Short Film Review: Sweet Hollow

Sean Lee’s short film Sweet Hollow manages to build a story around a setup we’ve all seen before imbues it with an unsettling atmosphere and crams it all together in a short space of time.

Emily (Kremelberg) is driving to her sisters to spend some time with her when she is flagged down by a car behind her, James (Vigilant) notifies her that her rear wheel is loose and offers to fix it. When her wheel does break, the strange but handsome James shows up and he offers her a lift…

With Sweet Hollow there are a number of ways the film could’ve gone, Lee knows this and plays on those horror tropes that are set in your mind, leaving you second guessing as to what is going to happen next. James tells Emily a few ghost stories about the road they are driving on – Sweet Hollow Road – with each story Emily becomes more wary of James. Lee puts Emily smack in the middle of some horror trope no-nos and twists them up to good effect.

Both Kremelberg and Vigilant are fantastic, their chemistry is evident immediately and it really helps the audience settle quickly into the groove of the film, something that is vital given that it is a short timeframe. Kremelberg;s reactions are realistic, as she cycles through the emotions whilst Vigilant plays James with the right amount of charm and danger. Sweet Hollow certainly manages to look great too, belying its budget, the shots are framed really well and Lee uses the light and the dark to great effect.

A simple story, effectively told, wonderfully shot and with some great acting – you can’t ask for much more from a short film. I will certainly look forward to seeing what else Sean Lee has in store in the future.