Dir. Lee Cronin | Now Streaming On: HBOMax | Rating: 2/5

This is technically another rewatch on my watchlist, but for all intents and purposes it was basically a first watch, because I couldn’t remember anything about this film. After my rewatch, I can see why, because The Hole in the Ground isn’t anything special. 

I’m usually a big fan of folk horror, but The Hole in the Ground lacked focus and staying power for me. This story finds its roots in the lore of fairies hidden in the woods that have the ability to whisk away innocent children and then take their place. In Ireland particularly, this is known as a “Changeling.” This lore has been retold many times in the horror genre with varying levels of success, which doesn’t help this iteration at all. 

Ultimately, its premise and script are too simple, too barebones for this to withstand its runtime. This could’ve easily been a strong short film, but instead we’re left with a slow watered down feature. There are a few attempts to flesh out the backstory of the family but nothing is ever revealed enough for the viewer to feel invested in the mother-son dynamic. This also doesn’t do much to stray from the “evil kid” story tropes. The acting and cinematography are just okay, especially when stacked up against the heavy hitters of the A24 resume and other folk horror greats. There’s nothing going horribly wrong here, but there’s not a lot of major wins either. 

Some of the imagery in the film is unnerving, especially when it comes to the main horror element, which is the titular mythical sinkhole. The ending delivers a nice touch of scares and surrealism that is expected of the subgenre, but it comes much too late. If you were to stack this up against Men (2022), which is most similar to The Hole in the Ground in setting, it’s clear the newer film has a much more competitive visual and horror appeal, regardless of how you feel about its on the nose symbolism. 

Take or leave this – consider it something to stick on in the background while you fold laundry. 

Know Before You Watch: Features death, blood.