Hoard (film)

British drama film

Hoard

Directed by| Luna Carmoon
Screenplay by| Luna Carmoon
Produced by|

* Loran Dunn
* Helen Simmons
* Andy Starke

Starring|

* Hayley Squires
* Joseph Quinn
* Saura Lightfoot Leon
* Lily-Beau Leach

Cinematography| Nanu Segal
Music by| Jim Williams

Production
companies

* Delaval Film
* Erebus Pictures
* BFI
* Anti-Worlds
* BBC Film

Distributed by| Alpha Violet

Release dates

* September 2, 2023 (2023-09-02) (Venice International Film Festival)
* May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17) (United Kingdom and Ireland)

Running time

| 126 minutes[1]
Country| United Kingdom
Language| English
Box office| $79,155[2]

Hoard is a 2023 British film marking the directorial debut of Luna Carmoon. It stars Hayley Squires, Joseph Quinn, Saura Lightfoot Leon, and Lily-Beau Leach. The film premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 2 September 2023.[3]

## Synopsis[edit]

The film is set in the 1980s and 1990s and follows a mother-daughter relationship.[4]

## Cast[edit]

* Saura Lightfoot Leon as Maria
* Lily-Beau Leach as young Maria
* Hayley Squires as Cynthia, Maria's mother
* Samantha Spiro as Michelle, Maria's foster mother
* Joseph Quinn as Michael, one of Michelle's former foster children
* Deba Hekmat as Laraib, Maria's school friend
* Cathy Tyson as Sam
* Nabil Elouahabi as Ali
* Sandra Hale as Janice

## Production[edit]

The film is produced by Delaval Film, Erebus Pictures, Anti-Worlds with producers Loran Dunn, Helen Simmons and Andy Starke. It is backed by the British Film Institute (BFI) and BBC Film.[5][6]

Casting was revealed in April 2022 with Saura Lightfoot Leon, Deba Hekmat, Hayley Squires, Joseph Quinn and Lily-Beau Leach in the lead roles.[7]

Principal photography took place in South-East London and was completed by May 2022.[8]

## Release[edit]

The film was shown at the BFI London Film Festival Works-in-Progress showcase in October 2022.[9] It had a UK premiere date of 9 October 2023, again at the BFI London Film Festival.[10] The film is scheduled for a theatrical release in the UK and Ireland on 17 May 2024.[11]

## Reception[edit]

### Critical response[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 90% based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10.[12]

Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian gave the film four stars out of five, describing a "deeply strange and emotionally extravagant story" with "a lot of storytelling substance. Hoard isn’t perfect but its pure vehemence and the commitment of its performances are arresting".[13] Ed Potton in The Times compared the filmmaking to Andrea Arnold and Andrew Birkin but said that "Carmoon is very much her own film-maker" and praised Lightfoot Leon's performance, saying she was "a leading lady with animalistic, inhibited presence".[14] The film also received four stars out of five from Sophie Monks Kauffman in Time Out who called it a "visceral debut" which "defies simple interpretations" and made mention of cinematographer Nanu Segal’s handheld camerawork which "captures the fearless Lightfoot Leon".[15]

### Accolades[edit]

Award  | Date of ceremony  | Category  | Recipient(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Venice Film Festival | 9 September 2023 | Venice International Critics' Week – Grand Prize  | Luna Carmoon | Nominated  | [16]
The Film Club Audience Award  | Won
Verona Film Club Award  | Won
Authors Under 40 Award – Best Directing and Screenwriting  | Won
Venice International Critics' Week – Jury Special Mention  | Saura Lightfoot Leon  | Won
Athens International Film Festival  | 9 October 2023  | Best Picture  | Hoard | Nominated  | [17]
Best Screenplay  | Luna Carmoon | Won  | [18]
London Film Festival | 15 October 2023 | Sutherland Award for Best First Feature  | Hoard | Nominated  | [19]
Valladolid International Film Festival | 28 October 2023 | Punto de Encuentro Award  | Nominated  | [20]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Hoard". British Film Council. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
2. ^ "Hoard (2024)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
3. ^ Milici, Lauren (July 24, 2023). "Joseph Quinn's first post-Stranger Things movie gets first look". Gamesradar.com. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
4. ^ Cooper, Sarah (June 29, 2022). "Stars of Tomorrow 2022: Luna Carmoon (writer/director)". Screen Daily. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
5. ^ "Hoard". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
6. ^ Dalton, Ben (April 25, 2022). "Saura Lightfoot Leon, Joseph Quinn, Hayley Squires to lead Luna Carmoon's 'Hoard' for BBC Film, BFI". Screen Daily. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
7. ^ Grater, Tom (April 25, 2022). "Saura Lightfoot Leon, Hayley Squires & Joseph Quinn Starring In UK Debut 'Hoard'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
8. ^ Leigh, Janet (May 30, 2022). "Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn says season 4 part two will be the show's craziest". Digital Spy. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
9. ^ Tabbara, Mona (September 20, 2022). "Adura Onashile's 'Girl', Luna Carmoon's 'Hoard' selected for BFI London Film Festival Works-in-Progress". Screen Daily. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
10. ^ Duncan, Charlie (October 9, 2023). "Stranger Things star's critically acclaimed new movie lands UK release". Digital Spy. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
11. ^ Sandwell, Ian (January 31, 2024). "UK film release dates: Find out when all the latest movies are coming to cinemas". Digital Spy. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
12. ^ "Hoard". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
13. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (September 2, 2023). "Hoard review – a haunting study of loneliness and thwarted sexuality". The Guardian. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
14. ^ Potton, Ed (May 14, 2024). "Hoard review — a thrilling cinematic fever dream". The Times. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
15. ^ Monks Kaufman, Sophie (September 18, 2023). "Hoard film review". Time Out. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
16. ^ "COLLATERAL AWARDS OF THE 80TH VENICE FILM FESTIVAL". La Biennale di Venezia. September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
17. ^ "International Competition". Athens International Film Festival. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
18. ^ Grivas, Alexis (October 11, 2023). "Molly Manning Walker's 'How to Have Sex' triumphs at Athens". ScreenDaily. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
19. ^ Ntim, Zac (August 31, 2023). "BFI London Film Festival Full Lineup: 'The Book Of Clarence' World Premiere; Scorsese, Miyazaki, Lanthimos & Fincher Among Headline Galas". Deadline. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
20. ^ "The female gaze prevails among the new and audacious voices selected for the Seminci program". Valladolid International Film Festival (in Spanish). September 19, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.

## External links[edit]

* Hoard at IMDb