All about ‘A Hollow Tree’—and how to watch the creepy Skinwalker movie
Trying to track down A Hollow Tree, the skinwalker movie—here’s where to watch it.
If you’ve seen chatter about the “skinwalker” horror making the rounds, here’s the lay of the land: the YouTube short A Hollow Tree is free to watch right now, but the feature-length expansion, titled Hollow Trees, isn’t online yet. The feature had its world premiere on July 11 at the Galway Film Fleadh, where it was named Best Independent Irish Film, and it’s still on the festival circuit.
Where to watch
The 2023 proof-of-concept short, posted to YouTube as A Hollow Tree – Skinwalker movie ( Award-Winning), is available to stream. The feature Hollow Trees has not been released to rent, buy, or stream in the U.S. (or anywhere) yet. Its next public screening is set for the Belfast Film Festival on November 3.
For Belfast attendees, tickets fall under the festival’s “Pay What You Can” model, priced £7–£12 with no booking fees.
What it’s about
Set years after a war that wiped out half the population, Hollow Trees follows Kent, a battle-hardened survivor, and Danny, a boy he’s trying to keep alive. Their scavenging run turns into a nightmare when Kent encounters a creature that mimics human beings — a shape-shifter that makes every encounter a potential trap.
- Tom Kerrisk — Kent
- Louis Kirwan — Danny
- Rosey Hayes — role undisclosed
- Colin Malone — role undisclosed
Kerrisk also led the original short, carrying his character into the feature.
From YouTube to the festival circuit
Writer-director Cathal Fitzpatrick first built the world in college with a proof-of-concept short reportedly made for about £500. After the video picked up serious traction on YouTube, he pushed ahead with a full-length version funded on a shoestring.
Shot in roughly two weeks for about £9,000 with an 11-person crew.
That scrappy feature premiered at the 38th Galway Film Fleadh before heading to Belfast next. While YouTube-born horror has been having a moment — see the surge around projects like Kane Parsons’ Backrooms — Hollow Trees is taking a slower, festival-first path before any streaming deal is announced.
The Belfast Film Festival screening on November 3 uses the standard “Pay What You Can” pricing of £7–£12, with no booking fees.