The Hive

Ah, 'The Hive' - a cinematic marvel of 2023, where mediocrity blossoms like a rare flower in the desert of modern filmmaking. This film, daring to score a solid 4 out of 10, is an ambitious tale that almost manages to be as interesting as watching paint dry, but not quite.

First, let's applaud the creators for their innovative plot, which feels like it was masterfully stitched together from the cutting room floors of far superior films.

Visually, 'The Hive' is a feast for the eyes, assuming your eyes enjoy a bland palette of greys and browns. The special effects, which I assume were crafted by a team of enthusiastic high school students, add a charmingly amateurish touch to the film.

And the climax, oh, the climax-never have I seen a more anticlimactic end to a story. It was as if the writers suddenly remembered they had somewhere else to be and wrapped up the plot in the most hurried and haphazard way possible.

Amidst the sea of cinematic offerings in 2023, this movie emerged with a glimmer of potential, hinting at the possibility of being something truly special. The premise alone, intriguing and full of promise, suggested a film that could have reshaped genre boundaries and delivered a memorable experience. Yet, as the final credits rolled, it became evident that this potential remained just that - a mere possibility. The movie was delivered without the finesse, depth, or innovation that its initial promise teased. It's like being promised a gourmet meal only to be served a reheated frozen dinner. The film's execution lacked the spark and passion needed to transform its unique concept into a compelling reality, leaving me with a sense of what could have been, rather than what was.

In conclusion, this is a film that boldly challenges the very concept of entertainment. It's a must-watch for anyone who enjoys the thrill of being thoroughly underwhelmed. Four stars out of ten, because sometimes, even mediocrity deserves recognition.

It's not often that a horror movie comes along that leaves audiences questioning not just the plot, but their life choices in general. "The Hive" manages to achieve this feat, but not in the way the filmmakers intended. This so-called horror flick is more of a horror show, and not the kind you'd willingly pay money to see.

Let's start with the plot-or lack thereof. "The Hive" attempts to weave a narrative around a mysterious outbreak that turns people into mindless drones. It's as if the writers raided the reject pile of apocalyptic zombie movie scripts and decided to create a concoction of clichés that even the most forgiving horror aficionado would find hard to stomach. The story lacks any originality or depth, making it feel like a cheap knockoff of countless better films that have explored similar themes.

The characters in "The Hive" are as one-dimensional as they come. It's almost impressive how little effort was put into making them relatable or interesting. The protagonist, if you can even call them that, is a cookie-cutter, forgettable individual whose main purpose seems to be running from one poorly lit scene to another. The supporting cast, if you can call them that, might as well be cardboard cutouts with how much personality they bring to the table. As the film stumbles along, you'll find yourself caring more about your grocery list than the fate of these underdeveloped characters.

Now, let's talk about the cinematography-or lack thereof. "The Hive" seems to have a fetish for dimly lit corridors and shaky camera work that leaves the audience feeling disoriented for all the wrong reasons. If the intention was to create a sense of fear and suspense, the execution missed the mark entirely. Instead, it feels like the filmmakers simply forgot to pay the electricity bill on set, leaving viewers squinting at the screen in an attempt to decipher what's happening. The overuse of jump scares only serves to highlight the lack of genuine tension or atmosphere, turning what could have been a mildly entertaining horror romp into a predictable and tedious experience.

Special effects? Well, "The Hive" seems to have a budget that makes a high school play look like a Hollywood blockbuster. The makeup for the infected individuals looks like it was done by an amateur with a limited supply of red paint and a penchant for Halloween masks. The CGI is so laughably bad that it's hard to take any of the supposedly horrifying scenes seriously. At times, it feels like the film is trying to pay homage to the horror classics of the '80s, but instead, it comes across as a desperate attempt to cover up its lack of substance.

The soundtrack of "The Hive" is equally forgettable. If you've heard one generic horror movie score, you've heard them all. The film relies on the same tired tropes of screeching violins and sudden loud noises to trick the audience into feeling scared. It's a lazy and uninspired approach that adds nothing to the overall viewing experience.

Perhaps the most baffling aspect of "The Hive" is its pacing-or lack thereof. The film somehow manages to drag on and rush through scenes simultaneously, leaving viewers with a sense of temporal dissonance. At times, you'll be checking your watch, wondering if it's been hours since the movie started, only to realize it's barely been 30 minutes. The erratic pacing does little to build suspense or investment in the plot, and by the time the credits roll, you'll be left wondering why you wasted precious time on such a lackluster cinematic endeavor.

In conclusion, "The Hive" is a horror movie in name only. Its feeble attempt at crafting a compelling story, combined with lackluster characters, abysmal cinematography, subpar special effects, and a forgettable soundtrack, makes it a prime candidate for the "skip" button. Save yourself the agony and opt for a horror film that actually delivers on the promises of fear and entertainment. "The Hive" is a buzzkill of epic proportions that deserves to be swatted away from your watchlist.

This story would have worked better as a Star Trek or Twilight Zone episode, and not just because it could have been told in half the time. It's fine if you enjoy the slow tension of a mystery and some clever--but predictable--plot reveals.

The acting good enough, though some lines were more recited than acted. One character came across as too strange to be believed, and I thought that was just bad acting until much later in the movie.

The people seemed normal. The setting and visuals seemed normal. It could have passed for an episode of a sitcom if not for the creepy strangers and confusing events. I found the constant background music to be distracting.

Stumbling upon the 2023 movie "The Hive" by random chance here in 2024, I must admit that I opted to sit down and watch it without ever having heard about it. I liked the movie's cover, as it seemed interesting. And of course with it being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, then I had to satisfy my craving for horror and watch it.

Writer and director Jared Allmond put together a script that might be entertaining if you are a newcomer to the thriller and horror genre. But I have been watching horror movies for about 40 years, so this was a mere walk in the park. And while it was a watchable enough movie, I found the narrative to be somewhat stale and slow paced.

Something that did work well in favor of the movie and the narrative, was the fact that the audience is kept in the dark by writer and director Jared Allmond. Now, that might be sort of a personal preference whether you like being totally in the dark or not.

The movie has a relatively small cast ensemble, but they managed to carry the movie well enough, as they put on good performances. I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in "The Hive" and that is something I do enjoy when I sit down to watch a movie.

"The Hive" proved to be a bit too uneventful and bland for my liking, and it was a bit of a struggle to sit through 86 minutes of a script that held no surprises or roller coaster ups and downs. Writer and director Jared Allmond set the course for a straight path and didn't as much as swerve or turn, and had made sure that there were no bumps along the path. And that made for a rather monotonous viewing experience.

And what was supposed to be a big reveal towards the end of the movie just had me outright laughing, because it was such a bizarre turn of events, and it just felt so incredibly ridiculous. Which leads us to the ending, which was, let's just say, anti-climatic to say the least.

My rating of "The Hive" lands on a very, very generous three out of ten stars. Ultimately, the movie's cover was actually the best thing about the ordeal.

The gave the impression that it is a very budget movie, it's just like a sketch I regret watching it It's wasted so much time. I am now trying to remember something good in the movie to not appear just a mean person, but I really can't think of any thing even the kids they were talking about did not appear in the movie. There are only 5 characters running the whole movie, the idea is good, but the performance and application it does not present the idea in its best shape. I really hope a big company take the idea and create something better than this movie. It's a very bad experience I'm not gonna lie.