1. 4
Release date: 15 December
Certificate: 12A
Director: Manon Raja and
Kobe Belen
Cast: Lauren Houghton, Ailis
Duff and Meg McNaughton
Run Time: 5 minutes
Plot: A woman in a coma who
has a mental illness struggles to
find reality from her sleepy
nightmare.
HOLLOWSILENCE IS NOT A SIGN OF WEAKNESS
“…A
GRIPPING
STORYLINE,
COMPELLING
CHARACTERS
…”
-Famous Worldwide Film Reviews
MANON RAJA
AN UPCOMING DIRECTOR WHO IS
A NATURAL WHEN
IT COMES TO CREATING UNIQUE
NARRATIVES.
Verdict
Hollow is a very intriguing and
original film that is filled with
clusters of enigma. As we
sympathise with Esme due to
her lack of freedom at home,
the audience will continue to be
gripped by the story.
Manon Raja’s ‘To die for’
was a mediocre film noir
debut film; nevertheless she
is still one of the most
exciting new directing
voices we have seen in a
while.
Despite the lack of dialogue
within this thriller, Manon
Raja’s low budget film did
not disappoint the audience
with the thought-provoking
narrative. Manon Raja said
she was “very privileged”
Although, in some cases
the unstable camera work
was needed to represent
the disorganised life
Esme has. Adding to
that, the location and
props that was in the film
was very aesthetically
pleasing.
after working with
professional actors and
crew for the first time.
We follow a story of Esme
who craves freedom from
her house. An adventurous
but mysterious
prepubescent child (who
has a mental illness) who is
sprinting down the stairs is
first seen; she opens the
front door and stops as she
feels her mother’s presence.
From the opening
sequence we already gather
multiple questions to ask.
The fact that Hollow does
not give ideas and answers
to the audience from the
start makes the audience
glued to the screen and
continue to keep watching.
The opening sequence was
enough for the audience to
understand the theme of
escape and freedom that
the child seeks.
What Hollow does the best
is present the conventions
of a thriller movie. Ranging
from the low-key lighting,
soundtrack and to the black
and white mood it creates.
The cinematography was
executed well with a variety
of angles and shots.
However there were a few
moments where the camera
was not stable or lacked
some consistency.
Jordan Bryant,
Entertainment
Reviewer
INSIDE LOOK
Hollow was shot
at Anstey Hall in
Cambridge.
Hollow took around
6 hours to film
Hollow had a limited
budget that was
mainly for the
professional actors.
The Mother grabs
Esme’s arm as she
attempts to leave
the house
