Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- tense
- playful
- halloween viewing
- teen movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an entertaining, accessible, and scary-enough throwback to 1980s suburban teen thrillers, while noting that its influences are familiar.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Thompson family discovers a bottomless, locked hole beneath their new countryside home, turning domestic space into a source of fear.
Dane, Lucas, and Julie are haunted by frightening manifestations tied to their darkest fears after opening the hole.
Critics specifically identify the film as a return to suburban teen thrillers of the 1980s, a tradition associated with Joe Dante's work.
The padlocked basement hole functions as the central mystery and suspected gateway to hell that the boys uncover and investigate.
Films like The Hole, and why
Gremlins
shared suburban horror, adolescent protagonists, supernatural threats, and an entertaining throwback sensibility
The Gate
shared suburban teen thriller structure, childhood fears, and accessible supernatural suspense
The Monster Squad
shared family-centered fantasy horror, youthful protagonists, and dark threats emerging from an ordinary home
Movie Details
- Director
- Joe Dante
- Release Date
- 2009-09-12
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (779)
Cast
- Chris Massoglia
- Nathan Gamble
- Haley Bennett
- Teri Polo
- Bruce Dern
- Quinn Lord
- John DeSantis
- Doug Chapman
- Mark Pawson
- Peter Shinkoda
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Hole about?
- Two unsettled brothers and their new neighbor unleash supernatural manifestations of their deepest fears from a locked basement hole.
- What is The Hole like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Hole as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Hole violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Hole as mild.
- What did critics think of The Hole?
- Critics broadly found the film an entertaining, accessible, and scary-enough throwback to 1980s suburban teen thrillers, while noting that its influences are familiar.
- Which films are like The Hole?
- Films with a similar feel include Gremlins, The Gate, and The Monster Squad.
- How long is The Hole?
- The Hole runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Hole?
- In United States, The Hole streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
