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Cast: Michael Ironside, Nicola Correia-Damude, Yannick Bisson
In 1999, outside the sleepy town of Hellmington, troubled high school senior Katie Owens mysteriously vanished. Nine years later, Detective Samantha Woodhouse, a former classmate of Katie’s, returns to Hellmington for the first time since graduation to deal with the unexpected death of her father. His passing just another tragedy in an already devastating year for Sam: her own daughter was murdered, resulting in a downward spiral of anguish and guilt that has slowly destroyed her marriage and career. Sam soon discovers that her father’s demise is one in a series of suspicious deaths over the last several years, and it appears that the grisly fatalities are becoming more frequent. Even more alarming, every victim circles back to the troubled Katie Owens. Battling hallucinations, insomnia and her own personal demons, Sam struggles to uncover the disturbing truth of what really happened to Katie Owens; a mystery that will lead her to a secretive, centuries-old cult of revenge.
The synopsis above pretty much covers everything without giving away too much of the film's secrets so I am not going to go into details here so not to ruin for film for those waiting to see it. 'Hellmington' is a drama/thriller/mystery with a bit of horror mixed in. It is a slow burn and definitely a thinking man's thriller. It demands your attention or else you will be lost because the story takes numerous turns thanks to numerous characters who all have another piece of the puzzle to tell.
I was certainly interested in seeing the film after watching the trailer and the film does not disappoint. Right from the start I was hooked and even though it moves along slowly giving a little bit of its secrets away at a time it keeps you glued to the screen with its intriguing story and terrific cast.
The film's two main stars, Michael Ironside and Nicola Correia-Damude are both terrific. Ironside is an old favorite and is always a pro so it is no surprise that he brings star power to the film as the police sergeant and Uncle to Samantha. Nicola Correia-Damude is also amazing as Samantha. A Detective back home to see her father for the last time but gets caught up the mystery of a former classmate, Katie Owens disappearance years before. The rest of the supporting cast were excellent as well.
The film provides plenty of tension and suspense and as it moves along the mystery begins to thicken before it reveals all its secrets in a shocking yet disturbing ending. 'Hellmington' is the kind of movie that reminds you why you fell in love with cinema in the first place.
It is tension filled, engaging, well acted and the direction and writing from Justin Hewitt-Drakulic and Alex Lee Williams is very impressive considering it is their first feature film. I certainly look forward to seeing what these talented film makers have coming next.
The film premieres on DVD and Digital 9/10/19 so be sure to check out this suspenseful and frightening thriller.
Released by Uncork’d Entertainment
**** Out Of *****