The Hole in the Ground | Rotten Tomatoes

The Hole in the Ground

R

Released Mar 1, 2019

1 hr. 30 min.

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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List

83%

88 Reviews

Tomatometer

48%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

One night, Sarah's young son disappears into the woods behind their rural home. When he returns, he looks the same, but his behavior grows increasingly disturbing. Sarah begins to believe that the boy who returned may not be her son at all.

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Critics Consensus

The Hole in the Ground artfully exploits parental fears with a well-made horror outing that makes up in sheer effectiveness what it lacks in originality.

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chitown2bayarea

Good movie, creepy and entertaining. Definitely recommend it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/19/24

Full Review

Steven M

Horror legend Stephen King has aptly described terror in its rawest forms, my favorite being: "Terror, when you come home and notice everything you own had been taken away and replaced by an exact substitute." However, what if the thing that was taken from your home was your own flesh and blood? The Hole in the Ground burrows this question into your psyche, and is born, grown, and flourished in this kind of visceral terror. This is a divisive movie, with critics and audiences at odds with their opinions on this UK film. I find myself siding with the critics with this one. More than its premise suggests, the internal pressure that grows within this movie is immense, tricking you before your very eyes from scene to scene. This deliberate confusion and trickery is weaponized to keep you guessing, hoping that your horror film detective skills are still sharp. Keeping the viewer in suspension is a mental and emotional threat. The acting is superb - particularly from Seana Kerslake, James Cosmo, and James Quinn Markey. The believable performances add a sense of realism and humanity where many movies like this fail - which can make or break a horror film in its first act. Along with this is the movie's brilliant set design, exemplifying the creeping isolation and helplessness apparent from its first act. Very limited on jumpscares, many of this movie's scares are cultivated through ambiguity and limited vision - always big points from me. The only thing that docks this film for me is its use of the "creepy old lady saying ominous things to kids" trope - a tired concept that did cause a brief eyeroll from me, even though Kati Outinen played slightly-cliched Noreen Brady with style and finesse. I am not grading this based on the original or groundbreaking qualities that some were hoping this would create. I don't believe that films in the horror genre need to be the next best thing since The Exorcist. A good horror movie needs to make you feel unsafe, alone, and wondering. Good work, The Hole in the Ground.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/24

Full Review

Claudio G

It's a week movie! Didn't explain anything! Suddenly it's all solved ! Terrible terrible

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/13/23

Full Review

Griffith J

Not much that is reinvented but mysterious & creepy enough to hold attention. An unoriginal yet solid premise but it never reaches its potential. Strong moments with eye-catching imagery & cinematography.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/31/23

Full Review

Nina E

This movie is like a cross between Babadook and Vivarium. But I must say that the boy in this movie is not as horrible as the boy in Vivarium ✌🏻. Actually the boy (the imposter) is actually good. He was an upgrade so I couldn't understand what her problem was. Later, when she starts acting crazy the boy exhibits superhuman strength and almost kills her, so i guess that wasn't good. But she started it! Anyways, the single mom with a son trope is copied very well from the Babadook and Sixth Sense. Good from beginning to end.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/26/23

Full Review

Wolfgang G

The Hole in the Ground ist ein Horror-Thriller von Lee Cronin… Sarah O'Neill versucht, ihrer kaputten Vergangenheit zu entkommen und baut sich mit ihrem kleinen Sohn Chris ein neues Leben am Rande einer ländlichen Stadt im Hinterland auf… The Hole in the Ground reiht sich in die gruselige Kinderfilme ein, und was tun, wenn Ihr Kind plötzlich nicht mehr Ihr Kind ist?... Die Geschichte setzt sich mit dem Aberglauben des europäischen Mittelalters auseinander. mit dem Mystery des Wechselbalgs… Kurz gesagt, ein interessanter Psycho-Horror mit einer düster-mysteriösen Stimmung.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/30/23

Full Review

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Lee Cronin

Director

Seána Kerslake

Sarah O'Neill

James Quinn Markey

Chris O'Neill

James Cosmo

Des Brady

Kati Outinen

Noreen Brady

Simone Kirby

Louise Caul

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The Hole in the Ground: Movie Clip - Spiders

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The Hole in the Ground: Trailer 1

2:03

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

In this creepy Irish-Finnish co-production, that fear combines with more modern concerns about the traumas of parenting in a way that freshens up the soil.

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 10, 2019

Full Review

Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

The Hole in the Ground is filled with all the tropes of the "sinister child" subgenre, but first-time feature director Cronin... deftly weds it with the same rural Gothic sensibilities that have made Irish horror such a vibrant and unsettling scene.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 8, 2019

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

Well-edited set pieces... this gave me the creeps.

Mar 5, 2019

Full Review

Kristy Strouse

Film Inquiry

With some genuinely terrifying imagery and set design and moments that definitely speak to our mental fragility and awareness of who we think we know best, The Hole in the Ground strikes a nerve. It’s a hidden gem.

Oct 17, 2022

Full Review

Emma Wolfe

SpookyAstronauts

The Irish countryside of course helps strengthen the cinematography with the stunning landscapes and rich gritty textures, but in saying that the film isn't without its issues.

Rated: 6/10

Dec 16, 2020

Full Review

Tom Beasley

Flickering Myth

It's a muddled grab bag of ideas that never coalesces into a coherent scare-fest.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 16, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

One night, Sarah's young son disappears into the woods behind their rural home. When he returns, he looks the same, but his behavior grows increasingly disturbing. Sarah begins to believe that the boy who returned may not be her son at all.

Director: Lee Cronin
Executive Producer: Hilary Davis, Tara Moross, Tim Hegarty, Phil Hunt, Macdara Kelleher, Stephen Kelliher, Lesley McKimm, Patrick O'Neill, Compton Ross
Screenwriter: Lee Cronin, Stephen Shields
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Metrol Technology, Savage Productions, Head Gear Films, Bankside Films, Wrong Men North
Rating: R (Some Disturbing Images)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 1, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 26, 2019
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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