John and the Hole
2021 · Directed by Pascual Sisto
Original language: English
- drama
- thriller
- horror
The story
While exploring the neighboring woods, 13-year-old John discovers an unfinished bunker — a deep hole in the ground. Seemingly without provocation, he drugs his affluent parents and older sister and drags their unconscious bodies into the bunker, where he holds them captive. As they anxiously wait for John to free them from the hole, the boy returns home, where he can finally do what he wants.
What it’s like
Cool, clinical daylight dominates John and the Hole: suburban Massachusetts rendered in pale overcast skies, muted greens of the woods, and sterile, immaculately tidy interiors that feel slightly too neat. Camera work is restrained and often static, with long, watchful takes that let unease gather in empty frames, while the bunker's cramped concrete and dirt are lit with flat, unforgiving light. The score is sparse and icy, with thin tones and long stretches of near silence that make ordinary household sounds feel exposed. The vibe is detached and quietly disquieting, a chilly unease rather than jump-scare dread, best suited to a grey afternoon or a late, solitary watch. Pacing is deliberate and unhurried, and the emotional register stays cool and observational, following a troubled young boy's emotional withdrawal and a family's helpless, fraying bonds. Violence is limited and mostly implied, with some brief menace and a few uneasy, drug-induced scenes; there is no gore, and the fear comes from psychological discomfort and unsettling calm. It suits viewers who want a slow, austere psychological thriller about family estrangement and adolescent alienation.
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