PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Tales From The Grave is a horror anthology web series that features a new director for each story. The latest episode, Hallowed Be Thy Name, premiered this week. This time, it was Jonathan Patrick Hughes’ ((S)aint Nick 2016) turn behind the camera. I will tell you in all honesty, I haven’t watched any of the other episodes, so I went into this viewing completely blind. To my surprise, Hallowed Be Thy Name was a black and white supernatural noir thriller. So what did I think of the latest Tales From The Grave episode?
Read on for my spoiler free review!
Tales From The Grave: Hallowed Be Thy Name Synopsis
Six years ago, on Halloween night, detective Sam Hayne’s wife took their daughter trick or treating and never came home. Tonight, Sam will get all the answers he’s been searching for.
Jonathan Patrick Hughes wrote and directed the episode. It stars Tyler Manko, Alexis Polce Von Schwedler, Sable Griedel, Rosie Kinney, Leeana Hergenreder, and Patrick Honan.
What Works
Stars Tyler Manko and Alexis Polce Von Schwedler carry the story admirably. It is their acting that dominates the bulk of the episode’s 23 minutes. Alexis, in particular, does a great job conveying a wide range of emotion, from vulnerability to evil menace. The filmmakers did a nice job capturing the Twilight Zone feel. I’m sure the fact that it was filmed in black and white adds to that mystique, but overall, Hallowed be Thy Name felt like a polished and professional production. I also found the score to be particularly effective. Braden Bixler should be proud of his audio efforts here.
What Doesn’t Work
No serious complaints from me. When the main character introduced himself as Sam Hayne, I admit I gave a bit of an eye roll. I’m personally not a big fan of punny character names, but it’s hardly an unforgivable sin. There’s a fairly heavy, serious tone here that plays well, but the audience doesn’t get let up for air. I think that’s great, but if you’re a person who looks for humor to break up movie tension, you won’t find that here. It’s pretty intense.
Final Thoughts
I’ll say flat out, this is a really good short horror film. It’s full of interesting twists and turns that kept me guessing to the end. There’s some serious, mind-bending shit going on here. I dig it. Based on my experience with this episode, I will definitely check out the other entries in the series. For more information about Tales From The Grave, check them out on Facebook.
If you like short horror films and/or horror anthologies, you should give Tales From The Grave a chance. I can’t speak for all of their episodes, but Hallowed Be Thy Name definitely gets a ‘thumbs up’ from me. You’ll do well to start there.
The episode is currently streaming on YouTube, and we’ve also linked it here so you can check it out. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!
https://youtu.be/Y00jm36DBic
