Vincent Must Die & Hallow Road

Note: Both films reviewed below were released as a double bill they are being reviewed accordingly. 

Vincent Must Die is a film with a great unique first act and a spectacular concept that eventually becomes a more standard horror/romance but the later stretches are still compelling enough to make the film worthwhile. The film centers on a graphic designer who discovers one day inexplicably everyone he makes eye contact with tries to violently murder him, eventually meeting others like him and sparking a connection with a troubled waitress, their burgeoning romance is complicated by the fact he can’t look at her. Vincent Must Die isn’t a perfect film, it can feel like a bit of a missed opportunity to really explore its unique scenario and the english dub (this is a french film) which used AI to help with ADR synching is unnecessary, i overall am still gonna recommend Vincent Must Die for its strong combination of jet black humor and art house sincerity.

I Give It 4 1/2 Stars!!! 

Hallow Road is one of those special films we get only a handful of every year, a small buried treasure that you want to scream about to everyone you know. The film centers on Maddie & Frank (Rosamund Pike & Matthew Rhys, both career best) who after receiving a desperate call in the middle of the night from daughter Alice that she accidentally hit a young woman with her car and the girl is unresponsive, the parents spring into action and begin a long drive to the titular road while trying to help Alice over the phone before new revelations are revealed leading to much more sinister consequences, it’s gonna be a long dark ride. Hallow Road is a masterclass in sustained, stripped down dread and tension with a gut punch of an ending. With the exception of the opening and closing moments the entirety of this film is in a car and director Babak Anvari imbues the small space with incredibly cinematic camera angles and editing tricks. None of this would work nearly as well if not for Pike and Rhys who are the only characters onscreen and absolutely carry every moment of this film with aplomb. Hallow Road is one of the year’s best films. 

I Give It 5 Stars!!!