HELLIONS

Halloween is definitely not Dora’s lucky day. Just 17, she learns her boyfriend has made her pregnant. In a state of shock, she goes home and tries to break the news to her mother, who’s too busy heading off trick-ortreating with Dora’s younger brother to listen. The young mom-to-be finds herself at home alone and in a state. Surging from the night, a ghastly crew of trick-or-treaters suited in creepy costumes comes to the door, drawn by the unborn child she carries in her womb. At first glance, Hellions (which screened at this year’s Sundance Film Festival) appears be just another take on standard Halloween horror fare. However, McDonald (Pontypool) veers off track by creating a world that’s singularly surreal. Using filters to cast the action in an unearthly glow, with particular concentration on his colouring of outdoor scenes, the Canadian director produces an utterly original atmosphere that tips the plot towards the fantastic with supernatural overtones. A spine-tingling tale that’s hard to categorize, but not to relish.