“Hell Hole”: A Lo-Fi Splatter-Creature Body-Horror Movie on Shudder

Husband-and-wife filmmaking duo Toby Poser and John Adams have gained attention after their 2021 independent horror film, *Hellbender*, resonated with genre enthusiasts. Their latest venture, *Hell Hole* (currently streaming on Shudder), is a horror-comedy that continues their tradition of low-budget filmmaking, albeit with slightly more resources this time around. The question remains: can Poser and Adams maintain viewer interest over the film’s 89 minutes?

The film opens in 1814, in Serbian territory, where two members of Napoleon’s army find themselves lost in a forest. They encounter a woman who gives them a horse, which subsequently explodes, revealing a grotesque tentacled creature. After cutting away from the graphic scene, the story shifts to modern times. John (played by Adams) and Emily (Poser) lead a small team of frackers on a quest for subterranean energy sources.

Also present are Sofija (Olivera Perunicic) and Nikola (Aleksandr Trmcic), characters who are there to protect endangered rabbits living in the area. Sofija is an expert in parasitology, a skill that becomes particularly relevant as the story unfolds. However, much of the movie’s runtime is consumed by dialogue, with numerous conversations between characters before the action picks up.

A central character in the film is Teddy (played by Max Portman), Emily’s nephew and the crew’s cook. He appears to have a budding romantic interest in Sofija. The plot thickens when one of the crew members unearths a French soldier (Marko Filipovic) who has been alive for over 200 years, serving as a host for the creature initially seen in the cold open. This sets off a series of events involving discussions among the characters about the creature, its parasitic nature, and the moral dilemma of whether to kill or study it.

The film draws on several classic horror touchstones such as *The Thing*, *Alien*, and *The Evil Dead*. It even evokes *The Void*, a similar low-budget horror film from 2018. Portman stands out in the cast, managing to deliver his lines with more ease than the others. However, despite some attempts at humor, much of the dialogue falls flat.

*Hell Hole* teases viewers with the promise of grotesque creature action, but the buildup involves a lot of talking and not enough doing. The script and the cast’s limited charisma make some scenes feel longer than they should. Even the practical effects, while appreciated, are undercut by the noticeably cheap CGI, which the filmmakers seem to use knowingly as a joke.

In summary, while *Hell Hole* tackles the challenge of keeping audiences entertained within the confines of a limited budget, it often struggles with pacing and character development. The film has moments of practical gore effects, but these are overshadowed by a sluggish script and lackluster performances. The dynamics of the movie feel off, with a disproportionate amount of dialogue compared to action.

Ultimately, despite a few charming elements typical of a low-budget horror film, *Hell Hole* fails to overcome its limitations and doesn’t quite deliver the suspense or excitement promised in its premise.

Source: Decider