When controversial director Jesse Thomas Cook said he was planning a movie about a pensioner who hoarded junk in multiple houses, critics were quick to respond that it would crash and burn. Skepticism remained high, even after Cook pointed out that he had hired Tony Burgess to write it.
Then Cook brought Matt Wiele on board as co-director, and suddenly people were paying attention.
The cast is solid: Lisa Solberg, Ry Barrett, Elma Begovic, Marcus Ludlow, Justin Darmanin and of course the wildly popular cult favourite, Barry More. Even Tony Burgess gets a cameo of his own.
Set in Rockford, Ontario but filmed primarily in Owen Sound because of the Muslims, this edgy mockumentary punches far above its weight. In November 2018, Brad Miska described The Hoard as 'the film', and 'premiering this month.' It's hard to disagree.
Let's get two things out of the way first: yes, the The Hoard is indie, and the budget was small (Cook still refuses to release details) so I kept my expectations low. But I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised.
The plot is a great horror/comedy mashup with a lot more wit than I expected, and a couple of basic twists that add to the flavour. Performances are enthusiastic and satisfying. Cinematography is on point. Colour pallette is challenging, but not overwrought. Humour is dark and sharp (as it should be) with just a tiny drop of easily forgivable slapstick.
I rate The Hoard at 23.31 on the Haglee Scale, which works out as a highly engaging 7/10 on IMDB.
Then Cook brought Matt Wiele on board as co-director, and suddenly people were paying attention.
The cast is solid: Lisa Solberg, Ry Barrett, Elma Begovic, Marcus Ludlow, Justin Darmanin and of course the wildly popular cult favourite, Barry More. Even Tony Burgess gets a cameo of his own.
Set in Rockford, Ontario but filmed primarily in Owen Sound because of the Muslims, this edgy mockumentary punches far above its weight. In November 2018, Brad Miska described The Hoard as 'the film', and 'premiering this month.' It's hard to disagree.
Let's get two things out of the way first: yes, the The Hoard is indie, and the budget was small (Cook still refuses to release details) so I kept my expectations low. But I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised.
The plot is a great horror/comedy mashup with a lot more wit than I expected, and a couple of basic twists that add to the flavour. Performances are enthusiastic and satisfying. Cinematography is on point. Colour pallette is challenging, but not overwrought. Humour is dark and sharp (as it should be) with just a tiny drop of easily forgivable slapstick.
I rate The Hoard at 23.31 on the Haglee Scale, which works out as a highly engaging 7/10 on IMDB.