Maria (Lily-Beau Leach) experienced an unusual upbringing, live alone with her OCD hoarder mother Cynthia (Hayley Squires) in a squalid flat filled with junk. Unaware that the way they live isn’t normal, or healthy, Maria forms a close bond with her mother until they are separated and Maria is put into care. Move forward a decade to the mid-90s and Maria (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) appears to be living a normal live with her foster mother Michelle (Samantha Spiro). That façade starts to fall away when Michael (Joseph Quinn), a former charge of Michelle’s returns and becomes infatuated with Maria, threatening to unravel the life she’s barely holding together.
‘Hoard’ is an unusual film from director Luna Carmoon. It throws the viewer into a world they likely won’t be able to relate to, and one that leaves you feeling desperately sad for Maria. As a child we see Maria having to act like the parent with Cynthia, and living a life that is equal parts intense love and child neglect. Having known no other way of living, Maria doesn’t understand that the life she and her mother lead is not a common one. We get to spend a short time with Maria as child before the story jumps forward to 1994 and that’s when the story becomes even stranger.
On the surface Maria seems to have found peace living with her foster Mum Michelle. She has friends and a loving environment around her, but the sudden arrival of Michael begins a slow unravelling that brings Maria’s trauma back to the surface and kicks off a swift spiral. Michael has a pregnant girlfriend but his attention becomes focused primarily on Maria and the unhealthy connection they make within minutes of meeting. A strange mix of sibling relations and sexual attraction, the two characters aren’t really equipped to deal with the feelings they stir within each other.
Quickly Maria’s long-buried emotions and trauma begin to bubble to the surface, and Michael’s encouragement of her behaviour only makes matters worse. The two characters feel familiarity with one another, and they can sense that each other has been through plenty of trauma in their life. The intensity of their relationship becomes the central focus of the film as their behaviour spirals and their worlds threaten to implode.
Saura Lightfoot-Leon and Joseph Quinn are magnetic in the lead roles of Maria and Michael. They have an electric chemistry that makes their animalistic behaviour towards one another seem almost normal. Lightfoot-Leon has the harder task of the two actors, having to navigate the trauma for her character’s youth and the impending implosion that threatens to consume the life she’s made. Quinn proves that ‘Stranger Things’ was no one-off, giving an edgy performance that showcases his acting chops. He’s quite mesmerising to watch, even when his character is being pretty despicable.
‘Hoard’ is a truly unusual and unique film. It’s part art-house, part hard-hitting drama and it likely won’t be for everyone. Carmoon is a director that isn’t interested in telling a conventional story, and ‘Hoard’ explores trauma in a way that I’ve never seen on-screen before. The film is compelling, heart-breaking and intense, but if you stick with it to the very end, it’s rewarding. If you’re coming to it because you’re a fan of Joseph Quinn, be aware that he couldn’t be further away from his ‘Stranger Things’ character here.
Cast: Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Lily-Beau Leach, Deba Hekmat, Joseph Quinn, Hayley Squires and Samantha Spiro Director: Luna Carmoon Certificate: TBC Duration: 126 mins Released by: Sunrise Films / Vertigo Releasing Release date: 6th September 2024 (US)
