Review of Hellions (2015) by Michael C — 01 Oct 2016

I was first introduced to Canadian director wunderkind Bruce MacDonald through watching "The Tracey Fragments" an underrated heartbreaking raw look at family crisis and teenage hell that polarized viewers and critics with it's use of multiple split screens. When I discovered he'd followed it up with a horror movie called "Pontypool," about a new breed of zombie invasion, I had to see it, and I was NOT disappointed. Now I've come across his most recent offering-THIS film about a pregnant teen stalked on Halloween night by a group of mysterious (and deadly) trick or treaters who want her unborn child!!!

It has a good beginning, drags terribly in the middle, and has a sudden, unexpected and rather unsatisfying ending that falls out of the sky like a Coke bottle and BOOM! the end. Rather jarring. But throughout there's plenty of moments of suspenseful mood and creepy crawliness. And ultimately it's not a typical "expectant Mom caught up in supernatural happenings" movie. But it doesn't have enough strength to pad out it's (still rather short) run time. Probably would have worked better as a short film. Still, I'm eager to see what MacDonald will do next.