The Hole
Do you believe in signs? I do. I believe that sometimes the universe will align just right and help you on your way. In this case, the world seems to want me to write about the movie. It was a mixture of things. I had encountered Joe Dante’s childhood horror movie The Hole and immediately thought of this. I had a simultaneously watching Atonement and American Beauty and was struggling to deal with my feelings about that. Dan Elrand popped up in Drop Dead Fred and my brain buzzed with Ghost Ship emotions. It all pointed in one direction, down a secret passage way in the English countryside. Then a beloved friend went, “Oh Sarah, you should write about The Hole,” and here I am.
2001’s The Hole is a psychological thriller by Nick Hamm. Starring Thora Birch and credited as being one of the first Kiera Knightly vehicles. Though similar in tone to the teenage dramas soaring around such as I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream and Final Destination, this eerie tale takes a more sinister tone. Birch plays Liz, a private school attendee who is found after disappearing with her friends for 18 days. When she describes how they were trapped in a hole, the sinister events that have transpired underground start to unfold as she relives her trauma. But is she blocking out what truly happened down there or is there much more to her than she is letting on?
Why Is It Bad?
As mentioned before, it feels exactly like the previous excavation on post pubescent antics that make you feel that filmmakers believe students die a lot more than they actually do. Throwing in sluts, virgins and exchange students, the feel around Hamm’s work is like it ripped it from Screams . Unfortunately, the action doesn’t kick in until the second half, following the atmospheric story telling that isn’t unearthed until the end. In fact, unless you know about the other side, you’ll be tempted to switch off from it. It’s all rather ridiculous, and feels as though Hamm is literally hamming it up too much! Also, any movie that has The Sun on it's billing is a straight no go.
Why is the Good?
Well the surprising collection of actors here are actually fun to watch, especially with Birch at the helm here. That and when the plot kicks in, it is a compelling viewing and starts to weave those plot threads into something a bit more stellar. The Hole may suffer to begin with, and feel a bit silly, but one can’t shake the feeling that it might be the point. As you begin to unwind with Liz, you’ll follow a much more horrific portrayal of desperation and claustrophobia that digs more into your skin than the bland first half does. When the final moments and the truth spills out, the deception against you rocks.
Part of me feelings wrong that I am poking, ha ha, holes at this film but similarly to the movie, I am torn in two. It is a film that isn’t without fault but it does have its stellar moments. For the most part, I think this is much more underrated, getting lost down the wrens of teenage horror and never feel excavated properly.