42 reviews
The acting is pretty bad. The guy who plays Chad is the best of the lot I'd say. Matt Doherty is up there in the absolute worst horror movie actors I've seen. I actually looked him up on IMDb just to see who he was and what other acting jobs he'd gotten, which is when I decided to leave a review. There were a couple scenes where I laughed out loud from the absurdity of his acting.
The plot and script are decent. Overall, if it's a rainy day, you've blown through everything on Netflix that looks good to you, and you have nothing else to do, give it a look. There are some okay jump scares and a few creepy moments. Lance Henriksen was a pleasant surprise. It's always interesting to see where he'll pop up.
The plot and script are decent. Overall, if it's a rainy day, you've blown through everything on Netflix that looks good to you, and you have nothing else to do, give it a look. There are some okay jump scares and a few creepy moments. Lance Henriksen was a pleasant surprise. It's always interesting to see where he'll pop up.
- howeliesel
- Sep 8, 2015
- Permalink
Yet another movie trying to take advance of the presence of this God of cinema called Lance Henriksen, putting him almost on the cover but not so much on the screen. Don't know why he puts up with this, he can and always will do better than this!
Now about the movie: I've seen too many like this. Nothing new out of production, acting, plot, scares, ideas, only difference between movies like this or SxTape, Grave Encounters and so many others simply consist on the director's decision or sometimes on the length of the film. Here, they kept it short, I do appreciate quality over quantity but as said they brought absolutely nothing new. Reason to recommend it? Only to pass the time if you are in the dying need of a time killer.
No point in saying more than needed, watch it, don't watch it, it all comes up to you. If you do so, expect the expected, you'll get just that. Another typical found footage film, with a crew going inside an abandoned hospital where strange things begin to happen. Ba da dumb!
Cheers!
Now about the movie: I've seen too many like this. Nothing new out of production, acting, plot, scares, ideas, only difference between movies like this or SxTape, Grave Encounters and so many others simply consist on the director's decision or sometimes on the length of the film. Here, they kept it short, I do appreciate quality over quantity but as said they brought absolutely nothing new. Reason to recommend it? Only to pass the time if you are in the dying need of a time killer.
No point in saying more than needed, watch it, don't watch it, it all comes up to you. If you do so, expect the expected, you'll get just that. Another typical found footage film, with a crew going inside an abandoned hospital where strange things begin to happen. Ba da dumb!
Cheers!
- Patient444
- Oct 22, 2014
- Permalink
Hello everyone, I don't speak English very well, but I was not too lazy to even go to the translator.
Looking for a super low budget version of Grave Encounters? So this is it. The film absorbed all the disadvantages, weaknesses at the same time losing the main advantages of Grave Encounters - the atmosphere of horror, appropriate humor flowing first into a thriller and then into a full-fledged horror.
The director of this film, as well as the rest of the crew with the exception of Lance Henriksen, did not give anything worth watching either before or after this film. Who gave the money for this? Why does this even have one star at all? This is an excellent guide to how not to make films, how not to write a script, how not to act and how not to make scenery.
Don't waste time on this movie, especially if you are a horror fan (like me) because you will experience pain and shame from this movie.
- alamana-46684
- Jan 24, 2021
- Permalink
- StormBaron
- Apr 9, 2018
- Permalink
Hollow's grove is not a very good film at all, the plot is very simple, go into scary place and get scared for an hour. The acting is sub-par and the scares aren't clever, it does a decent job in places of building tension but that's it. It reminded me of those ghost hunting shows they have on the television but this time they don't bother to pretend it's real.
2/10: Poor acting and a rubbish cliched script make this an awful watch
2/10: Poor acting and a rubbish cliched script make this an awful watch
- Hayden-86055
- Jan 20, 2021
- Permalink
Lance Henrikson has become a horror icon. He's protected the Antichrist, fought the Terminator, battled demons, Aliens and Predators. He's been in over 200 movies and now he's in a found footage horror movie. Too bad he only has 2 scenes.
I went into this thinking it would be along the lines of Grave Encounters, which I really like, and it sort of is. The problem is that it's missing most of the scares. Whereas Grave Encounters went right for the jugular, this one has most of the spooky stuff happening off camera (singing and whispering heard, things disappearing when an area is returned to). The setting is creepy and some genuinely frightening stuff happens near the end, but it is almost too late by then.
Hollows Grove did keep me interested throughout however and is definitely worth a watch for fans of these types of movies. 6.5/10.
I went into this thinking it would be along the lines of Grave Encounters, which I really like, and it sort of is. The problem is that it's missing most of the scares. Whereas Grave Encounters went right for the jugular, this one has most of the spooky stuff happening off camera (singing and whispering heard, things disappearing when an area is returned to). The setting is creepy and some genuinely frightening stuff happens near the end, but it is almost too late by then.
Hollows Grove did keep me interested throughout however and is definitely worth a watch for fans of these types of movies. 6.5/10.
- victoryismineblast
- Oct 21, 2014
- Permalink
I will start by saying I do enjoy independent low budget horror flicks, however this is just dreadful in almost all regards. Hollows Grove is a found footage B-movie that is a blatant rip-off of Grave Encounters. It follows the same exact premise almost bit by bit. Basically a group of TV paranormal investigators go to an orphanage with a dark past to film a new episode and all hell breaks loose.
Sadly, I had hope for this film even though I knew it was a rip-off of Grave Encounters. I was hoping it would improve upon Encounter's short comings, boy was I wrong. The first problem I noticed immediately was the terrible writing. Almost all of the characters act like Beavis and Butthead, I get were supposed to hate them, but the writers went absolutely overboard. I really don't understand how I'm supposed to feel empathy for any of them when they're scumbags.
The next issue I had with this film is the terrible acting, only Lance Henriksen was some what decent and he has probably less than 4 minutes of camera time.
The script is the biggest problem, the jokes are terrible and take up most of the dialog and the scares are pretty par for the course.
Just don't waste your time with this one, I was more than disappointed. I wish people would respect the found footage subgenre more but, this is exactly why most don't. Please just watch Grave Encounters for a better found-footage horror experience.
Sadly, I had hope for this film even though I knew it was a rip-off of Grave Encounters. I was hoping it would improve upon Encounter's short comings, boy was I wrong. The first problem I noticed immediately was the terrible writing. Almost all of the characters act like Beavis and Butthead, I get were supposed to hate them, but the writers went absolutely overboard. I really don't understand how I'm supposed to feel empathy for any of them when they're scumbags.
The next issue I had with this film is the terrible acting, only Lance Henriksen was some what decent and he has probably less than 4 minutes of camera time.
The script is the biggest problem, the jokes are terrible and take up most of the dialog and the scares are pretty par for the course.
Just don't waste your time with this one, I was more than disappointed. I wish people would respect the found footage subgenre more but, this is exactly why most don't. Please just watch Grave Encounters for a better found-footage horror experience.
- beavernuggetextension
- Jun 6, 2021
- Permalink
Oh look, another paranormal sub-genred' film to look into. Most people may already be scared away by the two unlikeable facts, those being number one, this involves a team going into an abandoned area, clichés. Number two, you probably already guessed it! It's found footage. Two horror movie factors most more than likely can't stand. But does that turn this film, suddenly, into a bad one? Absolutely not. "Hollows Grove" succeeds in being a tense, creepy horror film, actually. First off, the plot is new, and actually quite interesting. Instead of taking the heavily clichéd route, that being the action of throwing this group of characters together as supposed friends with camera into this abandoned area. We actually follow a rookie cameraman of which has just joined this team of ghost hunters; the entire film sets it up to where it all seems fake; the film shows them going to mechanics and such just to prop up they're supposed "ghosts". I found it really intriguing with this pleasant change. I love how the cameraman is completely oblivious the entire time, and has / had no idea of these ghost hunters actually being fake. It was interesting to see, all this time he was built up toward believing it was all fake, until the entire team, to their surprise, got way more than they all bargained for. The plot managed to solidly execute a change toward the typical cliché - fest of which plagues the paranormal sub genre. The plot turned it around, and made it into something different, something rather pleasant. I felt as if the atmosphere in this film was quite good, you got your creepy, unnerving atmosphere that gives those unsettling vibes, for example, as soon as the crew enters the abandoned orphanage, you already feel the vibes kick in, pleasantly. Something many found footage films fail to do, for the most part. With that being said, another nice surprise that awaited in this film was the camera work. Yes, the guy holding the camera. He wasn't shaky, shaky, ALL over the place like most other films. To my surprise, the camera actually got decent shots of activity that befalls, instead of shaking all over the place when it's occurring! Finally, I felt as if the film had a heart along with it. The film, overall just seemed unique, in terms of the over all aspects of this film. It managed to be unique, and even comical it times, but successfully, and pleasantly, for the most part an eerie, dark - like influence that set the mood for the film in a very great way.
In conclusion, this film was fun. I felt as if it was a decent, solid, and even great found footage, paranormal film. It surprised me with it's unique elements, turning itself into an interesting little gem. The characters are decent, stories great, as well as plot. The entire story itself has some interesting, good, refreshing turns that paid off in the end, and the entire film has heart, giving emphasis instead of chopping to the point. I'd recommend giving this one a chance, it surprised myself, and what seems to be other reviewers' as well. It's an intriguing, great little flick, and I would recommend it to horror fans looking for a small gem. P.S! For those who do watch this film, make sure you wait the entire thing out! Sit through the credits! The film has a small trick up its sleeve..
In conclusion, this film was fun. I felt as if it was a decent, solid, and even great found footage, paranormal film. It surprised me with it's unique elements, turning itself into an interesting little gem. The characters are decent, stories great, as well as plot. The entire story itself has some interesting, good, refreshing turns that paid off in the end, and the entire film has heart, giving emphasis instead of chopping to the point. I'd recommend giving this one a chance, it surprised myself, and what seems to be other reviewers' as well. It's an intriguing, great little flick, and I would recommend it to horror fans looking for a small gem. P.S! For those who do watch this film, make sure you wait the entire thing out! Sit through the credits! The film has a small trick up its sleeve..
- InDyingArms
- Jan 4, 2015
- Permalink
- mwidunn-95-631875
- Jul 31, 2015
- Permalink
I was lucky enough to see a pre-screening of this movie, but I have to say that if I paid too see it in theaters, I wouldn't have been disappointed. For a scary movie, especially a low budget one, this is really good. Initially everybody watching it with me complained about the slow build and the fact that we were sick of the flood of "home movie" style scary movies. But this movie made up did it all very well. For starters, the home movie style isn't the same as in most movies. The camera isn't constantly running, shaking, flipping, and falling. It's steady for about 90% of the movie, and I thoroughly appreciate that. And the slow build I spoke about earlier is necessary, it helped me to settle in before it scared me. Which it definitely did. It didn't do it with crazy cheap scares or jump scenes, but with that slow build I mentioned earlier. It built the tension and then cut through it. The characters are pretty well developed and the acting is good. Nobody is going to win any Oscars for this, but I wasn't left wanting anything from the actors. Everybody played their part, and they played it well. The story is the usual "we go to a haunted place and discover it's actually haunted" but the perspective is pretty different. Though the movie was semi-predictable, it kept me and everybody I watched it with on the edge of our seats, especially near the end. My only real complaint about this movie is the beginning and end scenes with the detective. It made it seem too much like an interactive movie at Universal Studios or something. But stay after the credits, and the bad ending scene makes up for itself.
- nabeel1127
- Oct 13, 2014
- Permalink
Five members of a documentary crew go to a long-abandoned children's' orphanage to see if there are any ghosts. Before they get inside, they have an argument with the grounds' keeper. He doesn't want to let them inside because of "incidents" that have happened in the past. They inform him that they have permission from the owners. Grudgingly, he moves aside and lets them pass. Once inside, they begin filming in the kitchen. Shortly thereafter, the needle on their equipment starts going crazy, and pots start shaking. They think their special effects man, Bill (Lance Henriksen), rigged that to happen. When they're about to leave the kitchen a cat is slammed dead into a wall. That and other incidents that are hard to credit Bill with start making the crew's stay in the hospital very ominous. It doesn't help matters that they haven't seen him since they arrived.
I can't really say anything else without giving away spoilers. I have to be honest, I was not very interested in seeing this movie. I read a very brief synopsis of it, and when I read it took place in an old orphanage, I passed on it earlier. I was bored, so I decided to give it a chance, but I wasn't expecting much. At first, the haunts were very mild. Later, they became so much more, as did the movie. The acting was very good, as was the directing and storyline. It's not that original, because there have been many movies that take place in abandoned institutions such as hospitals and such. However, they developed fun characters - especially Julie :D I recommend this movie.
I gave this a 7-star rating. This is how good horror films should be done, and it's the first one that I've seen in a long time that I felt really impressed by. My one problem with this is that I really don't like found-footage films very much, because they say that what it is at the beginning, making it obvious everybody dies. I prefer to see that for myself as the movie plays out. Anyway, there's an added scene after the credits, so stay tuned for that.
I can't really say anything else without giving away spoilers. I have to be honest, I was not very interested in seeing this movie. I read a very brief synopsis of it, and when I read it took place in an old orphanage, I passed on it earlier. I was bored, so I decided to give it a chance, but I wasn't expecting much. At first, the haunts were very mild. Later, they became so much more, as did the movie. The acting was very good, as was the directing and storyline. It's not that original, because there have been many movies that take place in abandoned institutions such as hospitals and such. However, they developed fun characters - especially Julie :D I recommend this movie.
I gave this a 7-star rating. This is how good horror films should be done, and it's the first one that I've seen in a long time that I felt really impressed by. My one problem with this is that I really don't like found-footage films very much, because they say that what it is at the beginning, making it obvious everybody dies. I prefer to see that for myself as the movie plays out. Anyway, there's an added scene after the credits, so stay tuned for that.
- chrismackey1972
- Oct 20, 2014
- Permalink
I think all of the budget went on paying for Lance Henriksen to appear in this film even though it was just for a couple of scenes. The production value is fine the acting for what is needed for this basic film is fine but in the end it's nothing but a pretty standard found footage film, a few jump scares, lots of noise off camera etc.
Even the classic line of "Film Everything" was used.
I'm suposed to say more to take this up to over the required character count but there really isn't much more I can say as it's just a so so film so here are some random words. Sad, boring, pointless etc etc.
Even the classic line of "Film Everything" was used.
I'm suposed to say more to take this up to over the required character count but there really isn't much more I can say as it's just a so so film so here are some random words. Sad, boring, pointless etc etc.
- suzannebainbridge
- Nov 22, 2022
- Permalink
I can't believe the good reviews here, the only good thing I can say about this haunted hospital mess is that it might be slightly better than that nepotistic abomination from Oliver Stone's kid and some other movie that tried way too hard for lovable characters and scares and failed on both, and that one was set in a prison hospital, so if you want to be picky then it doesn't count here. I also can't recall the titles of those movies and don't care enough to find them again, so they may actually be better than Hollows Grove.
First, the dialog the characters use for their show's narrative is so insipid, inane and uninformative that I could almost believe it was intentionally done as a statement on the stupidity of the typical reality show, but I don't know if I can give the writers that much credit, since the characters' dialog is just as bad in their interactions with each other. The film also feels like it takes forever to get anywhere, focusing too much and too long on building cliché characters who ultimately contribute nothing to the story beyond a body count.
I did wind up giving the film three stars for some of the better effects, but I think I was feeling too generous. And I won't even talk about the FBI ending, as that was bad enough to cause the entire film to lose a star, now that I think about it.
You want the same storyline? Just watch Grave Encounters again.
First, the dialog the characters use for their show's narrative is so insipid, inane and uninformative that I could almost believe it was intentionally done as a statement on the stupidity of the typical reality show, but I don't know if I can give the writers that much credit, since the characters' dialog is just as bad in their interactions with each other. The film also feels like it takes forever to get anywhere, focusing too much and too long on building cliché characters who ultimately contribute nothing to the story beyond a body count.
I did wind up giving the film three stars for some of the better effects, but I think I was feeling too generous. And I won't even talk about the FBI ending, as that was bad enough to cause the entire film to lose a star, now that I think about it.
You want the same storyline? Just watch Grave Encounters again.
- Wolfclaw359
- Feb 27, 2024
- Permalink
2 characters were annoying as hell Rog and Tim a little over the top childish. For what I imagine this had a super low budge but was still very well made, there is a couple scenes you could notice especially. The one with Lilah. I normally don't watch any year 2010+ with Lance Hendrickson cause most are crab but he is hardly seen, I can honestly say I got a little creeped out and I haven't been creeped out since the Conjuring first came out.
- armadilla17
- Aug 28, 2020
- Permalink
Competent found footage film. That being said, rather tired retread of situations, conflict between ghost hunter crew members, and annoying immature characters. Big names are in it minimally, for about a total of four brief scenes, so don't expect much from them.
- jmbovan-47-160173
- Oct 20, 2020
- Permalink
Look. This movie isn't great. It's not even good. But as a rabid found footage fan I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.
Contrary to the complaints in other reviews, the acting is only bad in a few places, particularly the very end. Elsewhere the acting actually ranges from slightly wooden but otherwise fine to genuinely good and believable (Matt Doherty being the best performer by a long shot). Your mileage may vary but I've seen plenty of films with far worse acting and I don't personally think this one is bad enough to warrant this many complaints.
Where this film really suffers is actually the scares, which don't have much of a rhyme or reason to them. If goofy trope-y scares turn you off then by all means avoid this film. If not, this film resembles Grave Encounters quite a lot and if you enjoyed that vibe you may also enjoy Hollows Grove.
Ultimately this film is not for people who aren't rabid found footage fans. If you don't normally watch this kind of film then don't bother, there are plenty of far better far more accessible FF films out there that deserve your attention more. But for fans of the genre like me, this is worth a shot.
Contrary to the complaints in other reviews, the acting is only bad in a few places, particularly the very end. Elsewhere the acting actually ranges from slightly wooden but otherwise fine to genuinely good and believable (Matt Doherty being the best performer by a long shot). Your mileage may vary but I've seen plenty of films with far worse acting and I don't personally think this one is bad enough to warrant this many complaints.
Where this film really suffers is actually the scares, which don't have much of a rhyme or reason to them. If goofy trope-y scares turn you off then by all means avoid this film. If not, this film resembles Grave Encounters quite a lot and if you enjoyed that vibe you may also enjoy Hollows Grove.
Ultimately this film is not for people who aren't rabid found footage fans. If you don't normally watch this kind of film then don't bother, there are plenty of far better far more accessible FF films out there that deserve your attention more. But for fans of the genre like me, this is worth a shot.
Wow, talk about a groundbreaking idea... a ghost-hunting TV show set in a real haunted location. I bet no one's ever thought of that before for a movie. Hollows Grove is a snooze fest disguised as a found footage movie (more like found footage of boredom). Imagine the most annoying crew of guys you've ever seen on screen, like the Avengers if they were all jerks, exploring a spooky old orphanage and bumping into the angry ghost of little orphan kids. For 40 minutes, it's a whole lot of nothing, and then suddenly a cat jumps out and splats against the wall. The rest of the movie can't even live up to the clearly fake exploding feline scene. This movie is pretty much like one of those terrible "ghost caught on tape" videos you'd find on YouTube. The acting, The writing, The script, and the jokes are terrible, which sums up this movie. TERRIBLE!
The best part of the movie was Lance Hendrickson's buttcrack and ballsack (If you were unfortunate enough to watch this flick, you know what I'm referring to). Poor Lance Hendrickson, he got roped into this mess (Hey, even Lance has bills to pay.)
The best part of the movie was Lance Hendrickson's buttcrack and ballsack (If you were unfortunate enough to watch this flick, you know what I'm referring to). Poor Lance Hendrickson, he got roped into this mess (Hey, even Lance has bills to pay.)
- NocturnalMammal
- Mar 2, 2024
- Permalink
Other reviewers have already summed up much of what can be said. It is a quite good "found footage" style horror movie. The one aspect of note that has yet to be mentioned is that there are some incredibly long, unbroken, shots. These are especially effective as the movie picks up pace. It tends to give the last 45 minutes a real haunted house at the fair feel as we follow our unfortunate cast from location to location within the building. The effects were pulled off well during these unbroken shots which very much helped with feeling that you were along for the ride. While the getting to know the characters portion at the beginning may have benefited by the cutting of a few of the sophomoric jokes the payoff is worth it as it grows from silly to creepy and then on to frantic and finally horrific.
First let me start by saying I'm not really much of a fan of the "found footage" genre in the first place. But, done right, they can produce an effective horror story with genuine scary moments.
Unfortunately, this movie is not one of those. And the blame, imo, largely lies with the script. It is so banal and childish and insipid, I wonder if this wasn't a deliberate ploy on the part of the director to get the audience to develop an intense hatred for the characters before they even got to the front door of the hospital. By the time they bully their way into the building, you're rooting for the ghosts to inflict just (if not more) pain on the S. P. I. T as they have already done to those watching this.. Seriously, I had no empathy or sympathy for any of them whatsoever.
Special effects, considering the obvious budget constraints weren't that bad, but that was pretty much the only thing that wasn't in this stinker.
Acting was dire, plot we've seen exactly before in other movies and it brought nothing fresh to the genre. And did I mention the appalling script? (Yes, I did).
Unfortunately, this movie is not one of those. And the blame, imo, largely lies with the script. It is so banal and childish and insipid, I wonder if this wasn't a deliberate ploy on the part of the director to get the audience to develop an intense hatred for the characters before they even got to the front door of the hospital. By the time they bully their way into the building, you're rooting for the ghosts to inflict just (if not more) pain on the S. P. I. T as they have already done to those watching this.. Seriously, I had no empathy or sympathy for any of them whatsoever.
Special effects, considering the obvious budget constraints weren't that bad, but that was pretty much the only thing that wasn't in this stinker.
Acting was dire, plot we've seen exactly before in other movies and it brought nothing fresh to the genre. And did I mention the appalling script? (Yes, I did).
- Osmooms-201-517112
- Jul 24, 2022
- Permalink
By the box the movie looks like it will just be another shabby found footage film but instead it is a creative, unique and freighting experience. While the writing towards the end did get a little lazy, all in all it was one of the few movies that gave me the creeps just for watching it! It did not rely on petty jump scares to get a thrill out of its audience; it's just simply creepy. I'm not sure why it has such a bad review as it is a very surprisingly scary movie! The actors aren't annoying, there are decent special effects, the camera work isn't bad and better yet the script while being a found footage film is 100% original and even funny at some points.
- jerryvanway
- Dec 10, 2015
- Permalink
I picked this up for two reasons: Lance Henriksen and it was only $2.95 at the Dollar General. #DGlife I liked some of the originality of the premise. First off, yes, it's formulaic and low budget, but I had some good laughs and it was also surprisingly creepy at times. The found footage aspect didn't hurt the film since the camera was being helmed by someone doing an actual documentary within the movie, a vocation that person made a living doing. As such, it was very well shot and not nauseating. There's also a twist on the "ghost hunting" angle that I found amusing and somewhat refreshing. I'd recommend it for a rainy day when you have time to waste, but it probably won't make it in anyone's library. Except mine.
- torinostu351
- Nov 28, 2018
- Permalink
- AndyVanScoyoc
- Jun 1, 2017
- Permalink