Hallowarrior

Bluesky

Birthdays, anniversaries and holidays are the most difficult times for people experiencing grief. 16-year-old Pumpkin (Milly Shapiro) has lost everybody. Not just her brother and her mothers, but everyone she ever knew. As far as she’s aware, she is the last person alive on Earth. But Halloween was always their favourite holiday, and she wants to do it right, so she fills up a bucket with candy, carves and hangs up Jack-o’lanterns, digs up her dead relatives and turns their home into a haunted house, advertising it on the radio in the hope that somebody will come. After another long, lonely night, she removes the mask from her ‘Hallowarrior’ costume and picks up a gun, ready to end it all, but just then there’s a knock on the door.

The three strangers introduce themselves as Thalia (Shanynn Sossamon), clearly the leader; Royca (AJ Bowen), her husband; and Wendy (Ajani Russell), an older teenager who seems to be their recently adopted child. After an awkward stand-off, they settle down to eat dinner together, sharing candy, which is all Pumpkin has. Overwhelmed with excitement, Pumpkin apologises for talking too much, but Thalia is happy to indulge her. Royce enjoys the alcohol that Pumpkin is still too young to be allowed, and Thalia offers a drug which she says will make everything hurt less. Only Wendy seems unhappy, repeatedly saying that they should just go. But Pumpkin is way out of her depth in a dangerous situation, and Wendy may be the only real ally she has.

Fairly straightforward in structure, at least once it gets going, Hallowarrior stands out for its well drawn central characters and the capable performances of its leads. Shapiro is exceptional, bringing a real innocence and freshness to Pumpkin, yet still making her convincing as someone who has suffered so much and spent four years alone. The set design also contributes to our sense of who this kid is, as we see her carvings and various other craft items all around the house. On this special occasion she has set up apple bobbing (with rotten apples, because mass crop failure is part of what has killed everyone) and a series of scares are in place around the house. Now she and Wendy must make the most of them if they are to survive. Inside the haunted house, they must become the monsters.

There are obvious comparisons to Home Alone here, but the tone is very different. Despite what many films would have us believe, most people find killing extremely distressing. How much more so, then, when one is terrified of once again finding oneself alone? On top of that, she’s not very good at it. The film is realistic about both these things, which increases the tension and requires it to be more inventive – much more satisfying for the audience. Balancing the terror and the depressing nature of Pumpkin’s first encounter with post-apocalyptic humanity is the bond that she begins to develop with Wendy, despite the older teen’s sullen, initially resentful behaviour.

Whilst this isn’t the goriest of horror films, there’s still enough there to keep most genre fans happy. The film is well paced, with efficient character work early on and action which won’t struggle to hold your attention. It may feel a little old fashioned in today’s horror film scene, but it’s a fun ride.

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