Ashley Thorpe’s Dartmoor horror legend The Hairy Hands reviewed by Tom Leins

Devon filmmaker Ashley Thorpe has forged a solid reputation with his sinister succession of short films based on notorious local legends. His latest offering is The Hairy Hands, a vivid, hyper-stylized horror flick that packs an improbable number of chills into its admirably brisk 11 minute run-time.

With a ghoulish line in atmospherics and a welcome attention to detail, The Hairy Hands has a uniquely disquieting vibe, and the sense of foreboding is cranked up one notch at a time. Thorpe coaxes a nuanced performance out of leading man Edward Berry, and he gives this supernatural tale an all-too-plausible edge.

Make no mistake, Ashley Thorpe’s menacing short film will grab you by the throat with its hairy hands, and not let go until the chilling final frame. Freaky folklore just got re-booted for a new generation. Accomplished stuff.

• Find out more about Ashley Thorpe’s films at the Carrion Films site

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Tom Leins

• Tom Leins spent two years working as a film critic for national movie magazine DVD Monthly. Since the magazine closed down in 2009 he has contributed to a variety of websites, not least Devon & Cornwall Film, which showcases 'Sex, Leins & Videotape', his entertaining DVD round-up. Tom's short fiction has been widely published online, and he is currently working on his first novel. To find out more visit: Things To Do In Devon When You're Dead. http://www.thingstodoindevonwhenyouredead.wordpress.com/

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