When a U.S. congressman's daughter passing through a small town in Mississippi dies in a mysterious triple homicide, a team of F.B.I. agents descends to investigate, the team's brilliant but jaded lead agent battling demons both past and present, as his beautiful, tough-as-nails partner tries to hold him and the case together. They find a struggling and corrupt sheriff's department, a shadowy and much-feared figure, who seems to be pulling all of the town's strings from his mansion on the edge of town and a local victim with a strange connection to a number of the town's most prominent figures. Written by

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Her-Excellency
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I normally don't review films, but I felt that I just had to say something in the case of this movie because like one of the posters above, I too feel that that "good" reviews are from people associated with the film hoping to ensnare any other gullible soul into paying to watch it.

This movie is a complete waste of film and time, and I am saying that with the utmost sincerity. In my history of watching film (and no, I am not some pretentious film buff, I'm just a person that likes movies), I don't think I have seen another film that is so boring, monotonous, unimaginative and droll with boring, monotonous, unimaginative, droll characters who you really don't care about in any way. In fact, you kind of hope that a hurricane blows through or that an alien abduction happens and that in one fell swoop every character is erased or blown / flown away. Not because you care enough to hate them, but because they bring less than nothing to the screen and they are irritating and jaw- droppingly badly written and acted.

The first two minutes of the film seem okay and then you get the bad country cop, the poor hooker, the cop's idiot partner, the druggie black guy ... and it does not get any better, with the drawling rich bad guy and the faith-spouting Christian woman among others. It is SO bad you sit there and wonder how something this bad could have been green-lit for the big screen. Really, it is very difficult to watch a film where every scene just seems to be far worse than the one before, and yet you don't want to stop watching for the simple fact that you think a film cannot, just cannot, be this bad, and you continue to wait for any kind of moment or scene that will make it worthwhile. Trust me when I tell you however, it is this bad, and nowhere within the running time does it have even one redeemable moment.

It is a depressing film, not only in that it feels cheap and as if no one involved with it actually cared to make it, but in that you wonder what you have going in your life that you opted to watch it.

It is bad enough to where if it were to come on television, I'd advise you to do yourself a favor and skip it.

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M_Alice from Houston
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First of all, if people are going to write fake reviews, they need to be a little less 'enthusiastic' and more realistic when it comes to honestly terrible movies.

There is NO way in the WORLD anyone that is not shilling this movie could give it a 10. There is JUST NO WAY.

The plot is maybe the only thing that deserves 1-Star. The rest is a ZERO. The acting is horrendous. Seriously, you could find better acting on a soap opera. The southern accents are laughable and absurd.

The casting, was horrendous. Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR actresses that look almost exactly the same (I actually thought that would turn out to be a part of the plot, but it wasn't), NO chemistry between the leads, one of the main actors came across as a whiny, crying, sniveling loser instead of what his role placed him as, the others were complete caricatures of a bad parody wherein the butt of the supposed jokes are hillbillies and rednecks, the other main actor just seemed bored and stiff and like he REALLY didn't want to be there. I didn't want to be there either.

It is just utterly BAD. Awful. Horrendously terrible.

IF you actually opt to watch this, DON'T say you weren't warned. Oh, and come back, as penance, and leave a review in order to save another poor schmuck the pain.

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A_Different_Drummer from North America
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A sort of a challenge for reviewers.

First time I watched The Hollow, I made the following notes:

* good attempt at film noir.

* overlong and quality fluctuates wildly from scene to scene. Sometimes you think you are watching an A-list production on the big screen and sometimes you think you are watching a stage play at the local dinner theatre.

* nice use of known "character actors" recycled into almost (but not quite) leading roles. Interesting.

* common problem with B-movies (B+ movies?) is that everything is much too clean. Supposedly we are in the deep south on one of the hottest days of the year and all the actors are wearing clothes that look like they are freshly dry-cleaned, no sweat or dirt anywhere, even the cars are shiny like they just left the car wash...?? (To see this done properly, get a copy of In the Heat of the Night!).

* actor playing Ray-Ray pulls ahead of the pack and steals every scene he is in. Real potential, real charisma, real talent.

And then I check out the credits and find the actor I noticed is also the writer, the director and the chief cook-and-bottle-washer.

Not too shabby.

Miles Doleac is worth watching. He's got mad skills.

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dunfincin from Spain
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I was toying with the idea of downloading this film yesterday and had a quick look at the reviews on this site. I found there were seven reviews, five of them extremely positive with four ratings of 10 and two others deprecating the movie in very clear terms. I don't think I have ever seen this before and whilst the film didn't particularly interest me, I decided to give it a shot. Verdict? It's not that bad, certainly watchable. The acting was good, the storyline and script comprehensible, the atmosphere nicely achieved and the characters believable. There were a number of downsides however. There was some very poor casting with two partnerships (a man and a woman in each case) of law enforcement officers introduced at different times who were so physically alike that It was impossible, for most of the film, to tell them apart so that certain scenes were very confusing. The movie also seemed somehow disjointed and gave the impression that everyone had had a few weeks holiday every now and then during the shoot or possibly they had to do some re-takes much later on. Almost impossible to feel very much for any of the characters who were by and large such flawed human beings you didn't really care what happened to them. I have seen much worse films with ratings of 4 and 5 on this site so why the huge discrepancy between the existing reviews? I strongly suspect that the maximum ratings awarded by some reviewers were given for motives which were, shall we say, other than genuine laudation. As to the less favourable reviews, I'm really not sure. Admittedly the film did not feature any down on their luck actors pretending to be comedians and entertaining us by laughing at their own inane jokes about wanking and farting. Nor were we treated to 25th century Teutonic cyborgs blowing up the scenery and even less of cold-eyed men in pastel suits demonically mowing down innocent civilians with machine guns before going back to their yachts to hand feed their pet crocodiles.Despite all these drawbacks, this is not a bad film. Not one I would probably watch again but reasonable enough if you have nothing better to do for an hour and a half.I have given it a 6 but a more accurate rating would be 5/6 in my opinion. Happy viewing to all!

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mindibennett from United States
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Beautiful cinematography highlights this gritty crime drama with tragically and believably flawed characters that are immediately intriguing. From the opening scene, you are drawn with fascinating revulsion to the character of Ray, portrayed in a brilliantly base and smarmy way by Miles Doleac. James Callis does an equally organic and painfully revealing job in his role as a broken and damaged FBI agent doing his best to take each next breath without giving up or giving in.

The film has an almost voyeuristic feel of a guilty pleasure as the audience is privy to such raw debauchery, intimate pain, and complicated interpersonal relationships. Because of this, it is completely impossible to stop watching to the surprising and yet somehow poignant end.

This is a film that is absolutely worth watching more than once as the revelation of the whodunit takes a backseat to the brilliant development of characters and relationships in this Deep South True Detective Drama. Do not miss this!

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(Petch_Lucas) from United States
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A gunshot fires in the silence of an otherwise tranquil Mississippi night near a scenic lake. A young, eloping couple parked nearby hear it, and moments later two additional gunshots are heard as an ominous moon soars above. Thus begins Miles Doleac's second feature film, THE HOLLOW.

Except it really began ten minutes prior, when corrupt deputy Ray Everett (Miles Doleac) points the couple in the direction of that locale, largely because of nostalgic reasons of his own. He has no idea that the young lady in the eloping vehicle is the daughter of a Congressman. Throw in the fact that Everett also facilitates drug transactions in Cutler County, with the Sheriff (William Sadler) required to look the other way, as the town is really run by powerful attorney "Big John" Dawson (William Forsythe).

On the scene is disgraced and alcoholic FBI agent Vaughn Killinger (James Callis) and his partner Sarah Desoto (Christiane Seidel), who is also his go-to lover while battling his ex-wife for visitation rights regarding his young son. Killinger's inner struggle threatens to compromise his work on the case, if only Sarah can keep bailing his bacon out. A key sequence in a bar in the nearby "wet county" shows just how reckless Killinger is willing to be, for all the wrong reasons.

The cinematography is fantastic. Run-down Mississippi looks both rustic and regal. Local talent actors are also impressive, particularly Joseph VanZandt as the sheriff's son, also a deputy, and unwilling accomplice in Everett's drug-running operation. He serves as the heart of a group of damaged souls. Jeff Fahey turns in a wonderful cameo as Everett's regret-riddled father, whose one scene reminds us of both the frailties and redemption qualities of humankind.

Doleac, whose 2014 feature film THE HISTORIAN received well-deserved accolades, ups the ante here in a huge way. THE HOLLOW takes its 128-minute running time and fills it with exposition and character development, plus enough action to keep it from being a mere character drama. It is a fine and satisfying crime drama with even a few thrilling moments.

For family viewing, be advised: it does contain strong language, some violence and sexual content.

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pumatamer from Houston, United States
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See this film! It's a modern-day noir thriller that does not disappoint! Written, directed by, and starring Miles Doleac. Fantastic performances by Callis, Forsyth, Doleac, Sadler, Seidel, and entire the supporting cast! Callis shines in this film and it is great to see him in a different kind of role too. It's beautifully shot by Ben McBurnett and worth a watch! The story revolves around a U.S. congressman's daughter passing through a who dies in a mysterious triple homicide in Mississippi. A team of FBI agents come down to investigate as they battle their own demons, past history, and crooked law enforcement officers. Produced by Lisa Bruce, Oscar nominated producer of The Theory of Everything.

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kennedya-73401 from Tampa, FL
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The Hollow represents the messiness and complexities of life. Miles Doleac, again at the helm of a film with an outstanding ensemble cast – William Sadler, William Forsythe, James Callis, Christiane Seidel, Jeff Fahey, and Doleac himself – has a touch with sub-plots and side stories that breaks the predictability of the usual story lines offered in most commercial movies now. Original stories are rare nowadays, particularly with the plethora of remakes and reboots. Humanity, in all its glory and tragedy, is often lacking, but not in The Hollow. The very characters you think are the villains, will wring your heart. Flawed, rotten, and often making wrong choices, but in the end, doing what humans do – what they think they have to do in the midst of their own misery. This film portrays the very basest of human nature, while set in a beautiful setting with beautiful people, much like life itself. It's dirty in the way that coffee stains your cup. It's compelling in the way the few people who seem to be on the right side of things (Joseph VanZandt, Lindsay Anne Williams – keep an eye out for her – natural and organic acting abilities are rare, too) can make a difference. It mimics the state of current affairs in the way that we must rely on the strength of the few to overthrow the oppressiveness of greed and tyranny. The cinematography and edits are pristine, seamless. The talent involved in The Hollow works well together. Doleac has a knack for choosing the right people for the right roles, many of whom he has worked with in the past. William Sadler (President Ellis in the Marvel Universe, Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, The Historian) never disappoints. His acting chops are stellar. You believe him in every role he plays. I could listen to him talk all day. James Callis (Battlestar Galactica, the Bridget Jones movies) emotes such pain in his eyes, and at the beginning, you'd think he was the strong male lead. Not so… he is damaged and it takes the entire film to realize that he is not saved by his own actions, but by the people he trusts, and his love. Christiane Seidel (Boardwalk Empire, Law & Order: SVU) is magic on the screen. Admittedly, I've seen very little from her, but we will be seeing her more and more. She is special. William Forsythe (Boardwalk Empire, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, The Untouchables) plays crazy and mean so well. Big John Dawson would not have been right in anyone else's hands. Forsythe is amazing. And Jeff Fahey (Lost, The Lawnmower Man, Machete). Fahey as Darryl Everett in this film is perfection. I only wish he'd been in more of the movie. He moves me in everything he does. Then, Doleac as Ray Everett – the bad guy, the tortured, wrong-choice-making, kind of douche-y guy that makes you want to hit him… until the layers of the onion peel back and he's just as human and messed up as the rest of us. He made me care about him, and I don't know how I feel about that. That's one thing about Doleac's writing… what sometimes seems to be a cast of extremely complex characters just adds to the big picture, and it makes you want more after the credits roll. What happens to Cutler County after the big finale? I think the answer is that life goes on: good, bad, messy, and ultimately worth the fight.

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