‘Hallowarrior’: Milly Shapiro Shines in Charming Post-Apocalyptic Thriller [Tribeca Review]

It’s impossible to think about Halloween while you’re wiping away sweat seated in a movie theater in New York City in June, yet somehow, Ben Sottak‘s feature debut, Hallowarrior, had me longing for hot apple cider and the comforting glow of a jack-o’-lantern–or in this case, junk-o’lantern. Equal parts coming-of-age story, post-apocalyptic thriller, and home invasion film, Hallowarrior captures the spirit of the holiday so effectively and with so much affection that I found myself wishing I could live inside its world long after the credits rolled.

The film opens with a distress call from 16-year-old Pumpkin (Milly Shapiro in her first role since 2018’s Hereditary), who believes she’s the last person on Earth after a mysterious plague wiped out humanity four years earlier. Having spent nearly the entirety of her adolescence alone in her decaying home, Pumpkin scavenges the nearby farms for food and supplies while preparing for Halloween, once her family’s favorite holiday. Desperate for connection, she ends her broadcast with an invitation: if anyone can hear her, they’re welcome to attend her Halloween party. When no one answers, Pumpkin begins to lose hope—until three strangers suddenly appear in her home. 

Hallowarrior spends much of its first act with Pumpkin alone, a risky choice that pays off thanks to Shapiro’s brilliant performance. She imbues Pumpkin, who hasn’t matured much since the start of the plague, when she was only 12 years old, with innocence and vulnerability, while remaining charismatic enough to hold the screen during long stretches as she rides through the countryside on her bike. I could have happily spent even more time watching her prepare for Halloween and navigate the remnants of the world. Even at her strangest—Pumpkin is hiding a macabre little secret of her own—she’s still relatable and sympathetic. 

Once Thalia (Shannyn Sossamon), Royce (AJ Bowen), and Wendy (Ajani Russell) arrive, Hallowarrior makes its shift from a coming-of-age story/meditation on grief to a home invasion film. Sossamon is given the film’s most intriguing role by far as Thalia, the leader of the scavengers. She manages to walk a careful line between maternal warmth and menace, often embodying both qualities in the same scene. Russell also does some amazing work hinting at the sadness just below Wendy’s prickly exterior, making them way more compelling than just another post-apocalyptic survivor hardened by their circumstances.