Plot: What’s it about?
After an eighteen day stretch of not being seen or heard from, Liz Dunn (Thora Birch) reappears at the lush private school she attends. But she is alone and that means three of her friends are still missing, perhaps even dead. She and the three others ventured out in the woods to a mysterious, underground bunker that snared their attentions, to say the least. The sense of wonder gets the best of them and they delve inside the bunker, only to discover their curious nature has landed them inside a dark, dangerous prison of sorts. As Liz recounts what happened to school officials and the police, a team of detectives is dispatched to the bunker, to open it up more, uncover the truth about what happened, and gather what information they can, if possible. After all, the youngsters were assumed dead until Liz returned, so the others could be long dead by this time, especially if Liz’s story is the truth. It is obvious her mind is on overload, so authorities are unsure how much of her tale is truth and how much is an overactive, shaken mind, but what really happened in that bunker?
This film didn’t garner much attention or promotion during its limited theatrical run, but The Hole is a superb picture that bucks the trends of recent teen thrillers. Instead of using a bunch of trendy actors, slapping together a mediocre script, throwing in a ton of pop culture references, and moving the pace so fast it is hard to spot all the faults, The Hole has a literate, intelligent script, a cast of talented young performers, and has a pace that is often brisk, but is slow enough to allow the story & characters to evolve. This means we’re actually given the chance to get to know the characters and relate to them, which is great news in a film like The Hole, since it asks a lot of questions and lets us come to some conclusions on our own. A thriller can’t thrill as well if we can’t soak up the details and here we can, thanks to the slower pace, but this still moves at a nice clip, so don’t expect Masterpiece Theater here, ok? Seville Pictures has released this great teen thriller in a solid disc and while it is exclusive to Canada, it is no problem to import a disc to the United States, just shop one of the various reputable Canadian DVD e-tailers. With Dimension holding the rights here in America, I’d say those interested should play it safe and grab this Seville edition, since Dimension is not known for its fine DVD treatments, to say the least.
Although this film has a rather low profile, it does have a higher profile lead performer in Thora Birch. Her choice in roles could perhaps be questioned at times, but Birch is reliable as an actress and her presence here is no exception. Her character in The Hole is well written and leaves a lot of work for Birch, such as conveying internal textures, mannerisms, and just a sense of not being totally in the real world, if that makes sense. The line is a very thin one between her performance here and being too out there, but as implied, she comes through in the clutch and seems to nail every scene, very impressive indeed. Other films with Birch include American Beauty, Hocus Pocus, Monkey Trouble, Ghost World, and The Smokers. The cast also includes Desmond Harrington (We Were Soldiers, Riding in Cars with Boys), Keira Knightley (Princess of Thieves, Halcyon Days), and Daniel Brocklebank (Shakespeare in Love, The Criminal).
Video: How does it look?
The Hole is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is an excellent visual effort from Seville, from the near pristine source print to lack of compression errors, a simply gorgeous presentation. The colors have a natural look, but sometimes become brighter when needed, while flesh tones remain consistent throughout. No problems with contrast to speak of, as black levels are dead on and look sleek & refined, which means all the dark visuals come through just as intended. A few small problems pop up, but nothing serious and on the whole, this is a terrific visual treatment in all respects.
Audio: How does it sound?
A last minute technical problem forced the removal of the Dolby Digital 5.1 track here, but the included 2.0 surround option is no slouch, so no need for concern. It might not have quite the depth and presence of a full 5.1 mix, but it is well crafted and supplies a satisfying experience, without a doubt. The music and sound effects are well presented, with some great use of the surrounds that help maintain atmosphere, which is vital to this picture. I found dialogue to be crisp and clean also, no traces of volume or clarity problems in the least. This disc also includes a French language option, in case that better suits your needs.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The director of The Hole, Nick Hamm provides an audio commentary here and it is a good one, well worth a listen. Hamm seems at ease in the session, as he remains talkative and open throughout, with minimal silent spaces to contend with. He talks a lot about the visuals and style choices, but also touches upon a nice selection of other topics. This disc also houses a selection of deleted scenes, some still photos, cast & crew information, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
