Hallow Road proves that the British film industry still has the ability to nurture sharp, fresh voices—especially when those voices come with something truly compelling to say. This debut screenplay from William Gillies, a graduate of the National Film and Television School and a long-time admirer of horror cinema, marks a significant first outing. What makes this even more impressive is the maturity and precision of Gillies’ script. It’s clear he has been shaping this story for some time, refining it draft by draft into a lean, emotionally taut thriller that grabs you from the outset and never loosens its grip.

The film operates as a tense, real-time suspense narrative with a psychological edge, exploring themes of parental guilt, buried trauma, and fractured family dynamics. It’s the sort of well-crafted screenplay that would feel at home on Hollywood’s prestigious “Black List”—a collection of high-quality, unproduced scripts circulating within the industry.