The Hole in the Ground

2019

90 mins

Directed by Lee Cronin
83%
47%
Horror

A young mother's son returns a changed boy after venturing out into the woods in this Irish horror from debut... More

A young mother's son returns a changed boy after venturing out into the woods in this Irish horror from debut feature director Lee Cronin.

"Sarah moves her precocious son, Chris, to a secluded new home in a rural town, trying to ease his apprehensions as they hope for a fresh start after a difficult past. But after a startling encounter with a mysterious new neighbour, Sarah’s nerves are set on edge. Chris disappears in the night into the forest behind their house, and Sarah discovers an ominous, gaping sinkhole while searching for him. Though he returns, some disturbing behavioural changes emerge, and Sarah begins to worry that the boy who came back is not her son." (Sundance Film Festival)

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Where to watch The Hole in the Ground

The Hole in the Ground is available to stream in... More Australia now on YouTube and Google TV and Apple TV Store.

There is no screening information for this title.

The Hole in the Ground | Ratings & Reviews

83_%89 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes® rating
47_%577 reviews
Audience score rating

"Rewrites no genre rules, but abounds in bristly calling-card atmospherics."

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Variety

""The Hole in the Ground" has memorable images... But the visuals serve an emotional world that feels false."

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The New York Times

"A film operating at a suspenseful, spider-like creep that allows it to skirt your defences and get some distance under the skin."

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The Guardian

"Cronin perhaps enjoys his horror clichés a tad too much... But he also has some original, visceral shocks up his sleeve, and the coolness not to dwell on them but move swiftly on."

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Screen Daily

"[T]his is an impressive feature debut for a filmmaker with more in mind than just monsters and jump-scares."

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Los Angeles Times

"[W]hile this is more generically conventional than Jennifer Kent's breakout thriller, it still taps potently into parental anxieties and primal fears."

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Hollywood Reporter

"A soft-spoken yet chilling domestic horror film that tells its slightly overfamiliar tale effectively, with strong performances, quietly disturbing atmosphere, one or two friendly clichés, and good, old- fashioned scares."

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