Hellions (film)

Hellions is a 2015 Canadian horror film directed by Bruce McDonald, written by Pascal Trottier and starring Chloe Rose. The film was an official selection of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival lineup and also screened at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.[2]

Hellions
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBruce McDonald
Written byPascal Trottier[1]
Produced byPaul Lenart
Frank Siracusa
Starring
CinematographyNorayr Kasper
Edited byDuff Smith
Music byTodor Kobakov
Ian LeFeuvre
Production
companies
Storyteller Pictures
Whizbang Films
Distributed byIFC Midnight
Release dates
Running time
81 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Dora (Chloe Rose) is an average teenager who just wants to have fun and get high with her boyfriend, Jace (Luke Bilyk), the day of Halloween. She is stunned when her doctor, Henry (Rossif Sutherland), tells her that she is four weeks pregnant, something she says should not be possible. Distraught, Dora goes home to wait for Jace to pick her up for a Halloween party while her mother (Rachel Wilson) takes her younger brother, Remi (Peter DaCunha), trick or treating. But before her boyfriend can pick her up, Dora is visited by several children in strange costumes. Their presence is increasingly threatening, culminating with one carrying the severed head of Jace in a bag. Dora must fight the monstrous children, who want her unborn child, a feat made more difficult by the fact that her pregnancy is progressing at a very fast and unnatural pace.

Cast

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 33% based on 33 reviews with an average rating of 4.7/10.[3] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 34 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[4]

The Hollywood Reporter and IndieWire criticized both the film and its direction. The reviewers felt that although Hellions showed promise, it ultimately did not live up to its potential.[5][6] The A.V. Club named it #3 on its list of 20 worst movies of 2015.[7]

At the same time, horror websites such as Shock Till You Drop and Bloody Disgusting reviewed it favorably and both outlets praised the film for its imagery and cinematic inventiveness.[8][9] Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com also commended the film, calling it a "perfect, light midnight movie" that, despite its shortcomings, "gets the job done".[10]

The Blu-ray release of Hellions was called a "must-add" to everybody's October watch list by Bloody Disgusting.[11]

See also

References
  1. Vlessing, Etan (1 November 2013). "Chloe Rose Hooks Lead Bruce McDonald 'Hellions'". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  2. Chang, Justin (4 December 2014). "Sundance Film Festival Unveils 2015 Midnight, Spotlight, New Frontier Titles". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  3. "Hellions (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  4. "Hellions Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  5. Taylor, Drew (26 January 2015). "Sundance Review: Bruce McDonald's Unconvincing Halloween Horror 'Hellions'". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  6. DeFore, John (28 January 2015). "'Hellions': Sundance Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  7. Dowd, A.A.; D'Angelo, Mike; Schager, Nick; Nayman, Adam; Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy; Murray, Noel; Hassenger, Jesse (16 December 2015). "The 20 Worst Films of 2015". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  8. Topel, Fred (26 February 2015). "[Review] Halloween Horror "Hellions" is Unsettling, Not Terrifying". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  9. Zimmerman, Samuel (30 January 2015). "Sundance Review: Hellions". Shock Till You Drop. Mandatory. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  10. Abrams, Simon (18 September 2015). "Hellions". RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  11. Coffel, Chris (4 February 2016). "[Blu-ray Review] 'Hellions' is a Must-Add to Your October Watch List". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
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