PLOT: Far away, in the desolate Serbian wilderness, a U.S.-led fracking crew uncover a dormant monster gestating inside a centuries-old French soldier. Now awakened and exposed in its most dangerously fragile state, it tears through the men on the grounds in search of a new womb.
REVIEW: There’s a certain charm to the Adams Family’s filmography, delivering unique story after unique story. And I won’t lie, there’s something sweet about a family banding together to make a horror film together. Made all the more exciting to see the strides they’ve made with each film. Hell Hole feels like the Adams leveling up their filmmaking skill to the next level. And it’s an experience you won’t soon forget.
Following a fracking crew set up in the Serbian wild, we get a mix of characters ranging from locals to the American workers. While fracking, they accidentally discover a monster that had been dormant. And this monster is angry and violent. I really enjoyed how the creature was presented, with just the right mix of practical and digital. There’s always a charm to these lower-budget films going hard with FX. And the creature’s lore is intriguing.
The team of Toby Poser and John & Lulu Adams (Zelda is absent due to attending college at the time) really knocked it out of the park here. The script is constantly entertaining, and they make Toby always has such a fun energy to her performances but this may be her best. John really rocks this score. It goes from near silent to energetic and pounding in an instant and it really works to energize the film. And the script from all three, domino effects in a fun way.
Some of the performances don’t entirely work, as they’re contending with different languages and lower experience. But no one is egregious enough that they ruin any moments. Gorehounds are going to be eating well with this one as things definitely get wet. There’s a lot of practical violence but even the digital effects are handled really well. They clearly don’t have a large budget and are very strategic with what they show. I wish other filmmakers would show the same level of restraint.
The cinematography can be a bit hit or miss, with the Serbian landscape being well utilized but the interiors being a bit bland. Hell Hole is a delicious mix of violence and dark humor. I really wasn’t sure what to expect with it opening on old-timey French soldiers, but the film perfectly combines the past with the present. The kinetic camerawork has an Evil Dead feel at times and the rocking score keeps the energy up throughout.
HELL HOLE IS CURRENTLY PLAYING FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL AND RELEASES TO SHUDDER ON AUGUST 23RD, 2024.