(spoiler free)
‘The Hole in the Ground’ is a new Irish horror film from writer and director Lee Cronin. This is his feature length debut but he has previous experience in horror having already written & directed a short film in the genre. The same is true of Cronin’s co-writer here, Stephen Shields who’s also previously worked within the horror genre. The story they’ve written follows Sarah and her son Chris as they move to a rural village, they stumble upon a mysterious sinkhole in the woods near their new house beginning a disturbing chain of events for the young family.
Immediately Cronin creates a sense of dread and unease for audiences as he absorbs them into his nightmarish narrative through his creative camera work, turning this rural location on its head alluding to the horror about to unleash itself. This unnerving atmosphere continues throughout the narrative complimented by a combination of jump scares and more thoughtfully executed terror resulting in a well balanced horror film which should deliver for a wide range of audiences. It fully lives up to its title, infiltrating this aspect carefully through the narrative and delivering a superb finale. The momentum of the film builds well, offering an entertaining mixture of context, intrigue, exposition, horror and action across its ninety minute runtime culminating in a shocking finale which could go in any direction, keeping you guessing until the very last second.
The well paced nature of this story showcases just how expertly constructed it is. It’s simple and to the point but always leaves room for viewers to speculate on what they think is true. With the addition of the eerie atmosphere Cronin injects into the direction of his screenplay the story never experiences any lulls. It’s brought to life in even more impressive fashion thanks to its strong cast lead by Seána Kerslake who brilliantly portrays a woman haunted by past trauma and very current paranoia. Her chemistry with James Quinn Markey, who plays her on screen son, Chris, is excellent – feeling reminiscent of the mother/son relationship seen in the Australian horror film, ‘The Babadook’. Markey is also excellent, tasked with quite a challenging role he manages to deliver despite the demands of his part. James Cosmo and Kati Outinen star in smaller roles but are essential in furthering the plot of the film and enhancing the horror present, which they consistently achieve in chilling fashion.
‘The Hole in the Ground’ is a smart, original and scary piece of horror which has been transferred skillfully from page to screen. The writing is tight with no room for plot holes, teasing every possibility out of its sinister concept. Cronin has truly hit the ground running, simultaneously proving and delivering on his potential as a director shooting his film in an impressive way allowing for a truly encapsulating cinematic experience.
Written by Hamish Calvert
Rating – 8/10
Question: What’s your favourite Irish horror movie?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
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