Every now and again, there comes along a film that has created quite a buzz for itself. Whether through word of mouth, social media, stellar marketing or all the above. Movies that have generated this kind of attention before the movie’s release, tend to instantly be put upon a pedestal. I have been given the opportunity to screen this particular type of film, buzzworthy as they say. The film has already made a few rounds on the indie film festival circuit and has come away with a handful of awards. Let’s take a brief look at the independent feature film Hideout (2021).
Synopsis
Four friends hatch a scheme to rob a liquor store. Something goes terribly wrong and shots are fired. The group escapes, but one of them was shot and terribly wounded. Frantically they sped away. Looking for any safe haven, they come upon a secluded farmhouse. The perfect hideout. The four criminals soon discover that the family living in the home are not who they appear to be.
Director Kris Roselli’s labor of love and debut feature motion picture, Hideout was a project a long time coming. The idea for the film came over 4 years ago, then sat on the shelf for a spell. Once this production became a reality, then began an arduous pre-production phase that took almost a year to iron out all the grisly details. Once locations and casting were finalized and set into place, filming began with break neck pace and was completed in just 11 DAYS! Truly gritty guerilla filmmaking.
Hideout stars Chris Wolfe, Katie Lyons, Bryan Enright and Eric Francis Melaragni as the inexperienced criminals who work their way into the home of Bee (Janice LaFlam) and her granddaughter Rose played by Audrey Kovár. What happens next has to be seen to be believed. The acting was exceptional considering this was an independent endeavor. Highlighted by the alluring and remarkably captivating performance of Rose (Kovár) and the role of Kyle played by Enright. Enright’s performance was unnerving and emotional. This was his first lead in a feature film and looks to be primed and ready for more work in the near future.
The film was shot beautifully with attention to detail, utilizing the organic and luscious scenery surrounding Millville, New Jersey. Roselli’s eye behind the camera was cinematographer Omar Torres. Together they captured a surreal and horrifyingly hypnotic experience. For his first feature film, Kris Roselli and lead producer Tierney Boorboor brought us a simple and yet completely complex concerto in horror. I really see big things in Roselli’s future.
Since this is a horror film, it would be very remiss of me if I didn’t acknowledge the special effects. Supervised by Roselli he teamed up with Rich Hill and his crew to create some truly disturbing and chilling images of gore. They inter-mingled the perfect recipe of practical and digital effects. Without any spoilers my favorite scene involved a snake.
Hideout started out with a bang right out of the gate. Then settled down into a dark and tense slow burn. But once the third act began, Hideout didn’t hold back any punches. It is not your average entry into the home invasion sub-genre and it gave us an interesting modern horror twist. I LOVED IT!
If you want to dive further into the horror of Hideout follow them on Facebook and Instagram
Check out the trailer below!
Supported by producer Mark Mattson and executive producer Mark Baum, Hideout will hit cable and streaming services via VMI Releasing on November 9th 2021!!!
