The Hole (2001)

A group of British private school students discover a hole that was possibly dug as a bomb shelter, and soon a prank involving the mysterious hole effects all their lives.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 22-AUG-2006
Media Type: DVD Product Description

What happens in the bunker stays in the bunker

Before she was engaging in who-can-wear-more-mascara contests with Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley was trapped in a bunker with Thora Birch and two guys for 18 days. I expected this to be a film about four teens trapped in an underground bunker trying to survive as days turn into weeks (two and a half to be exact), but that really isn't what The Hole is all about. That fact becomes obvious in the opening scene, as we watch a haggard survivor emerge and shuffle her way back to safety. Once she begins telling her story, I thought the rest of the movie would just be one big flashback leading us back to the present - wrong again. The plot to this film is much more dark and insidious as all that - and, while it's not problem-free, I think the film is all the better for it. This is very much a psychological thriller which almost succeeds magnificently - almost. And, as unlikely as it may sound, the story plays off the kinds of emotions all of us have experienced - to some degree - at some point in our lives. Stripped down to the very bone, what you have here is a love story.

So here are your choices: go along on a boring school field trip, spend a tedious weekend at home, or sneak away to an underground bunker to party with Keira Knightley and Thora Birch for three days. I'm a claustrophobic non-rebel, but I would be totally down (pun intended) with hunkering in the bunker. It certainly seemed like a good idea to Liz Dunn (Birch) because it would give her a chance to spend some quality time with the suddenly available apple of her eye, Mike Steel (Desmond Harrington). As she eventually tells the psychologist assigned to her (Embeth Davitz), her friend Martyn (Daniel Brocklebank) - one of those unethical brainiacs who can make anything happen - arranged the whole thing, after Mike, Frankie (Knightley), and Geoff (Laurence Fox) solicited his help in getting away for the weekend without either the school or their parents knowing about it. The plan was a smashing success - except for the fact that Martyn never showed up to unlock the door and let them out. Clearly, Martyn is the guilty party.

But wait a minute - it's not as simple as all that. Martyn insists that he had nothing to do with any of it, and through him a much different version of events emerges, one that significantly redefines the characters of Liz and Frankie. Whatever your suspicions, you as the viewer don't really know who or what to believe, especially since you have yet to be told exactly what happened to Mike, Frankie, and Geoff (in fact, I have a little problem with the fact that some of the initial implications are misleading and leave you asking obvious questions you later find out you needn't have asked). Even after it becomes obvious that one character in particular is not telling the whole story, the sense of mystery remains until the end, when the fates of all are finally revealed. There's just something about the ending that left me unsatisfied, though - not in terms of everything that took place in the bunker (although one key event was rather obviously foreshadowed early on), but definitely in the way things play out above ground. That is why, as much as I want to give The Hole five stars in recognition of its creative storytelling prowess and bevy of strong performances, I just can't do it. It's most unfortunate because I really do love this movie.

I do not like the DVD cover featuring the close-up of Keira Knightley, though. For one thing, she doesn't look anything like this in the movie, but more importantly, this movie is really all about Thora Birch. Knightley's good, but it is the commanding presence of Birch that largely defines the film as a whole. With a less capable actress in the lead role, The Hole could have come off as laughably bad. A subtle facial expression can oftentimes say more than a drawn-out soliloquy, and Birch is unarguably a complete actress. She can be the girl next door and, at the same time, reveal traces of a hidden dark side - and that makes her not only mysteriously seductive but sexy as hell to those of us who like a little bit of evil in our girls. May 4, 2008

Thriller fans need to take this dark ride

This was one cool flick. Pri - tee darn horrifying what takes place down in that hole, especially as the truth unfolds. There's something extra poignant watching the priviledged lose control of their magic kingdom and suffer the worst by way of some malfunctioning mind's doings. The plot builds as the clock ticks and you become aware you're not really sure of just what happened down there. As you figure it out, you are introduced to one warped a** psyche. If you're a fan of disturbing fare, dig in. March 28, 2008

Going into the hole

At the start of the film we see an exhausted zombie like Birch walking back on campus (after escaping the hole). She and 3 friends (looking for a fun place to party) got trapped in a WW2 bunker. But how did it happen? The movie takes us through 2 interesting versions of what happened.

The hole features some talented unknown actors/actresses (except Knightly ofcourse, who is well known). The characters are interesting, and the music is very good too. However, the story is a little unbelievable, leaving some watchers with many "why did they do that?" questions. My advice is to not ask yourself "why did she/he do that". The characters do alot of things that don't make sense and you will enjoy the movie alot more if you just forget about the flaws.

This isn't a bad movie, but you will enjoy it alot more if you have low expectations September 3, 2007

Directors Need to Ask for Directions

***Possible SPOILERS ahead*** Tale of a group of spoiled-rich teenagers getting into a hole and having problems to getting out of it. It is composed of two movements: a short straight story that is really scary and is resolved by an "act of god", and a second very weak part which transforms one of the characters from an innocent nerd into a minor Kayzer Sosze. From the moment the second version of the story appears the script starts to tumble down the stairs until it get wrapped in muddy waters (literally). This `crazy-mastermind' part is unbelievable and is left unresolved with a wink to spectators that don't ask for much. I would let this pass and consider this film as a minor effective entertainment if not for the fact that the final scenes between the psychologist and the crazy student which reveals the truth are badly managed and fail to produce tension or lasting horror. July 31, 2007

An ok movie

If you are purchasing this movie to see Keira Knightly's breasts, make sure you don't blink as you will miss them.
Otherwise the movie is good June 10, 2007

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