Hostile Dimensions
Hostile Dimensions is a 2023 found footage sci-fi horror feature film directed and written by Graham Hughes, about two documentary filmmakers who travel through alternate dimensions to uncover the truth about a graffiti artist who has vanished.
Hostile Dimensions was named by Rotten Tomatoes one of the "Top 100 Best Found Footage Movies".[1]
Plot
[edit]The story follows two documentary filmmakers, Sam and Ash, who investigate the mysterious disappearance of graffiti artist Emily. Emily vanished after encountering a freestanding door in an abandoned building. As Sam and Ash delve deeper into the mystery, they discover that the door is a portal to alternate dimensions. Their exploration leads them through various realities, each more bizarre and dangerous than the last, revealing terrifying secrets beyond their imagination.
Main Cast
[edit]- Annabel Logan as Sam
- Joma West as Ash
- Paddy Kondracki as Innis
- Josie Rogers as Emily
- Stephen Beavis as Brian
- Graham Hughes as Not Brian
Production
[edit]Director/writer Graham Hughes came up with the movie while developing a larger film project with Blue Finch, the sales company of Hostile Dimensions, as a means to pave the way for the bigger project.[2]
He initially intended to do it in a way similar to his previous film, Death of a Vlogger, keeping the mockumentary format and using the same cast and crew, as well as trying to shoot most of the movie in his flat.[2]
Yet Hughes also wanted it to be different from Death of a Vlogger, so he looked for ways to expand it, and so the idea of a portal to other worlds came into being, and everything spiralled from there.[2]
Release
[edit]The movie premiered on August 26, 2023 at FrightFest in London,[3] followed by the North American premiere on October 4th, 2023 at Beyond Fest in Los Angeles.[4] It also screened in 2023 at MOTELx Horror Film Festival in Portugal, Trieste Science+Fiction Festival in Italy, Imagine Film Festival in Netherlands, Night Visions in Finland, Molins Horror Film Festival in Spain, and in 2024 at Panic Fest in the US and Octopus Film Festival in Poland.[5][6][7]
It was released commercially by Dark Sky Films for streaming in North America on August 23, 2024.[8]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]On Rotten Tomatoes the movie holds an 86% approval rating based on 14 reviews. It has garnered positive reviews for its inventive approach to the found footage genre. Leslie Felperin of The Guardian described the film as having “wit and a few fun ideas,” noting its ability to entertain despite budget constraints. Elisabeth Vincentelli from The New York Times appreciated the film’s exploration of “the multiple planes of existence that are revealed behind the various so-called wolf doors.” Megan Williams lauded it as “yet another enjoyable delight from Graham Hughes,” highlighting the director’s consistent delivery of engaging content. Dolores Quintana of Nightmarish Conjurings praised the movie as “an original found footage gem that glories in the horror of suggestion and existential crisis with humor and the sensitive gutsiness of its leads.” Kat Hughes from The Hollywood News commended the film, stating, “It’s another solid hit for Scottish director Graham Hughes,” and emphasizing its blend of science fiction elements with unexpected scares. Anton Bitel of SciFiNow described it as “scary, funny sci-fi on a budget,” noting its ability to conjure surreal, otherworldly realms while grounding the narrative in everyday Scottish life. Overall, critics have recognized Hostile Dimensions for its clever storytelling, effective use of the found footage format, and Hughes’ distinctive directorial style.[9][10][11][12][13][14]
Awards and nominations
[edit]Event (year) | Award | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Molins Horror Film Festival (2024) | Best Screenplay | Graham Hughes | Won | [5] |
Imagine Film Festival (2024) | Best Feature | Graham Hughes | Nominated | [5] |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "100 Best Found Footage Movies". editorial.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ a b c "Hostile Dimensions: Delving into found-footage with director Graham Hughes". SciFiNow. 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ "HOSTILE DIMENSIONS". www.frightfest.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ "Beyond Fest: 2023 Films". Beyond Fest. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ a b c Hostile Dimensions (2023) - Awards - IMDb. Retrieved 2025-03-20 – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ Hostile Dimensions (2023) - Release info - IMDb. Retrieved 2025-03-20 – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ "Hostile Dimensions". Dark Sky Films. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ Tabbara2023-10-31T13:30:00+00:00, Mona. "Blue Finch Films locks in North America for 'Hostile Dimensions' (exclusive)". Screen. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Felperin, Leslie (2024-08-20). "Hostile Dimensions review – goofy no-budget horror opens portal to a parallel world". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ Williams, Megan (2024-09-23). "Hostile Dimensions: Review". film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ "Hostile Dimensions - Movie Reviews | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ Vincentelli, Elisabeth (2025-03-14). "Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ^ Hughes, Kat (2023-08-26). "'Hostile Dimensions' review: Dir. Graham Hughes [FrightFest 2023]". The Hollywood News. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
- ^ "Hostile Dimensions review at FrightFest: Scary, funny sci-fi on a budget". SciFiNow. 2023-08-26. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
External links
[edit]- 2023 films
- 2020s English-language films
- 2020s mockumentary films
- 2020s science fiction films
- 2023 horror films
- 2023 science fiction films
- 2023 independent films
- Camcorder films
- English-language horror films
- English-language science fiction films
- English-language independent films
- Found footage films
- Magic realism films
- Films about parallel universes