Movie Review: Hex (2017)

Hex (2017) - UK - Historical Thriller/Horror - Not Rated (PG)

Independent Feature Film - Rubicon Films

Directed by George Popov

Co-Directed by Jonathan Russell

Written by Jonathan Russell and George Popov

Starring Daniel Oldroyd, William Young, Suzie Frances Garton, Tony Broadbent

Tediously paced at times it overcomes this with nerve-racking tension in a story though set during the English Civil War is fresh and relevant in today's times.

Two soldiers on opposite sides during the English Civil War (1644) find themselves alone against each other in the forest. But they soon become suspicious they are not the only ones in this forest and that other one is a witch preventing them from getting out of the forest. Trust comes hard but fear and suspicion come easy.

Made for a staggering (wink) £1000, that's just over $1300 for us yanks, what these filmmakers have accomplished on a budget that wouldn't even buy lunch for a Hollywood film crew is simply outstanding. The use of lush woodland scenery, re-enactment period costumes and props, austere ruins and three top of their class actors imbues this film with quality components.

Up front, what doesn't work for Hex is tedium in some of the scenes, especially the nighttime scenes and not being well lit adds to it. It's just my feeling that having trimmed the running time of this could have improved upon it as it is a bit long for what could be an hour long Outer Limits episode.

What does work for the film is tension and story. From the first encounter of the two soldiers culminating in a brutal fight, which makes one wonder if some of the blood might be real, to a cat and mouse game between the soldiers early in the film the viewer's nerves are honed raw. Even as the film progresses reality and fear are often indistinct for the soldiers, as well the viewer. As much the soldiers fear the witch of the forest heightening their paranoia, even beyond that is the unsettling sense they might turn on each other at any moment.

What brings the story freshly into modern times is smartly using the English Civil War as a backdrop: most basically a war between political opposites the Royalists who sought to maintain a 'divine right' in leadership and the Parliamentarians who opposed a monopolistic monarchy and church. Congruency aside, even more germane in the face of xenophobia, building walls and decayed institutions is the rallying of distinct nationalities under a greater fear and hatred of another through a cloud of unknowing.

Despite some slowness in the film at places and dark nighttime scenes overall it is well done. A complete story that works as a whole gets my basic recommendation. But this additionally has rich dialogue, taut direction, beautiful cinematography and some of the best audio capture I've heard that captures every distinct sound, as well what lies beneath the story is thought provoking.

*Update

This is a first for me, at least on this blog, to change my rating of a movie. Some might consider my movie reviewing style to be a bit scopious, but it is for this very reason that it is such. I watch movies twice for a review. Usually I give myself a few days during that time for lingering afterthoughts, and especially to feel what staying power a film has. Usually it takes me several days to a week to review a movie. Being this film was being released on the 17th, I wanted to have it reviewed by the day before and really did not let it take time to sink in.

Yes, the film is tedious in several places as I said and that took it down a notch from 4 Fingers. Yet it has stayed with me. It has magnificent imagery and incredible sound quality where the slightest brush of grass or babble of a brook comes through with clarity; it's a pleasure in and of itself just to listen to this movie. I chose the screencap of Daniel Oldroyd as his expression in it defines the quality of acting in this. Of course there is the story central to the film which draws an allegory using the past as sort of a mirror for our present, and might I say beautifully done.

I've been having a lingering of conscience asking myself if I rated it fairly. Though it may be a fair rating something keeps clawing at me. Within the short time since I've seen this it has become one of my favorite films or 2017 along with Fighting Belle and Night Kaleidoscope. For these various reasons, to me, my rating has to go up a notch from the 3 Fingers Plus I originally gave it.

My Rating: 4 Fingers. That's 8/10 for IMDbers.

You can find out more about Hex on its Twitter and Facebook pages.

You can rent or buy Hex from Amazon Video.