The Hole (Joe Dante, 2009): USA

Reviewed by Jackson Bishop.  Viewed at the Mann Chinese Theater in Hollywood for AFI Festival 2009

As I walked into the theater to see director Joe Dante’s The Hole, I had a very specific idea of what type of film I was going to see, not only from being familiar with Dante’s earlier work as both a student of exploitation master, Roger Corman, and his eighties work like The Howling and Gremlins, but also having seen footage of the film at the San Diego Comicon in July.  This was a going to be a throwback to the Amblin-esque horror films of the 1980’s, schlocky for sure, right down to the use of 3D in the film, but with heart and genuine enthusiasm.  And while the film is far from perfect, I’m happy to say that I was not disappointed.  Joe Dante still has the ability to entertain that he showed with those early films, and has grown as a filmmaker, his craft honed, and his ability to build suspense (especially in one particular sequence of the film) has apparently been practiced to perfection.  Most of the elements of the film work, from the surprising acting of the young leads Chris Massoglia, Quinn Lord, and Haley Bennett, to the atmospheric lighting and camera work by cinematographer Theo van de Sande.  The only aspect of the film that, ironically, falls flat in the 3D, which manages to vary between distracting and headache inducing, but does not ruin the film in any way.

The story of the film centers on two brothers (Massaglia and Gamble) who discover a strange trap door in the basement of their home that opens to reveal a seemingly bottomless hole, a hole that seems to have a mind of its own, and the ability to bring to life your worst fears, and soon begins to torment the three young people.  The relationship between the brothers is the emotional foundation of the film, with Massaglia’s older brother character starting to spend more time with Haley Bennet’s Julie, leaving his little brother, Nathan Gamble, feeling alone and abandoned.  Anyone with an older or younger brother should easily be able to relate to this dynamic in the film, which is brought to life quite well by the young leads, and Dante’s naturalistic direction.  Even the clunkier dialogue of Mark L. Smith’s otherwise serviceable screenplay are kept from being too groan inducing by the atmosphere and verisimilitude that Dante is able to create.  The adult actors in the film do well with the material, most seeming to have fun with their roles, acknowledging exactly what kind of film they’re in.

Where the film succeeds the most is in the mood that is created through the cinematography and the production design.  The set design by Brentan Harron is pitch perfect for the film, the highlight being the spooky basement where the titular hole is located.  It seems like Harron and his crew reached into the collective consciousness of the audience and created a dark, cluttered, frightening space that exists in the dark space of all our minds.  Cinematographer van de Sande and Dante create an atmosphere for the film that manages to be dark without being too bleak, the whole film feels like a late October afternoon.  Editor Marshall Harvey works with Dante to create some of the best suspense in a film of this kind that I’ve ever seen.  Particularly, the scene in which Haley Bennett’s character is tormented in a empty public bathroom by phantom-like entity.  The scene builds at the perfect pace, with the viewer at once begging for and dreading the sequence’s climax.

The only major problem with this film is the 3D.  It’s unnecessary and hurts the film more than it helps, especially in dramatic scenes, which lose their impact with the vertigo-inducing depth.  That said, this film fits in quite well with the other fun horror films released this year, Trick-r-Treat, and Drag Me to Hell, and is a must see for anyone who enjoys Joe Dante’s early work.