HALLOW ROAD
(15) 80mins
★★★☆☆
4
4
HOW far would you go to protect your child?
That’s the question posed by director Babak Anvari in this high-tension thriller with a scenario which would be any parent’s worst nightmare.
Nineteen-year-old Alice (Megan McDonnell) has fled behind the wheel of dad Frank’s car following a family argument.
Unable to reach her since, Frank (Matthew Rhys) and wife Maddie (Rosamund Pike) are fraught.
The domestic scene we find them in, with its audibly ticking clock, shattered glass on the floor, beeping smoke alarm, and unfinished dinners on the table feels tense and unsettled.
Despite expensive interiors and family photos, the atmosphere feels off-kilter and it is as though we are being shown a crime scene.
When Alice, who we will only ever hear as a voice down the phone and never see in person, calls her mum in hysterics at 2am everything implodes.
Driving alone at night through a forest she has hit a person who appeared suddenly in the road.
Maddie, a trained paramedic, talks Alice through performing CPR. But she is unable to resuscitate the body.
From this moment onwards Frank and Maddie’s sole focus is to reach and to protect their daughter. Whatever it takes.
From inside the confines of Maddie’s unhelpfully unreliable older vehicle events now begin unfolding almost in real time as we travel with them on their journey to her.
Static camerawork means every lurch and pothole, every indicator flash and every brake screech are felt or heard.
Frantic phone conversations with Alice take place as the satnav shows us the painfully slow time it will take them to reach her.
Trapped together in fear as Maddie and Frank drive, other marital revelations are also disclosed.
Even in the hands of these talented actors there is a lot of in-car dialogue, which can start to feel a little like a radio play or audio book at times.
But suspense and panic builds as they consider ways to stop the hit-and-run destroying all their futures.
Accelerating towards its climax, events suddenly take a very unexpected turn.
To say more would give away the twist. But do ensure you keep your eye on the end credits.
Is parenting a road to hell? You may well be left wondering for some time.
MAGIC FARM
(15) 93mins
★★☆☆☆
4
THIS second feature film from Argentine-Spanish director Amalia Ulman (following El Planeta), is a visually rich but tonally uneven satire about a clueless American film crew lost in rural Argentina.
Starring Chloë Sevigny as Edna, a frazzled TV host, and Simon Rex as her shady producer-husband, the story centres around their misguided attempt to document a global subculture – only to realise they’re in the wrong country.
Despite the setup begging for comedic chaos, the humour sadly falls flat, often relying on tired old stereotypes and tropes about arrogant Americans abroad.
Sevigny manages a few sharp moments, but the script gives her very little to work with.
The supporting cast, particularly locals like Camila del Campo and Valeria Lois, bring much-needed natural charm and understated wit.
Yet despite its eccentric aesthetic and surreal interludes, Magic Farm feels oddly empty.
Its attempt at absurdity rarely lands, leaving behind a project more self-indulgent than insightful.
For some it works, but just not enough for it to be in any way memorable.
LINDA MARRIC
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THE MARCHING BAND
(15) 103mins
★★★★☆
4
EMMANUEL COURCOL presents a heartwarming French-language comedy-drama brought to life by two charismatic lead performances and a familiar yet rewarding storyline.
Benjamin Lavernhe stars as Thibaut, a refined Parisian orchestra conductor whose life is upended by a shock leukaemia diagnosis.
In search of a bone marrow donor, Thibaut discovers a biological brother he never knew: Jimmy, a divorced factory worker played with charm by Pierre Lottin.
The pair couldn’t be more different – class, lifestyle, and worldview divide them – but a shared love of music brings them closer.
Jimmy’s passion for trombone and jazz offers an interesting counterpoint to Thibaut’s polished classical world, and soon Thibaut finds himself stepping in to help conduct Jimmy’s boisterous factory band.
While The Marching Band occasionally leans a little too heavily on predictability the climactic concert scene hits all the right emotional notes.
This film may not surprise, but it’s a sincere and uplifting tale that is in tune with the spirit of underdog crowd-pleasers Brassed Off and The Full Monty.
