After its screening at last year’s London Film Festival, Hoard became one of the most talked about films. Written and directed by newcomer Luna Carmoon, Hoard has all the ingredients to become a future British classic.
Set across the 80s and 90s, Hoard follows the journey of Maria from a young girl (Lily-Beau Leach) to young woman (Saura Lightfoot-Leon). When first introduced Maria lives a strange, almost fairy-tale life with her mother Cynthia (Hayley Squires). The environment in which they live is less than ideal, with Cynthia an extreme hoarder. Despite the messy flat, the pair love to play amongst the debris of their kingdom. However, a tragic accident forces the two to separate, with the story picking up ten years later. Maria has now finished school and drives her loving foster mother crazy with her wild antics and lack of ambition. Then, former foster child Michael (Joseph Quinn), arrives and upheaves Maria’s life.
To fully quantify exactly the type of film that Hoard is, is practically impossible. Luna Carmoon has lovingly crafted an exceptionally personal path through the minefield of guilt and grief. Having seemingly been on autopilot since leaving Cynthia, Maria is suddenly confronted with a bitter truth about her past, and this news sees her spiral into dangerous behaviour. Watching Maria unravel is equal parts fascinating and devastating. Carmoon is careful not to conform to expected tropes, telling instead, a story that is entirely unique. For some, this exploration of loss will be too puzzling to follow, but in life there is no guidebook to navigating emotions and so the ebb and flow of Maria’s episode is potentially more authentic than others committed to screen.
Wading into the complex headspace of Maria are Lily-Beau Leach and Saura Lightfoot Leon. As the youngest version of Maria, Leach is exceptional. She plays the melancholic child putting on a brave face beautifully. Her plight of having to look after her mentally unwell mother alone is one that many will tragically relate to, and she conveys the situation perfectly. As the younger Maria she manages to articulate that inner struggle between her mother being her world and loving her dearly, to being aware enough to know that their home environment is different, and the embarrassment that this causes. Has there not just been a Matilda movie, Leach would be a prime candidate to tackle the role given her performance in Hoard.
As the older iteration of Maria, Lightfoot-Leon has a slightly tougher task as this version is more reserved and guarded. Troubled by her past, Maria has simply repressed her former life. It’s a common coping mechanism and Lightfoot-Leon’s performance as she finally starts to deal with her former life is touching. Flickers of the (somewhat) carefree child poke through, and in these moments both Maria, and Hoard, come alive. The further Maria withdraws into her imagination, the more lucid Carmoon’s films become. The juxtaposition of wild fantasies and kitchen-sink realism work together to create something not previously seen in British independent cinema.
Accompanying Maria on her spiritual quest is binman Michael, played by Stranger Things’ sensation, Joseph Quinn. Since his appearance as Eddie on the hit Netflix show, Quinn has amassed a dedicated and near-rabid fanbase. His devout followers will no doubt form a big chunk of Hoard’s viewing public, but expectations of a similarly likeable character will go unfulfilled. That is not to say that Michael is a ‘bad’ character, he is just one that is more layered than Eddie. Michael himself is in a state of transition, and as he and Maria meet, both engage their self-destruction buttons. All Hell then begins to unfold. The chemistry between Quinn and Lightfoot-Leon is combustible; watching Michael and Maria succumb to their questionable desires is nothing short of compelling.
Hoard is a film that feels deeply personal throughout, to the point where it almost feels wrong to be watching. This level of connection between viewer and material usually takes filmmakers years to achieve, and yet Luna Carmoon has managed it with her feature debut. This impressive feat ensures that all eyes will be on what comes next from the writer and director. Carmoon, and the team around her, have poured their heart and soul into Hoard’s creation and in doing so have birthed a film that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach. Although different to both, Carmoon could, and should, be the successor to Leigh and Loach’s throne as Hoard spins conventions and ideas of British cinema in a very exciting direction.
Hoard
Summary
An intricately complex analysis of childhood trauma, repressed emotion, and unbridled grief, Hoard is proof that British film is more than historic period dramas.
Hoard arrives in selected UK cinemas from Friday 17th May 2024.
