The Hole (2001)

Directed by: Nick Hamm | 102 minutes | drama, horror, thriller, crime | Actors: Thora Birch, Desmond Harrington, Daniel Brocklebank, Laurence Fox, Keira Knightley, Embeth Davidtz, Steve Waddington, Emma Griffiths Malin, Jemma Powell, Gemma Craven, Anastasia Hille, Kelly Hunter

Poor Torah Birch. In 1999, she played herself in the spotlight as an insecure teenager in ‘American Beauty’. Two years later, she again captured two spirited roles: that of the eccentric Enid in ‘Ghost World’ and the traumatized Liz in ‘The Hole’. Still, Birch didn’t become a mega-star; that honor turned out to be reserved for her fellow players. In ‘Ghost World’ she shared the screen with the then unknown Scarlett Johansson and in ‘The Hole’ Keira Knightley drew all the attention to herself. As a character actress, see how much sex appeal can be.

Now it has to be said that Knightley rightly steals the show in ‘The Hole’. She sparkles as a blonde temptress who dresses in designer outfits even during a Spartan weekend in an underground bunker. The British beauty was only fifteen years old when she made this film, but she proves that she is not a prudish or scared actress. Like an accomplished vamp, she wraps men around her little finger, bares her modest breasts and struggles to escape a near-assault. Thora Birch has more trouble with her role. She’s too earthy and American to convince as a privileged English boarding school student. Maybe that’s why Liz dials 911 when she wants to call the British emergency number (999)?

Fortunately, ‘The Hole’ plays trump cards that compensate for the sloppiness in the plot and the disappointing acting performance of Birch. First, the basics. Teenagers in an underground space: that means serial killers, mutated cavemen or at least the ghost of a deceased soldier. So no. ‘The Hole’ is not a cheap slasher, but a psychological thriller more akin to ‘Se7en’ than to ‘Scream’. The film opens strongly with an effective horror scene, only to slow down and delve into the psyche of the confused Liz. During therapy sessions and police interrogations, various interpretations of the drama are discussed, but the truth only becomes clear towards the end. This narrative structure (the same story from different perspectives) makes the film more interesting, but also somewhat difficult to follow.

The flashback scenes in the bunker are the best. Being locked up is a basic fear that many people can feel. First there’s the irritation (“My parents get mad if I don’t get back in time!”), then the blind panic and then the acceptance of the inevitable outcome. In the claustrophobic setting of ‘The Hole’ you experience all the emotions of the main characters. The images are as haunting as the location, with dingy shots of spoiled food and teeming maggots. And if that doesn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth, then the denouement will. It’s a bit unbelievable, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying.

The second asset of ‘The Hole’ is the music; not unimportant for a film that relies mainly on the atmosphere. The boarding school setting calls for great rock and indie pop, delivered by the likes of Porn Kings, 3 Doors Down and Tricky. Recoil’s perfectly chosen ‘Jezebel’ accompanies one of the most steamy scenes in the film. The score of ‘The Hole’ is in the hands of Clint Mansell, who previously proved to be able to handle bleak material with ‘Requiem for a Dream’. Already in the opening titles, his melancholy theme music sets the tone: this will be a film without a happy ending.

All in all, ‘The Hole’ is a thriller that you can shoot holes in. But he is entertaining. And that’s the point.