
The Hole
2009, Mystery and thriller/Horror, 1h 32m
36 Reviews 10,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
A welcome throwback to the suburban teen thrillers of the 1980s, The Hole is a scary, enjoyable return to form for director Joe Dante. Read critic reviews
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The Hole Photos
Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Dane Thompson
Julie Campbell
Susan
Creepy Carl
Lucas Thompson
Annie Smith
News & Interviews for The Hole
Critic Reviews for The Hole
All Critics (36) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (29) | Rotten (7)
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The Hole doesn't have the frantic wit of Dante's Gremlins 2 or the political import of his Small Soldiers, but it has something just as satisfying: a thorough understanding of the psychological underpinnings of the genre.
June 17, 2013 | Full Review… -
No one understands that giddy rush of sugar buzz cinema better than director Joe Dante.
September 27, 2012 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
All the elements are here, they just don't add up to a satisfying whole.
September 27, 2012 | Rating: C- | Full Review… -
The return of director Joe Dante would be more welcome if his children's horror-thriller weren't so tepid.
September 29, 2010 | Rating: 2/5 -
Scarier than any of this year's 18-rated horror crop.
September 29, 2010 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
Dante delivers some terrific spine-tingling chills on the way towards a disappointingly overblown climax.
September 23, 2010 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for The Hole
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Jun 03, 2016Family friendly horror has its place, and you could definitely do worse than "The Hole" if that's what you're after.Gimly M Super Reviewer
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Oct 26, 2014deserved a solid release and is one of those darker films that Gremlins was in the 80s. missed the market and that's the shame hereBrendan N Super Reviewer
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Oct 02, 2013A horror movie for children that hasn't been toned down at all. Creepy stuff!Marcus W Super Reviewer
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Aug 18, 2013This isn't so much a horror movie as much as it is a movie about overcoming your fears. Yea, the framing of the story is certainly horror, but it isn't really as much a horror movie and more of a Disney TV movie attempt at one. And yes, I understand that this movie is meant to appeal to a much younger demographic than your usual horror film, but that should be no excuse to give this film a free pass from criticism. The main problem is that, since the framing of the story is horror and rather than a dramatic film about overcoming your fears, there's no real sense of dread or terror to anything that is going on here, there's no real impact or weight to what's going on. So it makes watching these kids being scared at stuff that isn't even effectively being sold as such cringe-worthy. Horror movie intended for kids or not, there are ways where you can make even the simplest, most kid-friendly stuff scary. There is some of that with the little jester doll, but I think it ends up coming across as really goofy in the end. Realistically, this movie will only terrify those that are from ages 3-12. To be fair, this film does harken back to a time when families could sit down and watch horror movies and there was a little something for everybody. This movie is not that though. Sure, you can sit down with your kids and watch it without a problem. Is it a movie adults enjoy? Unlikely, because its only concern is making sure kids can watch it while not even taking adults into the equation. I think that's part of the problem with MANY family films. They're concerned with making sure kids enjoy it but forgetting that adult are the ones that have to take the kids to watch these shitty movies. Pixar and the Muppets are the master at combining both worlds into an entertaining package. The movies are silly enough for kids to enjoy, but clever enough that adults can have a great time too. It is unlikely an adult would enjoy this movie, but not impossible as evidenced by the countless positive reviews this film got here. I don't have problems with those reviews. I'm sure they're well-informed and well thought out. I just thought this movie lacked something that's very important in horror films, and that's that sense of dread that something terrible is about to happen. This movie doesn't have that. A movie doesn't even need to be scary to have that sense of dread. I didn't think this one had THAT either. Not to mention the fact that the climax of the film, which is probably the most inventive aspect of the film as far as set design, is goofy as hell. That's due in part to the horrible dialogue and Chris Massoglia, literally, having the charisma of a black hole. I'm sorry, I'm sure Chris is nice and all, but he is a terrible actor. The climax sees him finally overcoming his fear, so this is this character's biggest moment emotionally, he's finally overcoming his fear of his abusive father and THAT'S what we got from him? Granted it was awfully scripted, but he had no passion, he had no presence, he had absolutely nothing to offer. While I would never say I'm glad he's not acting anymore, I cannot say that I miss seeing him in movie because he was horrendous and this film confirms it even more than the Vampire's Assistant did. As you can see I didn't like this movie at all, I mean it has its funny moments but the horror is severely lacking. It doesn't even have a campy charm that would've kept it entertaining even if it was no good. There's not even that. No, there's none of that. Instead this is just a bad attempt at a kids' horror movie. No, it's not a horror movie that the entire family can watch and enjoy. It's a horror movie made strictly for kids. And a bad one at that.Jesse O Super Reviewer
The Hole Quotes
Julie Campbell: | If you're talking about the little girl that crawled into the bottomless pit under your house? Yeah, we all saw that. |
Susan Thompson: | How'd the two of you feel about having the house to yourselves? |
Lucas Thompson: | Bad. |
Lucas Thompson: | Maybe it's a worm hole... |
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