Written and directed by stars of the film John Adams and Toby Poser, co-written by Lulu Adams. Far away, in the desolate Serbian wilderness, a U.S.-led fracking crew uncover a dormant monster gestating inside a centuries-old French soldier. Now awakened and exposed in its most dangerously fragile state, it tears through the men on the grounds in search of a new womb. Also starring: Olivera Perunicic, Bruno Veljanovski, Petar Arsic, Anders Hove, Joana Knezevic, Boris Lukman and Maximum Portman.
It’s undeniable that a film like Hell Hole is going to find its home with an audience who appreciates the many facets to horror, may they be silly, cheesy, over the top and excessively violent. Being able to recreate that trashy, unapologetic entertainment vibe of the 1980s era of horror, is impressive and that’s exactly what John Adams, Toby Poser and Lulu Adams have done here. It’s a fine line to walk not taking yourself too seriously without becoming total parody, but they stay the course on that tightrope all throughout this film.
There’s something to the style that’s reminiscent of another recent Shudder release, Destroy All Neighbors for its outrageous and colourful choices. Adams and Poser bring through a lot of touches which make Hell Hole exactly what you want from a monster flick. Particularly the edge of action which adds an old school feel which is excellent. As well as a bold, very extra score which again pumps a great amount of energy into everything. It’s tapping into the charm of B-movies, yet still manages to kick things off with a genuinely strange, eery atmosphere. That balance between the modern and cult style horror is really well done.
Another key aspect is always going to be the violence, you can’t have a monster causing chaos and carnage without some blood and guts. We definitely get plenty of that with Hell Hole but never too much, it doesn’t veer anywhere near the line of going too far. A lot of that has to do with its sense of humour, there’s a solid comedy vein running in the background, to let the tentacles roam into, or rather out of, some hilarious places. The creation of their slimy parasite is another big plus, it’s never too present on screen, it’s not easily defeated and has a unique yet classically influenced design.
That’s all before you get into the cast, who help to keep the atmosphere exactly where it needs to be. It’s a ragtag bunch and while the performances are pretty much of that same 1980s quality, which may be positive or negative depending on your perspective, if you’re already all in on that vibe, you’ll find plenty to enjoy. It’s also very much an ensemble, they do let a couple characters take the lead a little but it’s a group story not an individual hero, which is always nice to see. That said, Poser’s Emily is a standout with such a strong personality and resolve, she’s someone you’d want to be around in an emergency situation, with plenty of sarcasm in her back pocket.
Hell Hole does a genuinely brilliant job of bringing the charm, enjoyment and silliness of 1980s horror flicks into 2024, which is impressive. To create a monster movie that can genuinely hold your attention but also not take itself too seriously is an achievement that not many filmmakers accomplish today. Its balance of fun and fear is right on the money, it has a sense of humour but its persistent parasite is a serious, destructive threat. It throws back to the more physically driven era of horror, not relying on CGI and just having a good time. So, while some may be quick to dismiss its silly, cheesy vibes, dedicated horror fans will love it.
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