[6.50/10] The Hole (2010)

The Hole (2010)

"Gremlins" director Joe Dante's latest horror flick "The Hole" revolves around 17 year old Dane and his 10 year old brother Lucas, who after moving into a new neighbourhood with their single mother Susan, along with their neighbor Julie, discover a bottomless hole in the basement of their home. They find that once the hole is exposed, evil is unleashed. With strange shadows lurking around every corner and nightmares coming to life, they are forced to come face to face with their darkest fears to put an end to the mystery of the hole. While the story is far from original and the setup is pretty simple, film's well-written script, excellently subtle pacing and likable characters make it an enjoyable and fun, yet thrilling experience. "The Hole" completely lacks gore and graphic violence, but that's actually the best thing about it, as instead, it 'injects' a firm dose of suspense and fair amount of effective old-fashioned scares, that are mostly effective. The young cast deliver good and very credible performances. Special mention goes to Nathan Gamble as Lucas, who's naturalness in front of the camera is simply adorable. Chris Massoglia is a cute guy, bit here he seems a bit stiff and unsure in himself. Haley Bennett is not only drop dead gorgeous, but she also can act well. Teri Polo also gives a good performance as boys' attractive working mom, Susan. Visually, "The Hole" also deliver, using some good practical effects throughout and some impressive CGIs in its final part. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see the 3D version, so I can't comment on the 3D effects. Joe Dante did an amazing job with "Gremlins", one of my favorite flicks of the 80s, and he does a good job here with some competent camera work and direction, strongly influenced by some old horror/sc-fi classics. "The Hole" is far from amazing, but it's well-shot, fun to watch, slightly scary at times, and always engaging.