The Hole in the Ground [Sub: Eng]

The Hole in the Ground never seeks to differentiate itself from the established horror movie aesthetic: we get creepy jangling lullaby music, a decrepitly old hooded women mumbling to herself ominously, bare feet on creaking wooden floors, broken mirrors.

A film operating at a suspenseful, spider-like creep that allows it to skirt your defences and get some distance under the skin.

[T]his is an impressive feature debut for a filmmaker with more in mind than just monsters and jump-scares.

"The Hole in the Ground" has memorable images... But the visuals serve an emotional world that feels false.

The Hole In The Ground finds a somewhat fresh angle on the possessed-kid subgenre.

[W]hile this is more generically conventional than Jennifer Kent's breakout thriller, it still taps potently into parental anxieties and primal fears.

Well-edited set pieces... this gave me the creeps.

Great visual effects and acting by Brie Larson make for an enjoyable watch that embraces a confident and smart woman character, something rarely seen in this genre.

It's not groundbreaking and will appeal to horror fans mostly, but Kerslake, and the excellent Quinn Markey, give it a dramatic centre.

For the most part, Hole In The Ground is a clever, lean, well-made and nicely photographed chiller, its tone and direction remarkably assured.

The camera loves Kerslake, and the actress excels as she stumbles between thinking she is going mad and that her son is possessed.

Cronin shoots like a veteran, with buckets of Hollywood style. It's just not, in the nicest possible way, very original.