by the drunken Mr. Miller was Eli Balkoff, the son of the two town local scions, Helen and Jim Balkoff, who run the Balkoff paper mill where Ally works. Mr. and Mrs. Balkoff have recently dedicated their efforts to building a Center for Misguided Youth in their community, of which there are plenty of examples of juvenile delinquency.
Amid the degeneracy of Castlegar, Ally Miller steps up to the plate to track down the culprits who have framed her little bro, Brandon Miller. Along the way, Ally learns that nearly all of the residents are guarding personal secrets. Two of the most intriguing characters are a pair of elderly women who have for years been growing pot, unbeknownst to the member of the community. Those women may hold the key to collective past of the town that will unlock the secrets to the great antipathy felt towards the Miller family.
The irony of the townspeople is that everyone seems to know everyone else and makes it their personal business to be nosy. And yet, in the end, they really do not know each other's deepest secrets. One of the colorful placenames is that of Snob Hill, where Ally is led to another one of her clues. In this sleepy little trailer park community of Castlegar, it turns out that there really are some social snobs, who may help Ally to undercover the tragic underbelly of her dysfunctional world.