Nick Hamm
The Hole

The Hole is a psychological thriller/horror film from 2001 directed by Nick Hamm.

Plot:

Four teenagers play a game by locking themselves in a bunker, and one of them, Liz, in order to stay locked inside with the boy she likes, pretends not to have the key to get out. This leads to the death of her best friend Frankie due to an esophageal hemorrhage (she was bulimic), then to the death of Frankie's boyfriend, who is killed in anger by his best friend. In the end, the latter, realizing that Liz is the mastermind behind everything, tries to strangle her, but accidentally falls from a staircase, dying. After exiting the bunker, Liz is interrogated by the police and assigned a psychologist to confide in about what happened inside the bunker. Liz attributes the blame for the murders to her old friend, secretly in love with her. In the end, the policewoman realizes that Liz's friend is not to blame, as he is found dead in a river; only then does she understand that Liz is at fault, but the truth never comes to light.

The film is based on the novel After the Hole written by Guy Burt at the age of 17. Additionally, the film is partly inspired by the novel "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding.

The film is based on the psychology of the characters rather than their real danger, mainly because it starts with their discovery and then proceeds through flashbacks. The four teenagers, perfect prototypes of a wealthy and slightly decadent society, always perfect and polite, become increasingly brutal as the situation worsens.
Almost all the action takes place inside the shelter, like on a sort of theatrical stage where a session of "Big Brother" is represented.
The characters, however, are decidedly cliché and stereotypical, beginning with their gear: one with a full camping setup, one with only cosmetics and a few plush toys, another with nothing but a blanket. Even the situations are predictable (food rationing) and the only shiver comes from a couple of visual tricks by the director and not from an unengaging plot.

What can be said is that it's a film with a decidedly limited scenic budget, showcasing the director's qualities, but lacking a suitable plot, which is quite significant for a thriller!