With “Hell Hole,” the Adams family, a filmmaking collective from the Catskills, ventures into new territory, stepping away from their familiar horror roots. This film marks their first attempt at a narrative that blends environmentalist sci-fi with workplace comedy, set against the backdrop of a fracking crew in a decaying industrial landscape on the fringes of a Balkan wilderness. While the film may not deliver a fully satisfying narrative, it serves as an intriguing exploration of genre, showcasing the unique style that has garnered the Adams family a dedicated following.
The story follows Emily (Toby Poser) and John (John Adams), who lead a fracking crew in remote Serbia. They find themselves at odds with local workers and researchers tasked with ensuring their extraction operation adheres to environmental regulations. As they drill into the earth, they inadvertently release a grotesque, organic sac containing a perfectly preserved 19th-century French soldier. This soldier, still coherent, pleads for the crew to end his life. Ignoring his desperate requests, Emily, John, and their team soon discover that the soldier’s body harbors a sinister stowaway, a creature that seeks a new host.
In true Adams family fashion, the film is a collaborative effort, with Toby Poser, John Adams, and their eldest daughter, Lulu Adams, co-writing the screenplay. The duo also shares directing duties, while John Adams takes on additional roles as editor and composer. The film’s score and editing resonate with the collective’s previous works, featuring sweeping drone shots, jagged scare sequences, and a sparse, guitar-driven soundscape that harkens back to their punk-rock origins.
Visual effects and stop-motion animation are handled by frequent collaborator Trey Lindsey and VFX veteran Todd Masters. Together, they create a tentacled creature that is both grotesque and oddly charming, reminiscent of classic creature features like “The Faculty” and “Deep Rising,” albeit on a smaller, more intimate scale.
As the Adams family transitions from their signature homespun horror to a more conventional narrative, they encounter growing pains. “Hell Hole” oscillates between a mumblecore-like workplace comedy and a science fiction horror film, struggling to find its footing. After an intense opening sequence, the film settles into a more relaxed, chatty rhythm, with humor that is amusing but not particularly groundbreaking. The characters, portrayed by Olivera Peruničić and Aleksandar Trmčić, deliver technical dialogue with a comedic flair, resulting in humorous misunderstandings between the socially awkward locals and their American counterparts.
A recurring theme in the Adams family’s work is the exploration of parenthood as a cycle of decay and renewal. In “Hell Hole,” this theme takes on a more literal form, as the film grapples with the implications of life, death, and the responsibilities that come with creation. While the film presents a wealth of ideas, it often feels like it could have delved deeper into these themes. The poignant final moments of the film offer a haunting reflection on the nature of existence, leaving viewers with more questions than answers.
The cast includes Toby Poser, John Adams, Max Portman, Anders Hove, Olivera Perunicic, Aleksandar Trmcic, Petar Arsic, and Bruno Veljanovski. Directed by John Adams and Toby Poser, with a screenplay by John Adams, Toby Poser, and Lulu Adams, “Hell Hole” is distributed by Shudder and runs for 92 minutes.
In summary, “Hell Hole” is an ambitious departure for the Adams family, blending elements of workplace comedy with creature feature horror. While it may not fully realize its potential, it offers a unique perspective on the genre and showcases the collective’s distinctive style. Fans of the Adams family will likely appreciate the film’s improvisational spirit and thematic depth, even if it doesn’t quite hit the mark.
Source: Slant Magazine
