The Hole (2001)

Director: Nick Hamm

Starring: Thora Birch, Desmond Harrington, Daniel Brocklebank

Four teenagers at a British private school secretly uncover and explore the depths of a sealed underground hole created decades ago as a possible bomb shelter.

If ever there was a film personifying selfishness and personal gain, then ‘The Hole’ would be a good contender for the crown. How far would you go to get what you want? And what about conscience?

I remember watching this when I was young, and the impact it had on me. ‘The Hole’ starts off very mysterious. Four teenagers have been missing for 18 days, and the story is told by a young girl who is being interviewed by a psychiatrist. A girl who felt like an outcast. A girl who had a crush on a school jock. A girl with evil tendencies. This is Liz (Thora Birch).

The hole in question is an underground, deserted bunker. Nerd Martin arranged for three friends (Frankie, Mike and Geoff) to stay in the bunker for the weekend, and for Liz to join them. After a fun-filled day of bonding – and even sex – things started going very wrong. They suddenly found themselves trapped in the bunker with no way out – or did they?

There’s many surprises along the way, with contradicting stories of the events, and then that shock twist reveal. Thora Birch delivered a good performance as Liz, but I thought Desmond Harrington was excellent as Martin, whom Liz had a crush on.

‘The Hole’ is a psychological thriller that gets under your skin at times.

Would I watch it again? Yes.