Should have gone w my gut feeling and turned it off the second I started watching the opening scene. But I got sucked in. I'm not disappointed I watched till the end. It was free movie and it did have intrigue. Good plot. No artistic flare. Huge discrepencies. worst I've ever seen. Just a quick buck movie. Question; Was the main villain shot dead at the end or was he arrested? Freeze frame the newspaper clip at the end of the movie and read. Enjoy!
29 Reviews
Miles Doleac worth keeping a close eye on...
A_Different_Drummer15 October 2016
A sort of a challenge for reviewers.
First time I watched The Hollow, I made the following notes:
* good attempt at film noir.
* overlong and quality fluctuates wildly from scene to scene. Sometimes you think you are watching an A-list production on the big screen and sometimes you think you are watching a stage play at the local dinner theatre.
* nice use of known "character actors" recycled into almost (but not quite) leading roles. Interesting.
* common problem with B-movies (B+ movies?) is that everything is much too clean. Supposedly we are in the deep south on one of the hottest days of the year and all the actors are wearing clothes that look like they are freshly dry-cleaned, no sweat or dirt anywhere, even the cars are shiny like they just left the car wash...?? (To see this done properly, get a copy of In the Heat of the Night!).
* actor playing Ray-Ray pulls ahead of the pack and steals every scene he is in. Real potential, real charisma, real talent.
And then I check out the credits and find the actor I noticed is also the writer, the director and the chief cook-and-bottle-washer.
Not too shabby.
Miles Doleac is more interesting than the movie. He's got mad skills.
First time I watched The Hollow, I made the following notes:
* good attempt at film noir.
* overlong and quality fluctuates wildly from scene to scene. Sometimes you think you are watching an A-list production on the big screen and sometimes you think you are watching a stage play at the local dinner theatre.
* nice use of known "character actors" recycled into almost (but not quite) leading roles. Interesting.
* common problem with B-movies (B+ movies?) is that everything is much too clean. Supposedly we are in the deep south on one of the hottest days of the year and all the actors are wearing clothes that look like they are freshly dry-cleaned, no sweat or dirt anywhere, even the cars are shiny like they just left the car wash...?? (To see this done properly, get a copy of In the Heat of the Night!).
* actor playing Ray-Ray pulls ahead of the pack and steals every scene he is in. Real potential, real charisma, real talent.
And then I check out the credits and find the actor I noticed is also the writer, the director and the chief cook-and-bottle-washer.
Not too shabby.
Miles Doleac is more interesting than the movie. He's got mad skills.
Great surprise of a movie
damianphelps10 September 2020
One of things I look for but rarely find in a B movie is characters and character depth. Well this movie does a tremendous job of not only establishing characters but digging deeper into them as the movie progressed.
The story itself is pretty straight forward but the director allows time for it to unfold. One of the other strengths of this movie is its running time, at a bit over 2 hours the film has room to breathe.
A well acted and enjoyable movie.
The story itself is pretty straight forward but the director allows time for it to unfold. One of the other strengths of this movie is its running time, at a bit over 2 hours the film has room to breathe.
A well acted and enjoyable movie.
Fakers Unveiled
PUDDlN14 April 2017
I just watched this ... thing. Luckily I didn't pay for it. Had I had to have paid for it, I would be really upset. As it is, I was just baffled.
Clearly, anyone who as watched it knows how bad it is and that's the end of that.
For those that have not watched it and who maybe are looking for something to watch and are looking at movie ratings in order to decide, run. Run fast and furiously away from this movie.
Not only is it all levels of bad, but it is so obvious that the people involved in making it tried desperately to lie and manipulate people into watching it through a series of fake reviews.
To begin, as another rater said, in no universe or galaxy anywhere would anyone give this craptacular piece of time-stealing trash anything above a 4, much less a 9 or a 10. I would bet the farm on that and with that in mind, let me do the faker math for you.
Reviewer stevenafillingane IMDb member since January 2017 only one review ever, you guessed it, for this movie rates it a 10, and cannot stop talking about Miles Doleac. A fake review and reviewer if ever there was one. I'd bet 10-1, the director himself as he seems a little angry at the real reviewers.
Reviewers kennedya-73401 and mindibennett both reviewed this AND ONLY The Historian (a film ALSO by - SURPRISE!!! - Miles Doleac), a 10. Obvious fakes and 10-1 another Doleac fake account.
Reviwer michaelscasey-05453 IMDb member since December 2016, one review, for yes, this crapfest of a movie, rating it an 8 and doing a much better job at not appearing to be overly enthused about it, but using basically word-for-word the same verbiage and 'film noir' references as in their other fake reviews, AND Lol ... he just CANNOT help but mention Miles Doleac (again). Mr. Casey goes on to say that the way they speak in this movie is more or less verbatim what he grew up around and that the director Miles Doleac has just moved that on to the big screen. No, Mr. Doleac, it is what you inferred and then translated onto the screen with pretty terrible results.
In closing, I believe that there must be a level of integrity and ethics involved in everything. No, I am not perfect, but I don't THINK I would ever try and fool others into watching something I had filmed, with such an obvious and unabashed series of lies.
Awful film, awful attempt at ratings deception.
Even if it is ever streaming for FREE, skip this one like the plague.
Clearly, anyone who as watched it knows how bad it is and that's the end of that.
For those that have not watched it and who maybe are looking for something to watch and are looking at movie ratings in order to decide, run. Run fast and furiously away from this movie.
Not only is it all levels of bad, but it is so obvious that the people involved in making it tried desperately to lie and manipulate people into watching it through a series of fake reviews.
To begin, as another rater said, in no universe or galaxy anywhere would anyone give this craptacular piece of time-stealing trash anything above a 4, much less a 9 or a 10. I would bet the farm on that and with that in mind, let me do the faker math for you.
Reviewer stevenafillingane IMDb member since January 2017 only one review ever, you guessed it, for this movie rates it a 10, and cannot stop talking about Miles Doleac. A fake review and reviewer if ever there was one. I'd bet 10-1, the director himself as he seems a little angry at the real reviewers.
Reviewers kennedya-73401 and mindibennett both reviewed this AND ONLY The Historian (a film ALSO by - SURPRISE!!! - Miles Doleac), a 10. Obvious fakes and 10-1 another Doleac fake account.
Reviwer michaelscasey-05453 IMDb member since December 2016, one review, for yes, this crapfest of a movie, rating it an 8 and doing a much better job at not appearing to be overly enthused about it, but using basically word-for-word the same verbiage and 'film noir' references as in their other fake reviews, AND Lol ... he just CANNOT help but mention Miles Doleac (again). Mr. Casey goes on to say that the way they speak in this movie is more or less verbatim what he grew up around and that the director Miles Doleac has just moved that on to the big screen. No, Mr. Doleac, it is what you inferred and then translated onto the screen with pretty terrible results.
In closing, I believe that there must be a level of integrity and ethics involved in everything. No, I am not perfect, but I don't THINK I would ever try and fool others into watching something I had filmed, with such an obvious and unabashed series of lies.
Awful film, awful attempt at ratings deception.
Even if it is ever streaming for FREE, skip this one like the plague.
Where do I begin ...
Her-Excellency17 October 2016
I normally don't review films, but I felt that I just had to say something in the case of this movie because like one of the posters above, I too feel that that "good" reviews are from people associated with the film hoping to ensnare any other gullible soul into paying to watch it.
This movie is a complete waste of film and time, and I am saying that with the utmost sincerity. In my history of watching film (and no, I am not some pretentious film buff, I'm just a person that likes movies), I don't think I have seen another film that is so boring, monotonous, unimaginative and droll with boring, monotonous, unimaginative, droll characters who you really don't care about in any way. In fact, you kind of hope that a hurricane blows through or that an alien abduction happens and that in one fell swoop every character is erased or blown / flown away. Not because you care enough to hate them, but because they bring less than nothing to the screen and they are irritating and jaw- droppingly badly written and acted.
The first two minutes of the film seem okay and then you get the bad country cop, the poor hooker, the cop's idiot partner, the druggie black guy ... and it does not get any better, with the drawling rich bad guy and the faith-spouting Christian woman among others. It is SO bad you sit there and wonder how something this bad could have been green-lit for the big screen. Really, it is very difficult to watch a film where every scene just seems to be far worse than the one before, and yet you don't want to stop watching for the simple fact that you think a film cannot, just cannot, be this bad, and you continue to wait for any kind of moment or scene that will make it worthwhile. Trust me when I tell you however, it is this bad, and nowhere within the running time does it have even one redeemable moment.
It is a depressing film, not only in that it feels cheap and as if no one involved with it actually cared to make it, but in that you wonder what you have going in your life that you opted to watch it.
It is bad enough to where if it were to come on television, I'd advise you to do yourself a favor and skip it.
This movie is a complete waste of film and time, and I am saying that with the utmost sincerity. In my history of watching film (and no, I am not some pretentious film buff, I'm just a person that likes movies), I don't think I have seen another film that is so boring, monotonous, unimaginative and droll with boring, monotonous, unimaginative, droll characters who you really don't care about in any way. In fact, you kind of hope that a hurricane blows through or that an alien abduction happens and that in one fell swoop every character is erased or blown / flown away. Not because you care enough to hate them, but because they bring less than nothing to the screen and they are irritating and jaw- droppingly badly written and acted.
The first two minutes of the film seem okay and then you get the bad country cop, the poor hooker, the cop's idiot partner, the druggie black guy ... and it does not get any better, with the drawling rich bad guy and the faith-spouting Christian woman among others. It is SO bad you sit there and wonder how something this bad could have been green-lit for the big screen. Really, it is very difficult to watch a film where every scene just seems to be far worse than the one before, and yet you don't want to stop watching for the simple fact that you think a film cannot, just cannot, be this bad, and you continue to wait for any kind of moment or scene that will make it worthwhile. Trust me when I tell you however, it is this bad, and nowhere within the running time does it have even one redeemable moment.
It is a depressing film, not only in that it feels cheap and as if no one involved with it actually cared to make it, but in that you wonder what you have going in your life that you opted to watch it.
It is bad enough to where if it were to come on television, I'd advise you to do yourself a favor and skip it.
Miles Doleac didn't like my review
Jon-Targaryen15 June 2017
It was deleted.
Staff, please check before you delete, that it does not violate guidelines, and in fact, the reviews that should be deleted are all the fake ones which probably have the same originating address.
In any case, let me put this debate to rest right now. I'd never seen a film with such polarizing reviews, and neither side quite convinced me. After all, the positive reviews did in fact seem a little too similar in their wording and enthusiasm, and the negative reviews were somewhat harsh. No movie could be that bad, could it? As such, I decided to get to the bottom of this. I looked for clips of The Hollow on You know where and found them plus more.
Without further ado, the bad reviews are correct.
I clicked randomly at first, and every scene I stopped on, topped the last scene for laughably bad. I then went through it again (scanned it, as I couldn't bring myself to watch all of it), in an attempt to find one, just one scene that was good. No such scene exists.
Hopefully this puts the matter to rest, not in that you need to take my word for it, but that you can go catch it yourself.
Miles Doleac is not a good director, writer or actor. In fact, he's a quack and a hack who needs fake reviews to try and convince people his film are any good. The blatant attempts at rigging and manipulating ratings should be exposed. It is my sincere hope that if this director tries it again on anything else he is involved in, people will have a heads up and not fall for it as some did with this garbage.
Staff, please check before you delete, that it does not violate guidelines, and in fact, the reviews that should be deleted are all the fake ones which probably have the same originating address.
In any case, let me put this debate to rest right now. I'd never seen a film with such polarizing reviews, and neither side quite convinced me. After all, the positive reviews did in fact seem a little too similar in their wording and enthusiasm, and the negative reviews were somewhat harsh. No movie could be that bad, could it? As such, I decided to get to the bottom of this. I looked for clips of The Hollow on You know where and found them plus more.
Without further ado, the bad reviews are correct.
I clicked randomly at first, and every scene I stopped on, topped the last scene for laughably bad. I then went through it again (scanned it, as I couldn't bring myself to watch all of it), in an attempt to find one, just one scene that was good. No such scene exists.
Hopefully this puts the matter to rest, not in that you need to take my word for it, but that you can go catch it yourself.
Miles Doleac is not a good director, writer or actor. In fact, he's a quack and a hack who needs fake reviews to try and convince people his film are any good. The blatant attempts at rigging and manipulating ratings should be exposed. It is my sincere hope that if this director tries it again on anything else he is involved in, people will have a heads up and not fall for it as some did with this garbage.
Great example
tkell3123 January 2021
That a movie doesnt have to have the best plot or even a good one, to be entertaining. What do I mean? It's convoluted, full of stereotypes and cliches, but the acting is fantastic, the dialogue sharp, moves quickly and looks great. Loved the cast with some faces you will know well playing their parts perfectly.
Great movie to turn off your brain, because it wont withstand much scrutiny. Just enjoy the interactions from the hard drinking FBI agent, to the corrupt town elder running the show, the damaged vets, genteel ladies, tough Northerner female FBI agent, the bad cop and his toady, all set against a backdrop of gospel spouting rednecks. Probably will never go back and watch it again, but it kept my attention and that's saying something.
Great movie to turn off your brain, because it wont withstand much scrutiny. Just enjoy the interactions from the hard drinking FBI agent, to the corrupt town elder running the show, the damaged vets, genteel ladies, tough Northerner female FBI agent, the bad cop and his toady, all set against a backdrop of gospel spouting rednecks. Probably will never go back and watch it again, but it kept my attention and that's saying something.
Absolutely AWFUL
MajorMAlice14 October 2016
First of all, if people are going to write fake reviews, they need to be a little less 'enthusiastic' and more realistic when it comes to honestly terrible movies.
There is NO way in the WORLD anyone that is not shilling this movie could give it a 10. There is JUST NO WAY.
The plot is maybe the only thing that deserves 1-Star. The rest is a ZERO. The acting is horrendous. Seriously, you could find better acting on a soap opera. The southern accents are laughable and absurd.
The casting, was horrendous. Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR actresses that look almost exactly the same (I actually thought that would turn out to be a part of the plot, but it wasn't), NO chemistry between the leads, one of the main actors came across as a whiny, crying, sniveling loser instead of what his role placed him as, the others were complete caricatures of a bad parody wherein the butt of the supposed jokes are hillbillies and rednecks, the other main actor just seemed bored and stiff and like he REALLY didn't want to be there. I didn't want to be there either.
It is just utterly BAD. Awful. Horrendously terrible.
IF you actually opt to watch this, DON'T say you weren't warned. Oh, and come back, as penance, and leave a review in order to save another poor schmuck the pain.
There is NO way in the WORLD anyone that is not shilling this movie could give it a 10. There is JUST NO WAY.
The plot is maybe the only thing that deserves 1-Star. The rest is a ZERO. The acting is horrendous. Seriously, you could find better acting on a soap opera. The southern accents are laughable and absurd.
The casting, was horrendous. Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR actresses that look almost exactly the same (I actually thought that would turn out to be a part of the plot, but it wasn't), NO chemistry between the leads, one of the main actors came across as a whiny, crying, sniveling loser instead of what his role placed him as, the others were complete caricatures of a bad parody wherein the butt of the supposed jokes are hillbillies and rednecks, the other main actor just seemed bored and stiff and like he REALLY didn't want to be there. I didn't want to be there either.
It is just utterly BAD. Awful. Horrendously terrible.
IF you actually opt to watch this, DON'T say you weren't warned. Oh, and come back, as penance, and leave a review in order to save another poor schmuck the pain.
Excellent
chance202129 April 2021
I really like how this turned out. A congressman's daughter dies in a triple homicide and a team of F. B. I. Agents starts to investigate as to what exactly happened. Plot really does thicken and the acting and editing helped with the thriller aspect that had me on edge. If your looking for a good weekend movie this is the one!
Forget this mess
crsecon4 July 2017
Repulsive movie with slimy characters--even the "heroes"--and sickening plot line. Makes no sense in a world populated by evil, corrupted, or broken people entirely. . Feel like decontaminating from falling into sewer after trying to sit through it, did not make it past 20 min. Left with bad impressions of Mississippi, small towns, even Federal Bureau of Investigation. X-files this is NOT!
A solid film
shanksfilmmaker29 June 2020
This is a film worth watching. A well put together suspenseful thriller with an amazing cast! It's great to see Miles Doleac, William Forsythe and Battlestar Galactica's very own James Callis all in the same film - a total package! A must watch and 10 stars from me.
OK
sw_florida10 June 2018
Not worth your time
thirumaalarumugam5 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I made an account just so I could write a review about this movie so that the others are warned beforehand. Just like others I was fooled by the other fake reviews posted here, but at the time I checked here there were no other reviews and only the fake reviews were here. I can't even begin to say where this movie starts getting bad, it just rotten throughout. The acting was really hilarious and we get the clichéd 'cop with marital troubles who may or may not be having an affair with another woman who may or may not be his colleague' cop in this movie as well. I was actually waiting for some neat little twist in the climax or some surprise towards the end which never came. Some bad movies are actually saved by a good climax but this wasn't anywhere near to it. I have given a fair warning to others, please don't take a risk. Watching through the movie was really painful and I hope I could get back the time I lost watching this piece of art.
I wanted to like it
tysajayne28 December 2017
I really wanted to like this movie. As I began watching I couldn't understand the negative reviews. I quickly began to see the issues, but I kept watching. I never felt suspense over the murders, and even though that wasn't the intended focus, it was the reason for the entire movie. Most of the characters were expendable, I had little sympathy for the characters that were developed because they were not well developed, and there was no tension or build up to the very lackluster end.
Why?
venumstrike6 June 2018
Hollow is a perfect title for this empty story line that suspends disbelief beyond belief. Nothing in this has any real feel to it, and the depth of the characters are not built upon. Have you seen Ozark on Netflix now that's a story with quality A list writing not this sad pathetic attempt to try to thrill us. Boring acting at best with no thrills.
Awful...what did I just watch? Ugh
westburycl10 April 2024
I'm not even sure what I just watched. It was terrible. I kept hoping it would get better but no...just an absolute waste of my time. I've seen a few of the actors in other movies and thought their talent was completely wasted in this convoluted mess. I am pretty sure the great reviews for this movie were written by the director himself and/or his friends and family. There's no way this deserves more than a 2/10. That's me being kind. Absolutely do not waste your time...and it's a long movie too. Seriously, what was the point of this movie?...no likeable characters whatsoever and the plot was ridiculous. Absolutely AWFUL.
Our baby has one life
nogodnomasters18 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
A triple homicide occurs in rural Cutler Co. Mississippi. It involves the daughter of a congressman who appears to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. What we know is that Deputy Sheriff Darryl Everett (Jeff Fahey) is dirty. He deals in meth and was "serviced" by the high school girl who was killed that night. He also told the couple who was killed to go to that spot. The high school girl was a "free spirit" and was also the girlfriend of the local High School quarterback, the grandson Big John Dawson (William Forsythe) who runs the county and Deputy Sheriff Darryl Everett. Rumor has it when Dawson dies he is going to "will it (the county) back to the people." The FBI couple investigating the case includes Vaughn Killinger (James Callis) who has his own demons. He supplies us with a subplot filled with drama, which proved to be a distraction to the film as they spent way too much time on his drinking...okay I get it, he drinks too much and is sleeping with his partner and has messed up his life.
During the investigation, the people in town want to keep their dirty little secrets while everyone seems to be a suspect. The investigation pulls the community apart.
There were no real likable people in this, other than the minor characters. I personally liked the forensics girl who had a small role. The film never develops a good protagonist, and then feigns one at the end, and a messed up ending at that. Vaughn Killinger was a poorly written character with terrible lines. They could have cut that whole bar scene. The film was too long as it was.
Guide: F-word, sex, no nudity.
During the investigation, the people in town want to keep their dirty little secrets while everyone seems to be a suspect. The investigation pulls the community apart.
There were no real likable people in this, other than the minor characters. I personally liked the forensics girl who had a small role. The film never develops a good protagonist, and then feigns one at the end, and a messed up ending at that. Vaughn Killinger was a poorly written character with terrible lines. They could have cut that whole bar scene. The film was too long as it was.
Guide: F-word, sex, no nudity.
What a letdown
jameslhoward-3548924 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Very poor writing and it goes downhill from there. Characters, even the B and C are very underdeveloped. The anti Christian sentiment in the scene between FBI and Cami's parents was uncalled for. Plot moves so slowly that you could use this movie instead of sleep aid. Federal agents are not going to get pushed around by local yokels or anybody else. Big John harkens back to the days of the Jim Crow south of mid 20th Century. The characterization is so overdone and Forsythe can't compensate for poor writing. Seidel's performance is the only bright spot in the movie. Her delivery is very measured and she doesn't let the overall direction of the movie stop her. Divorce, adultery, alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual deviancy and just about every other human foible is included in the script. This clearly indicates lack of creativity. The final confrontation lacks everything. If you can't sleep watch this movie.
An average film with some very strange reviews
dunfincin29 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I was toying with the idea of downloading this film yesterday and had a quick look at the reviews on this site. I found there were seven reviews, five of them extremely positive with four ratings of 10 and two others deprecating the movie in very clear terms. I don't think I have ever seen this before and whilst the film didn't particularly interest me, I decided to give it a shot. Verdict? It's not that bad, certainly watchable. The acting was good, the storyline and script comprehensible, the atmosphere nicely achieved and the characters believable. There were a number of downsides however. There was some very poor casting with two partnerships (a man and a woman in each case) of law enforcement officers introduced at different times who were so physically alike that It was impossible, for most of the film, to tell them apart so that certain scenes were very confusing. The movie also seemed somehow disjointed and gave the impression that everyone had had a few weeks holiday every now and then during the shoot or possibly they had to do some re-takes much later on. Almost impossible to feel very much for any of the characters who were by and large such flawed human beings you didn't really care what happened to them. I have seen much worse films with ratings of 4 and 5 on this site so why the huge discrepancy between the existing reviews? I strongly suspect that the maximum ratings awarded by some reviewers were given for motives which were, shall we say, other than genuine laudation. As to the less favourable reviews, I'm really not sure. Admittedly the film did not feature any down on their luck actors pretending to be comedians and entertaining us by laughing at their own inane jokes about wanking and farting. Nor were we treated to 25th century Teutonic cyborgs blowing up the scenery and even less of cold-eyed men in pastel suits demonically mowing down innocent civilians with machine guns before going back to their yachts to hand feed their pet crocodiles.Despite all these drawbacks, this is not a bad film. Not one I would probably watch again but reasonable enough if you have nothing better to do for an hour and a half.I have given it a 6 but a more accurate rating would be 5/6 in my opinion. Happy viewing to all!
Don't waste your Time
redrock-792994 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Don't waste your time on this movie. Crime happens to a US congressman and the fbi is hot on the case. Fbi agent with marriage and drinking problems. Good agent has been keeping him on the payroll some how. Corruption on sheriff's department. Sheriff just wants to retire and tells corrupt deputy to take care of this mess. This deputy is married with a kid. Then other deputy who has a thing with the K-9 deputy. The big bad local crime boss with black guy as a body guard/enforcer. The movie was so bad had to fast forward to last 10 minutes to find out what happened. Deputy kidnapped Big John and is going to shoot him. Showdown with fbi and bad guys. Fbi agent is too sick to help and gets his parter shot. He then shoots deputy then shoots big John with the deputy's gun and puts in his hand. Final ex fbi agent is a store clerk and female fbi is now a county sherif in Tennessee.
Some of these reviewers are clearly trolls...
michaelscasey-054539 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
... and I don't mean the over-exuberant reviewers claiming it was the best thing they'd ever seen. It was good. I'll say that. Coming from a similar southern town - the scenery, the accents, the corruption... they got it right. One reviewer who claimed they were too clean looking... um. Maybe some of them, but the characters Vaughn and Ray-Ray always looked in need of a shower. So... perspective, I guess.
These reviews claiming it was the worst thing they'd ever seen, have obviously been living under a rock. First, the writing is NOT bad at all. I've heard similar conversations from real life people. Gritty language, responses to threats, all of the above (former law enforcement career). There was nothing odd about it. The pace... well, it's a noir... all slow build up to a predictable, last minute climax. That's what the genre does. So when you see "NOIR" in the descriptive title, you can't expect fast-paced, psychedelic, or action-packed scenes... that's just stupid on YOUR part. Predictable? The killer was a character who had never been introduced. So... again. Bad? No. The acting. Come on... William Sadler? William Forsythe? Jeff Fahey (who should have been in the movie more, IMO)? And the writer/director/producer/Ray-Ray character... Miles Doleac? These guys are terrific actors. And played these parts well. Yeah, the FBI guy was a little bit of an over-actor, but I'm really not sure where all this hatred is coming from. Troll much?
That being said... I have nothing to gain or lose from this review. I, too, just like good, solid movies with a story. Not everything I see is an action fest, or a laugh-a-minute comedy. Sometimes I just like smartly made movies, of which this is one. The hateful reviews given this film are undeserved.
So, grab some popcorn, a beer, and settle in to decide for yourself.
These reviews claiming it was the worst thing they'd ever seen, have obviously been living under a rock. First, the writing is NOT bad at all. I've heard similar conversations from real life people. Gritty language, responses to threats, all of the above (former law enforcement career). There was nothing odd about it. The pace... well, it's a noir... all slow build up to a predictable, last minute climax. That's what the genre does. So when you see "NOIR" in the descriptive title, you can't expect fast-paced, psychedelic, or action-packed scenes... that's just stupid on YOUR part. Predictable? The killer was a character who had never been introduced. So... again. Bad? No. The acting. Come on... William Sadler? William Forsythe? Jeff Fahey (who should have been in the movie more, IMO)? And the writer/director/producer/Ray-Ray character... Miles Doleac? These guys are terrific actors. And played these parts well. Yeah, the FBI guy was a little bit of an over-actor, but I'm really not sure where all this hatred is coming from. Troll much?
That being said... I have nothing to gain or lose from this review. I, too, just like good, solid movies with a story. Not everything I see is an action fest, or a laugh-a-minute comedy. Sometimes I just like smartly made movies, of which this is one. The hateful reviews given this film are undeserved.
So, grab some popcorn, a beer, and settle in to decide for yourself.
Seems real, like a small southern town I grew up in
bonniath-1396814 April 2022
I must complain about the polarization of these reviews. This movie is neither a 1 nor a 10. It's a solid somewhere right in the middle. Most of the actors have been around awhile and done interesting work. The hick town is believable and the characters are, too.
Best to me, though, is the script. I swear the dialogue is straight out of my youth.
So haters and trolls, begone. Stop messing with folks who really care.
Best to me, though, is the script. I swear the dialogue is straight out of my youth.
So haters and trolls, begone. Stop messing with folks who really care.
4/5 - The Hollow
meetjordan1 November 2016
4/5 - The Hollow Director: Miles Doleac
The Hollow is a film made in a seemingly forgotten tradition of American movies: the straightforward murder mysteries of the 80's and 90's (a la Witness) that featured vivid settings with even stronger accents, a twisty-but-still-easily-digestible plot setup, charismatic actors, layers of tension, and a distinct beginning and end. I love the experimental and emotionally ambiguous as much as any film lover, but I find it just as vital to preserve more straightforward genre fair, especially when they are as precisely made and effective as The Hollow.
The film is centered around a murder in the Deep South that brings together two deeply troubled men. There is Vaughn, a wasted FBI agent played by James Callis of Battlestar Galactica fame, and Ray, a dirty cop played by writer/director Miles Doleac. The two men, anchoring the film in a pair of rock solid performances, both conspire (in their own equally conflicted ways) to take down Big John Dawson (William Forsythe). While Dawson is your typical Southern gentlemen/big bad, but Forsythe sinks his teeth into the role in such a way you will not want to turn away.
The same can be said for the film as a whole. In a lesser team's hands, The Hollow could have a been boilerplate mess; but Doleac, whose last film was a quieter character drama (The Historian), takes the reigns of this genre piece and makes it his own. Yes, elements of The Hollow can feel derivative, but, in the end, commitment and enthusiasm and attention to detail produces entertaining movies. This is a film that has commitment in spades.
The Hollow is a film made in a seemingly forgotten tradition of American movies: the straightforward murder mysteries of the 80's and 90's (a la Witness) that featured vivid settings with even stronger accents, a twisty-but-still-easily-digestible plot setup, charismatic actors, layers of tension, and a distinct beginning and end. I love the experimental and emotionally ambiguous as much as any film lover, but I find it just as vital to preserve more straightforward genre fair, especially when they are as precisely made and effective as The Hollow.
The film is centered around a murder in the Deep South that brings together two deeply troubled men. There is Vaughn, a wasted FBI agent played by James Callis of Battlestar Galactica fame, and Ray, a dirty cop played by writer/director Miles Doleac. The two men, anchoring the film in a pair of rock solid performances, both conspire (in their own equally conflicted ways) to take down Big John Dawson (William Forsythe). While Dawson is your typical Southern gentlemen/big bad, but Forsythe sinks his teeth into the role in such a way you will not want to turn away.
The same can be said for the film as a whole. In a lesser team's hands, The Hollow could have a been boilerplate mess; but Doleac, whose last film was a quieter character drama (The Historian), takes the reigns of this genre piece and makes it his own. Yes, elements of The Hollow can feel derivative, but, in the end, commitment and enthusiasm and attention to detail produces entertaining movies. This is a film that has commitment in spades.
Wonderful
harkinjamie4 April 2019
Gritty and Gripping
mindibennett10 October 2016
Beautiful cinematography highlights this gritty crime drama with tragically and believably flawed characters that are immediately intriguing. From the opening scene, you are drawn with fascinating revulsion to the character of Ray, portrayed in a brilliantly base and smarmy way by Miles Doleac. James Callis does an equally organic and painfully revealing job in his role as a broken and damaged FBI agent doing his best to take each next breath without giving up or giving in.
The film has an almost voyeuristic feel of a guilty pleasure as the audience is privy to such raw debauchery, intimate pain, and complicated interpersonal relationships. Because of this, it is completely impossible to stop watching to the surprising and yet somehow poignant end.
This is a film that is absolutely worth watching more than once as the revelation of the whodunit takes a backseat to the brilliant development of characters and relationships in this Deep South True Detective Drama. Do not miss this!
The film has an almost voyeuristic feel of a guilty pleasure as the audience is privy to such raw debauchery, intimate pain, and complicated interpersonal relationships. Because of this, it is completely impossible to stop watching to the surprising and yet somehow poignant end.
This is a film that is absolutely worth watching more than once as the revelation of the whodunit takes a backseat to the brilliant development of characters and relationships in this Deep South True Detective Drama. Do not miss this!
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