The Hole in the Ground [Review by SpecialK]

I know, I know. It’s been the question on everyone’s mind in 2019: What do Ireland and Finland have in common, after all? Well at first glance, not much. A mutual interest in keeping the peace in Lebanon in 2006, far too much unfortunate experience with devastating famines, and a couple of footballers with the last name O’Shaughnessy. But after taking in the latest film production supported by the Finnish Film Foundation and the Irish Film Board/Bord Scannán na hÉireann, I can now confidently add to that list “a keen eye for quality horror.” The Hole in the Ground is an anxiety-inducing, atmospheric, unearthly bijou of a film, and the perfect way to kick off this horrorista’s coverage of the 2019 Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival.

Filmed amidst the dark forests and misty rural farming towns of Ireland, The Hole in the Ground features a woman named Sarah and her young son Chris as they embark upon a new life far away from a dark past. But as she explores her quaint new town and meets her kind neighbors, Sarah starts to feel that something isn’t quite right. There’s something off about the woods, about the old woman who lives up the road, and even, dare she suspect, about her own son Chris. But what’s really going on? Is Sarah just stressed out by all of this sudden change? Is there something wrong with Chris? And what is the deal with that massive sinkhole in the woods nobody seems to talk about?

Now I don’t want to get ahead of myself here since it’s only March, and there are some blockbuster remakes expected this year, but heck, you only live once so I’ll just go ahead and say it: The Hole in the Ground may just be my favorite horror film of 2019, and is definitely now one of my top 10 favorite horror films of all time.

Why the unabashed praise? Dear readers, where to begin…First, the story develops masterfully and leaves you guessing at every turn. This film simply does not flounder—from the way its drumbeat of dread steadily rises, to the way the complexities of each character’s backstory gently unfold, to the obstacle course the writers deftly navigate to avoid every cliché about survivors of domestic violence and every scary movie trope in existence.

The acting is fantastic, and the casting choices superb— Seána Kerslake’s striking natural beauty is transformed into a believable young mom who is walking that very real, very fine line between her doe-eyed youth, her practical responsibilities as head-of-household, and her ruthless mothering instincts. James Quinn Markey shines as a terrifying little child, but not in the way most “evil” children do in scary movies, when their acting is so transparent that you’re rooting for someone to put an end to their character within the first ten minutes of the film. No, James may actually leave me with real nightmares.

But that brings me to what made me love this film so much above all else—the eerie, unsettling nature of the whole production. So much of the film is shot with that level of light you only get when you wake in your bedroom in the middle of the night—everything is somewhat bright under the moonlight, but still obscured by this soft shade of deep blue, making it just hard enough to see what’s in the corners, and making you dread stepping out from under the covers. Combine these lighting choices with a creaky, thumpy old house, sweeping shots of the majestic landscape of Ireland’s forests, and lilting Irish accents, and you’ve got a beaut of a film.

Finally, woven throughout are some of the most effective approaches to terror I’ve seen in a long time. The Hole in the Ground relies on tried and true themes without being predictable, and shows you just enough of what you’re scared of to satisfy, while still leaving you wondering what’s around the next corner. It’s everything The Prodigy should have been and more. If you’ve ever heard a bump in the night while babysitting, you know what I’m talking about—there’s nothing more terrifying than wanting to run away as fast as you can, but knowing you absolutely have to “check the children.” I just gave myself chills. Touché to Irish director Lee Cronin on this, his feature film debut.