Raven's Hollow (2022) User Reviews

Day #1, #31DaysOfHalloween2022: Raven's Hollow

[Vises · 6/10 · 3 October 2022]

Above average fare from Shudder... great use of light, and settings and atmosphere are exceptional for the budget.

I've always loved the appropriation of historical figures placed in fictional scenarios especially if the timeline lines up... and in this case it does indeed. A cursory search will reveal that Poe did attend West Point in 1930 and the season depicted suggests that the story takes place in Fall, which also works wonderfully.

The antagonist serving as an inspiration for Poe's famous 'Raven' - while somewhat expected - was also nicely tied in.

Slightly more on the Thriller side than Horror but come on, it's Edgar Allan Poe... it's Horror.

A bit sluggish at times but a great way to kick off this year's marathon.

6.5/10

#31DaysOfHalloween2022.

Hero complex at its finest...

[Howling_at_the_Moon_Reviews · 6/10 · 22 September 2022]

This movie had all the makings of a great folk horror/ creature feature... but a few missteps sent it down the wrong forest path...

Raven's Hollow had a relatively original and intriguing plot in the grand scheme of things. Is it 100% something you have NEVER seen before? No. But there were aspects and twists to this tale that felt fresh and different. Definitely a slow burn with some good tension building and solid spook factor. The movie also looked great (quality and shots), score was on point and the special effects were pretty great as well.

I would say the biggest misstep here was the acting/ casting. Unfortunately, some very stilted performances and iffy delivery did the movie some detrimental disservices. Pretty much everyone faltered at some point (except maybe the mother) causing a continual back and forth between being in the moment and being pulled out of it. Unfortunately, the worst of the bunch was the actor who played Poe. While I don't think he did an abismal job or is a bad actor, as an actor myself I didn't find anything particularly redeeming or down to earth about his performance as a whole or really his delivery in any one moment specifically either.

I also had a bit of an issue with the ending. Not so much with the ending itself but more so the way it was delivered to us. Maybe I'm simple, but it got a bit convoluted and a tad confusing, even with the exposition being in a moderately spoonfed monologue.

At the end of the day this was a creative bit of fiction about the makings of what we know Edgar Allan Poe to be today, filled with little Easter egg references to his works if you are familiar. It was spooky and had some interesting bits throughout and if you can look past the questionable acting and the slow pace it is worth a watch. Would recommend.

Sadly doesn't live up tp potential.

[mclarhe · 5/10 · 23 September 2022]

I wanted to like this very badly. I love 1800 New England and autumnal settings and gothic horror. The whole setting and aesthetic was right up my alley. Unfortunately, this movie did not live up to my hopes.

The main problem, I'm sorry too say, is the acting. William Moseley is not up to the task of playing young Poe. I believe he's going for the whole 'stoic 1800s Northerner' thing, but he never drops this affect for a moment. He never seems scared or really terrribly affected by the goings on around him. The performance is overall much too flat. He can't carry off some of the flowery dialogue that is clearly inspired by Poe's writing. You never buy that the horrors in this movie turned this clean-cut cadet into a tortured gothic horror writer. He's just not Edgar Allan Poe.

An honest review

[HeyHay37 · 3/10 · 29 September 2022]

Atrocious acting. MOSTLY by Wiliam Moseley. He was so awful that I googled his name to see if he ever had previous acting jobs. Imagine my surprise to see that he was in the Narnia movies -in which I found him completely irritating in as well! Lol.

This could have been good as a shorter film. I sometimes like a slow burn, and love atmospheric and moody type movies, HOWEVER, there was no substance to this that couldn't be completed in 45 mins. It felt like the writers tried to flesh it out for feature length. This type of thing can greatly harm a project that could have really been fantastic.

As a huge fan of Poe, and horror movies-I really wanted to like this movie-but it failed in my eyes. I didn't care about any of the characters, and could not STAND Wiliam Moseley in this. His acting was on par with a poorly done student film.

Like I said, this had potential to be great, but it felt like the creators got in over their heads. Bummer.

Beautifully photographed, atmospheric Gothic Period Horror...

[lathe-of-heaven · 7/10 · 28 September 2022]

First and foremost, this is a very moody, atmospheric Gothic Horror film, as I mention in the title above. The lighting, cinematography, and MOST the acting is quite good. But, you need to remember, this movie is almost ALL mood. There are a few truly gruesome moments, but those expecting any level of Action at all will likely be disappointed.

That's probably why I may have scored this filma bit higher than most. Because for my personal taste, if a director can create a really effective mood, than to me that is one of the more important things I would look for in a movie like this, especially with its really heavy Gothic atmosphere. I do kind of agree though with Taske95, another reviewer here, where they state that the beginning half of the film is done really well, and the last half, although still somewhat effective, does kind of drop off a little.

I think the contrast is heightened by the extremely well done way the first half is, so that when it continues into the second half you can tell the difference. I feel that with a bit more of a deft hand at the writing (the direction is quite excellent) they could have followed through with a better 2nd and 3rd act. When they reveal something of what is actually going on, that is a good progression of the story and is intriguing, but I think what they do with it and the way they develop it is not nearly as good as the first half. There are also a TON of Poe references, so if you are into him at all, you'll like that.

But, with that said, overall I feel that the mood and time period is very authentic with excellent performances all around. With maybe the slight exception of the daughter at the inn... I just think that since all the other performances are so good, hers kind of stands out just a tad as perhaps more pedestrian and a bit superficial. But, I don't think it ruins the story or anything. But, quite honestly, I think with a MUCH stronger actress in her role, the overall effect would have been a lot better. Since her character is rather important, I feel the story would have greatly benefited with a more powerful, emotive actress, just my opinion... : )

So, if you really enjoy strongly Gothic, atmospheric Horror films and you don't mind a slow-burn story, and you like a good sense of Mystery, and you can really get into the mood of a period piece like this, AND you don't expect a lot of Action or tons of overt horror, there is a chance that you might find this one entertaining as I did.

Decent start that falls away as the film progresses

[stevelivesey67 · 4/10 · 27 September 2022]

A film about a young Edgar Allen Poe who finds strange things afoot in in spooky village of Ravens Hollow.

The film has 2 main themes, the first is the main story that concerns people being killed by having their hearts torn out by the 'Raven'. The second is preoccupied by touching on Poe's inspiration for his future as a writer. Beating hearts, tick. Ravens, tick. Etc. Etc.

Kate Dickie is wonderful and as terrifying as ever, the rest of the acting, not so much.

The movie starts well enough, creates a spooky atmosphere but cannot keep the tension going to the end.

I think with a little more money to spend on a competent director, better lighting and cast there would have been a decent film here. Shame.

Solid detective with moody photography and decent acting performances.

[imseeg · 7/10 · 26 September 2022]

Simply another well made British detective, with quite beautiful, moody and dark photography. With some really solid acting performances. A tight knit story that is quite suspenseful. What more could I wish for in a detective?

Any bad? It isnt horror, although it is listed as a horror movie on Imdb. It isnt thrilling or intensely spooky either, but it has got a constant dark mood of doom that is quite fascinating to watch.

If I have to dig deep to find anything wrong I would like to say that the moment certain evil forces became visible (half way into the movie), I was disappointed a bit, because I always hold the stance that the evil which one cant see, is much more scary than CGI monsters. And the visualisation of this evil force wasnt done with the best CGI effects available nowadays. So that was (the only) minor letdown.

All in all, simply another solid British period detective story. Fans of the genre will be pleased (I guess).

Poe Story, Poe Acting, Poe Me

[shuswap-83557 · 5/10 · 5 October 2022]

Well this film certainly had POEtential but it falls flat from a dreadfully dull script and some rather suspect 2nd rate acting, at times. It's not all bad but it's barely half good. It's half-hearted. The mood is good. The sets and atmosphere are good... unfortunate that it couldn't deliver on tension or plot. There's no scares and it's not spooky enough. If it had those elements it could have been excellent. But that's like saying, if my baloney sandwich was a steak it would be delicious. The buzzing synthesizer soundtrack also was a little distracting whenever it appeared. So if you're wide awake and forgiving of the plodding storyline you might enjoy it. If you're tired going in, you'll be fast asleep about 10 minutes into this Raven tale, evermore.

A film that promised a lot, but did not meet all expectations

[Taske95 · 7/10 · 25 September 2022]

A very atmospheric film, made in true Gothic style, which will draw you into its story and separate you from our world. The film is surrounded by a wave of mystery, from the very beginning you feel that something is not right, but what is that something, who is Raven or what is Raven? Watch the film to find out, otherwise the film effects are excellent and the acting is top notch.

What I didn't like about the movie was the last 20 minutes, and that's why I didn't give it a 10/10. Those 20 minutes are somehow rushed, illogical, you simply get the impression that the film should not have gone in that direction.

However, due to the positive things listed above, I think it is worth watching and that the film has its own artistic connotation. My recommendation.

woulda, coulda, shoulda

[jonasatmosfera · 1/10 · 23 September 2022]

Oh well, this is a huge missed opportunity.

There is nothing new here...The small village and its "weird" inhabitants, the sense of dread and of something mysterious that pervades the whole place. The idea of using Poe's character and to try to weave the mystery of Raven's Hole into Poe's life is noteworthy. But the execution is what killed what could have been a much better film. It starts OK but soon the whole thing derails and we have yet another subpar horror film from Shudder...It is harmless, toothless and totally forgettable.

In the end, Raven's Hole is kinda OK for one viewing while one is doing something else...

I enjoyed this film

[aciarleglio-1 · 8/10 · 1 October 2022]

Around Halloween I always look for some good dark horror movies with a lot of atmosphere. I thought this movie was great. People of course will over criticize it pointing out it's flaws or whatever. That's everyone does when they post reviews these days. Well, I loved for what it is not what imagined film it "could have been". I thought it was creepy. Great villain look! Good acting and an overall interesting story idea. I will be purchasing this one for future Halloween rewatches. Check it out for yourselves on Shudder. I would love a sequel with even more dread and scares. The town was the perfect version of an old time creep fest. I can imagine finding the Raven hanging out there for generations to come.

About Love

[avindugunasinghe · 6/10 · 9 March 2023]

Raven's Hollow could be one of most imaginative adaptations from literature recently. Similar to Lincoln the Vampire Hunter the premise is intriguing. A clever portrayal of colliding cultures, reluctance to change and chaos that follows. The Raven's hatchling being stranded by Poe is a clever expression of human relationships. With regards to the visuals the colour tones are perfect and special effects are satisfying too. Great use of background audio which is unique and fitting well. Brilliant performances by the cast to keep up with sudden shifts kf the plot. Raven's Hollow surely has a good amount of shudder in store.

Preposterous hodgepodge!

[deacon_blues-88632 · 4/10 · 21 October 2022]

This film is just a nonsensical backstory, presumably relating the inspiration for Poe's "Raven." Marginal cgi fx and a ridiculous plot with even more ridiculous dialogue, it makes a mockery of one of greatest and most profound literary works in the entire history of the English language!

It's a sophomoric attempt to create a "spooky" pseudo-biographical basis for the poem; as if the actual human experience behind the work were not sufficiently profound and disturbing! With a quality cast, the acting is pretty good, especially from Kate Dickie and David Hayman, and Melanie Zanetti is quite easy on the eyes. Otherwise this film is forgettable and best forgotten.

Read the actual "Raven" instead! It's a much more worthwhile use of your time!

Poe

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 23 September 2022]

Directed by Christopher Hatton, who co-wrote this with Chuck Reeves, Raven's Hollow is about five West Point cadets finding the body of a dying man in a town where no one seems to care and even worse, may take all of their lives. Also: one of them is Edgar Allan Poe (William Moseley, Peter from The Chronicles of Narnia series).

Between a demonic raven, a tell-tale heart and a man named Usher, this has tons of Poe references, as well as some good gore and a fun monster. I like the idea of Poe trying to solve this mystery, even if it feels a lot like Sleepy Hollow. The town of Raven's Hollow is a lot deadlier, however. There's a well shot opening of a girl being followed through the woods by an entity, an awesome scare when the dead body awakens to say the word "Raven" and even a little bit of doomed romance.

The real Poe disliked being in the army so much that he got himself court-martialed.

Great story, well directed

[Scodelli · 7/10 · 20 October 2022]

I watched this film based on a recommendation from a source I trust without checking the rating here on imdb(which I usually always do).

I was shocked when I saw the low rating here after watching the movie. Usually imdb ratings are very accurate but not for this movie.

This is a great movie. It is a thinking person's horror movie. I would call it a horror-drama. While it could be considered a slow burn the movie is engaging and gripping throughout.

That strong atmosphere combined with it's engaging nature is very effective. I hesitate to call it a slow burn at all because things are happening and developing steadily through the entire movie. And I found it to remain very engaging.

The directing is very, very good. The story is complex and the are a few significant plot twists. So you have to pay attention and keep tracking with it.

Now some reviews said it isn't horror. False. It is indisputably horror. Strong horror. I think why some viewers fail to see that is because it has substance and intelligence and artistry and that it comes from a whole different world than your 'slasher of the week'.

And there is some extreme gore in this movie and coming from me that's a significant statement.

It is a violent movie. It doesn't compromise on violence like some would lead you to believe.

It has a good story. No cookie cutter backdrop for violence here. The story can be a little confusing and you need to pay attention to get the whole story.

It has this wonderful mysterious element to it. Even with what's revealed in the film's final act the mysterious atmosphere persists right through the end credits, in a good way.

One thing I liked about the movie is that the main character, Poe, is a good and noble person and that comes across in a very authentic way. He is a likeable and very admirable character, which is unfortunately rare for a horror movie protagonist.

This is not an iffy, maybe it's good, maybe it's bad movie. It's genuinely a great movie.

It's well paced. An intelligent viewer will be drawn into the steadily developing story. The atmosphere is so strong. It's very well directed.

And it has a great story. It's very intelligent. It plays outside of the stereotypes. Perhaps that is why the unperceptive didn't like it.

Horrifyingly Tedious

[SnowCrash-1138 · 2/10 · 15 November 2022]

Very slow, conceptually silly for the most part, while at times pretentious and overly self conscious of the Poe angle present in the film. Bad combination.

Overall a pretty much artless affair that one might expect from first or second year film school students who got a decent sized grant or monetary backing from wealthy parents or the like (seems to have been a fairly decent budget), but the quality of the story-telling falls far short of whatever was spent on production. Took several hours to watch, as I kept pausing to do other things. It's that boring and silly. I would not recommend wasting the time it takes to slog through this. Find something more engaging in which to invest your time and brain power.

Love that reaches beyond love and death

[nogodnomasters · 7/10 · 5 October 2022]

The film takes place about 1831 near West Point. We first see a young lady walking through the woods and getting spooked. She eventually suffers some weird death involving birds flying out her mouth. We next see a group of 5 army cadets which includes one "Edgar Poe" so we know who doesn't die. They come across a man tied up as a scarecrow and sliced open in the front. The take him down and travel to a nearby town, "Raven's Hollow." The folks here are odd and are clearly hiding something. Poe (William Moseley) and Miss Charlotte (Melanie Zanetti) seem to take a shine to each other. They stay, but are warned by Usher (Oberon K. A. Adjepong) to leave. That night a cadet goes missing, although we know the Raven got him. Poe decides to stay, play detective, and solve the mystery instead of going for help like the rest of his group wants. The legend of the Raven is revealed and the body point continues.

This is a fictional version of the discharge of Edgar Allan Poe from West point in April of 1831. We see the background for several stories including the names Usher and Lenore. We see aspects of the "Tell-Tale Heart" and of course "The Raven." I am sure there was more. I thought the film was very clever.

Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.

When movie producers can't even get the uniforms right.

[beeryusa · 5/10 · 8 November 2022]

When movie producers can't even get the historical uniforms right, it's a sign they don't care about the film and just want to make a fast buck. And it's a shame because there some beautiful cinematography going on here, so someone involved in the production cared.

Just for future reference, West Point cadets didn't wear kepis in 1830. The kepi didn't show up in the US military for another 35 years. At this point, the cadets should be wearing the 1825 forage cap, which looked nothing like a kepi. The least the costume department could have done was get the hats right. Seems the producers had a bunch of civil war costumes laying around, and just decided to use them, instead of doing the bare minimum to get it right.

the beast of ...

[ops-52535 · 6/10 · 22 September 2022]

Edgar allan poe is out there, its all an heresay, and follows the rectified motion of people getting snatched away in daylight hours as well as night. An uncorporated township somewhere new england is visited by a field training group of soldiers, that find a scarecrow, mysteriously alive, and their attempt to find out who it is, where he belonged, and when and why this person where staged as a ribbed scarecrow. The villagers though aint too happy about it, and the beast makes life a living hell for the platoon and the villagers...

a film with many jumpscares to those who jumps outta scares, im too hardened after 30 years of nightshifts. The production aint heavily financed, and do not check the lipsync, it lagged a whole lot on the run i did see. So lets hope they fix it asap, cause its like reading an ecco. There are quite a few gored up scenes, and a fair amout of blood, otherwise its more or less average, just like a tv episode in a soldier blue soap of the 1990's. A small recommend from the grumy old man, and mr pooh has never been the favourite...

Poe Film Sunk by Acting - Raven's Hollow

[arthur_tafero · 4/10 · 13 October 2022]

I was really looking forward to this film, but the acting was so dreadful that it ruined the experience. It may have been a script problem, or a dialogue problem, or poor direction, but the movie does not succeed in its goal. The plot is very interesting from an historical point of view, but it is not fleshed out properly. The characters (including Poe) are just not convincing. The cinematography is appropriately gothic in style and is not one of the problems. It is unfortunate the film had these flaws, because it could have been much better without them. Any film about Poe automatically has a base a producer can work on. Maybe someone will do it better.

The totally true story about Edgar Allan Poe

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 19 September 2022]

No pun intended and all according to the video message by the director himself - who also added "that never happened". I wonder if some people will dislike the review based on my summary headline? Quite likely I reckon, but worth for the fun ... I mean pun. Or maybe even both? Quite likely both.

Now when it comes to fun, there is not too much of that here. But there is some comedy and of course when we learn about things out of this world, we do get to hear the character making jokes about that. But overall it is more serious than anything - and quite brutal. There is a hint of romance too, but it may not go the way you expect it to go.

Depending on how many movies you've seen you may be aware of things and predict stuff ... and also depending on how much of a Poe fan you are, you may be able to see things, let's call them easter eggs, that connect him to this. Great sound, good actors and intriguing story.

Raven's Hollow 2022

[obi_wan_kenobi_UKR · 4/10 · 23 October 2022]

There is nothing outstanding in this tape. At first glance, the idea is not bad. The authors took his persona and inserted it into a mystical story, after which he apparently began to write works, although according to the biography, he began to do it earlier.

That's not the point. At first, everything seems to be going normally, it's interesting to watch, but after a while something goes wrong. The moving moments are too long, they are not interesting to watch.

Plot twists are present, but they are expected and can be read without any problem. The framing could be much better.

If there were not enough decorations, or the composition was poor, then the picture was simply darkened as much as possible and everything was cool.

There are no special questions for the actors, what kind of picture - such are the performers.

But this work cannot be confused with mud at all. Against the background of many modern representatives of the genre, this film does not want to stop watching before it ends.

Bad movie, good acting

[bexpaxtibi · 2/10 · 29 December 2022]

The movie is bad, but Moseley's acting is great. Here is another proof that a good actor is a good actor and it's a shame that the movie is bad, but only a bad movie shows how good a certain individual is. Bad scenography, seen many times already, and bad costume design. But the acting is good despite the bad movie. It's obvious that not every movie can be good, but it's also good to watch a bad movie sometimes to see how it's not easy to make a good movie. I hope Moseley will have good movies, because he is a great actor. The movie is kind of hollow, it lacks a lot, and somehow it seems to me that it could have been better, I don't know why.

Excellent Production Design and a Tepid Mystery

[TwistedContent · 5/10 · 22 October 2022]

Poe's having a nice little resurgence, starting with this, and continuing with a 75 million Christian Bale - starring horror movie centered around Poe on 6th January 2023, and Mike Flanagan's "House of Usher" series, fall 2023. Shudder offers us a gothic tale featuring Edgar Allan Poe as a young man, travelling over grey lands with his fellow cadets, and stumbling upon a grisly murder near a small and suspicious village by the name of Raven's Hollow. It's a low budget horror movie with terrific production design, and plenty of thought for the Poe-ish story, but ultimately it falls quite flat and short of the standards of Edgar's works.

My main attraction, however, is that it's a rare horror movie co-produced by and entirely shot in my small country of origin - Latvia. The gloomy and dark autumn palette perfectly fits the atmosphere, locations are not grandiose, but picturesque, sets are solid, and the cinematography by Michael Rizzi is one of the main forces lifting up the movie. Very good use of light and sound, and on the back-ground of its modest budget, it's visually/aesthetically truly impressive indie horror film. Rest of the levels of "Raven's Hollow" don't quite reach the same heights as its audiovisual atmosphere. Acting's good, but not standing out with anything, and for me, William Moseley gave a smart, young cadet fascinated by the mysterious, but did not give us what felt like Edgar Allan Poe. The story seems thought-through, yet never truly surprises, and feels sluggish at times, and in the end - like an undercooked gothic mystery inspired only by the peaks of the mountains called Poe. "Raven's Hollow" offers a couple okay jump scares, end besides the palpable sense of misty gothic mystery, it never feels scary or creepy, and a couple of shabby special effects didn't help either.

It's at least an average shudder original, if not above, and I really wished I enjoyed it more, but for such a nice looking little film, it is, in its sum, painstakingly tepid. Never fulfilled all of potential it possessed. Do check it out if you're into Poe and other gothic vibes. My rating: 5/10.

Really, really slow paced narrative...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 27 September 2022]

Right, well a movie about Edgar Allan Poe as a West Point cadet and going up against the supernatural. Does sound interesting enough, now, doesn't it?

When I sat down here in 2022 to watch this thriller from writers Christopher Hatton and Chuck Reeves, I did so without having heard about the movie prior to watching it. I happened to come across the movie by random luck, and given the movie's synopsis, of course it caught my interest, and I had to watch it.

The narrative in "Raven's Hollow" is somewhat slow, as director Christopher Hatton takes his sweet time setting up the stage. And I must admit that I was about to toss the towel in the ring and give up on this movie once or twice along the 98 minutes that the movie ran for. Simply because the narrative was so insanely slow paced. But I opted to stick with the movie.

And I will say that the storyline is actually interesting enough, provided you can endure the monotonous slow pacing of the narrative itself. And there isn't exactly a whole lot of exciting things going on as the movie unfolds, so it is a rather slow burn of a thriller.

The acting performances in "Raven's Hollow" were good. I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble here, but they did put on good performances, and managed to take an otherwise slow paced narrative and make it somewhat bearable to sit through.

Visually then "Raven's Hollow" was good, I mean in terms of building an atmosphere and creating a believable environment. I liked how the small village looked like, how the costumes and wardrobe looked like, and the entire overall atmosphere that permeated the entire movie. At least that was very much in the spirit of the writings of Edgar Allan Poe actually. "Raven's Hollow" is not a movie that makes use of an abundance of special effects and CGI, so don't expect to be in for anything grand here.

"Raven's Hollow" is a movie that is watchable a single time. I personally found the narrative too slow paced to ever want to return to watch director Christopher Hatton's movie a second time. If you have an interest in the fathers of American horror literature, then give "Raven's Hollow" a viewing, but take it for what it is.

My rating of "Raven's Hollow" lands on a five out of ten stars.