The Hole
1998, Drama, 1h 33m
20 Reviews 2,500+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Hauntingly surreal and refreshingly original, The Hole finds love and horror in the humdrum rhythm of quarantine life. Read critic reviews
You might also like
The Hole Videos
The Hole Photos
Movie Info
Cast & Crew
The Woman Downstairs
The Man Upstairs

A Shopper
The Plumber
A Neighbor
The Kid
Critic Reviews for The Hole
All Critics (20) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (17) | Rotten (3)
-
Idiosyncratic, of course, but immensely impressive.
September 22, 2020 | Full Review… -
It's a fascinating combination of reality and the fantastical notion of the ways in which we cope.
September 15, 2020 | Full Review… -
The feelings that "The Hole" awakens will be recognizable to anyone, even if no one else could possibly have made it.
September 14, 2020 | Full Review… -
An illuminating, musical embrace for the ages.
March 8, 2005 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review… -
Despite a strong premise, powerful visuals, and excellent performances, I could not even grasp what it was trying to say by the end.
October 12, 2020 | Rating: 5/10 | Full Review… -
Tsai's Kafakaesque existential nightmare turns quarantine into a uniquely harrowing love story, its digressions into abstraction in turn terrifying and rapturous.
September 15, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for The Hole
-
Feb 26, 2016The musical numbers don't always fit organically within the story, but Tsai's bleak idea of a post-apocalyptic Taiwan under constant rain and in maximum literal isolation is a powerful one as he pictures modern disconnected people turning into cockroaches in the middle of garbage.Carlos M Super Reviewer
-
Sep 19, 2015An epidemic hits Taiwan, people who suffered from the disease become cockroach like in terms of their behaviour. A plumber created a hole in a man's apartment and the man and his neighbour began to suffer from the delusions and hallucinations of the effect of the disease. The hole represented the depression in a socially planned urban environment, everyone fills it with different methods. The hole is also a musical that juxtaposed the depression with cheerful tunes.Sylvester K Super Reviewer
-
May 04, 2013like my favorite depression era cinema: bleak as all hell, with musical numbers!!Stella D Super Reviewer
-
Nov 30, 2011How much does real life differ from this piece of minimalistic anarchy? Ever wondered why does the virus already involve the lowest behaviors any human could display (lowering its status to a cockroach)? "We are already living in an apocalypse", Ming-liang argues throughout with this spectacular oddity, "and we are already living as such". I'm not quoting him directly but trust me, it's much more fun to try to decipher what a director tells to us by our own rather than consulting the web or exclusive interviews. Kill some neurons! 97/100Edgar C Super Reviewer
The Hole (Dong) Quotes
There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.
Movie & TV guides
About Tomatometer
The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review
About Audience Score
The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher.
Verified