The Hole

"Excellent"

The Hole Review


Director Dante knows a thing or two about making teen thrillers, and this film gets the atmosphere just right without indulging in cheap movie gimmicks.

Except for the 3D of course, which is used both sparingly and with a lot of wit.

Teenager Dane (Massoglia) is seriously annoyed that his mother (Polo) has uprooted him and his little brother Lucas (Gamble) yet again. But at least there's a cute girl, Julie (Bennett), living next door to their new house. Then Dane and Lucas discover a seemingly bottomless hole in the basement, and enlist Julie to figure out what it is. Soon all manner of scary things start happening, so they consult the house's creepy former resident (Dern), but he's no help at all.

The story feels like a children's book that taps into the dark corners of the human psyche to both entertain kids and help them deal with their fears. In other words, it's quite a clever premise, even if it ultimately seems a little simplistic. And Dante resists the temptation to ramp things up with whizzy editing and effects, keeping the film naturalistic and relaxed from the start, then slowly building tension while delivering sharp jolts and striking visual flourishes.

When we finally enter the hole with the kids, there's both a surge of tension and an exhilarating sense of discovery, a mix that younger filmmakers seem to have forgotten how to achieve. Visually, this segment of the story is pretty outrageous, but Dante never over-eggs it, keeping things grounded both in classic movie imagery (it resembles Dali's work with Hitchcock) and our own nightmares. Through the whole film, Dante balances humour, horror and insinuating black comedy, rather like an old-style monster movie.

Meanwhile, the fine cast deliver their performances without annoying overacting or corny sentimentality. These kids are as fascinated by the unknown as we are, and watching them band together to face their fears is both engaging and deeply satisfying. That everything is linked into their back-stories makes the plot perhaps a little too tidy for grown-ups who have learned that the world is actually a very messy place. But even that's somehow endearing. And of course comforting.



The Hole

Facts and Figures

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Run time: 102 mins

In Theaters: Friday 20th April 2001

Distributed by: Miramax

Production compaines: Pathé Pictures International, Canal+, Cowboy Films, Film Council, Granada Film Productions, Impact Pictures

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 4 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
Fresh: 8 Rotten: 8

IMDB: 6.2 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director:

Producer: Claudio Fah, , Michel Litvak,

Starring: as Liz Dunn, as Mike Steel, as Frances 'Frankie' Almond Smith, as Geoff Bingham, as Martyn Taylor, as Dr. Philippa Horwood, as DCS Tom Howard, Emma Griffiths Malin as Daisy, as Minnie (as Gemma Powell), Gemma Craven as Mrs. Dunn, Anastasia Hille as Gillian, as DI Chapman, Maria Pastel as Policewoman

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews