The Hole (2001)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Nick Hamm

Writers:

Guy Burt (novel)
Ben Court (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 April 2001 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Desperate To Get In. Dying To Get Out.

Plot:

Four teenagers at a British private school secretly uncover and explore the depths of a sealed underground hole created decades ago as a possible bomb shelter.

Plot Keywords:

School | Private School | Psychologist | Female Frontal Nudity | Nipples

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Thora Birch	...	Liz Dunn
Desmond Harrington	...	Mike Steel
Daniel Brocklebank	...	Martyn Taylor
Laurence Fox	...	Geoff Bingham
Keira Knightley	...	Frances 'Frankie' Almond Smith
Embeth Davidtz	...	Dr. Philippa Horwood
Steven Waddington	...	DCS Tom Howard
Emma Griffiths Malin	...	Daisy
Jemma Powell	...	Minnie (as Gemma Powell)
Gemma Craven	...	Mrs. Dunn
Anastasia Hille	...	Gillian
Kelly Hunter	...	DI Chapman
Maria Pastel	...	Policewoman
Celia Montague	...	Solicitor
Kevin Trainor	...	Boy in school

Also Known As:

After the Hole (USA)
Secluded Empty Space (South Africa: English title) (trailer title)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language, some violence, sexuality/nudity and drug use.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:18 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:12 | UK:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Chile:18 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Spain:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Benenden Girls' School, Cranbrook, Kent, England, UK

Company:

Canal+

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the downward shot as the four enter the shelter, two legs of the cameras tripod can be seen.

Quotes:

Mike: And then there's all those exciting exams to look forward to.
Frankie: Way to look on the positive side.
Mike: No, no, no. I've got a hard-on for these exams, they're great.
Geoff: You've got a hard-on for everything.
Mike: Not for you, mate.

Movie Connections:

References Heavenly Creatures (1994)

Soundtrack:

Show Me The Money

A well-crafted, deeply intelligent adult thriller.

THE HOLE (2001) Rating: 8/10

While this movie wasn't quite what I expected, I still got my money's worth. The Hole is a movie without much gore or scenes of hard-out murdering; this movie was more of a thinker. It built on its suspense and chills and the plot was looked at from many different points of view before the final call was made on actually what happened down in the hole. The film has plenty of T&A for the boys (and girls!) and moments of total spookiness for horror buffs, and I am sure everyone will get something out of this movie. The acting is superb. Thora Birch once again proves she is one of the most promising young actresses around these days. Her British accent is flawless and she is stunningly beautiful and acts out her scenes with all her effort. The rest of the cast, apart from the fantastic Embeth Davidtz, are pretty well unknowns, but they all act extremely well and each of them give stellar performances. The script for this movie is fantastic. It builds on the shocks and twists and is very smart and sees the story from many perspectives. I think the characters swore a little too much, but it didn't bother me to a big extent. The direction for the movie is also very well done. I appreciated the director's style and ideas and his twists and turns and many, many cuts are handled excellently. Some people may not really enjoy this film because it runs longer than usual horror movies and is a little slower than recent enjoyable thrillers, but this is all due to building the suspense that is all worth it in the end. Not many people have watched this thriller because it is a very independent film and sort of over-taken by the big blockbusters these days, but I highly recommend renting The Hole. This is an awesome psychological thriller that is well worth the time. It is a film that may make your heart miss a few beats and a film that's finale will leave your jaw on the ground!