THE HOLE

Four young students, two girls and two boys, from an exclusive English private school decide to avoid the annual school trip and instead lock themselves in a sort of underground shelter to spend three days away from everything and everyone. From that prison underground, only one of the girls, Liz, will manage to get out. In that dark place, something happened that traumatized her to the point of not remembering what happened and confusing reality, memories, and fantasy... Produced in England and distributed by Nexo, 'The Hole' is a thriller-horror film starring a cast of very young actors, including Thora Birch (who had already been appreciated in 'American Beauty' as Kevin Spacey's daughter). A developing beginning and a series of flashbacks slowly unravel the intricate plot, managing to keep the viewer's attention alive and interested until a foreseeable but not obvious ending. Unfortunately, despite the rather unsettling atmosphere that pervades the entire film (thanks mainly to the claustrophobic setting of the scenes inside the 'hole'), the truly frightening sequences (the 'jump out of your seat' kind) are few. A film worth appreciating, if nothing else for the originality of its subject, and which is particularly suitable for a young audience.