This post is part of my movie-a-day challenge in which I will watch a film every day for 365 days. Today is Day 120! You can see all the posts for this challenge HERE. To see the original Movie-a-Day Challenge post, click HERE.
Today we’re settling in for some spooky movie talk tonight, and trust me, this one’s a doozy. We’re diving into the unsettling world of “The Hole in the Ground,” a 2019 flick by Lee Cronin that’ll leave you checking under your bed twice. This isn’t your garden-variety horror flick. It’s a psychological twisty-turny thing that plays with your mind more than just throwing jump scares at you.
This story centers around Sarah (played by the fantastic Seána Kerslake), a single mom who relocates with her young son Chris (James Quinn Markey) to the Irish countryside for a fresh start. Sounds idyllic, right? Well, things take a turn for the weird when they discover a giant, creepy sinkhole lurking in the woods behind their new home. Think less “scenic hiking spot” and more “portal to another dimension” vibes .
One night, Chris disappears into the woods and his mother runs after him but fails to find him. Thankfully, he returns home later, seemingly unharmed. But there’s just one teensy tiny problem: he’s acting, well, kinda strange. Like, disturbingly strange.
This is where the movie really gets good (or, well, terrifying, depending on how you look at it). Sarah starts noticing subtle changes in Chris – his eating habits are bizarre, he has these unsettling blank stares, and there’s a whole situation involving spiders that I won’t spoil, but let’s just say, it’s not pretty.
As Sarah’s suspicions grow, so does the tension. The cinematography is amazing, with lots of dark, atmospheric shots that had me practically glued to the screen . The sound design is equally impressive, with eerie creaks and whispers that’ll have you reaching for the nearest pillow to muffle your screams (don’t judge, we’ve all been there ).
The performances are also top-notch. Kerslake is phenomenal as Sarah, perfectly capturing the growing fear and desperation of a mother who just wants her son back. Markey, despite being quite young, delivers a chilling performance as the increasingly unsettling Chris. And the way Cronin builds tension is totally rad. He doesn’t rely on the usual horror tropes but instead creates this thick atmosphere of dread and unease that’s like walking through a spider web you didn’t see. It’s there, it’s icky, and now it’s all over you. 🕸️
What I absolutely adore about this movie is how it plays with the theme of maternal anxiety and the fear of the unknown. It’s like, how well do you really know your kids? Especially when they start doing creepy stuff in the middle of the night. Seána Kerslake’s performance is a wild, no-holds-barred journey of emotions that had me clutching my cozy—ugh, my not-so-spooky blanket.
While “The Hole in the Ground” serves up some seriously spooky vibes and a masterclass in tension-building, it might not reinvent the wheel. Some plot points feel a tad familiar if you’re a horror aficionado. However, the execution? Impeccable. It’s like taking a familiar recipe and adding your own twist, which in this case, is a dash of psychological horror and a sprinkle of folklore.
So, would I recommend taking the plunge into “The Hole in the Ground“? I think so. This movie definitely left me with a lingering sense of unease, but hey, that’s the mark of a good horror flick, right? Just maybe keep the lights on and avoid any suspicious-looking sinkholes in your backyard.
Until tomorrow, keep it spooky…but not too spooky. 😉
Roger