The Adams Family, revered filmmakers Tobey Poser, John Adams, and Lulu Adams are recognised for their enthralling horror creations. One of their widely-loved films, "The Deeper You Dig," stands as an exceptional horror cinema of the decade and their twisty delight, "Hellbender," commends attention on any streaming platform. These captivating thrillers vibrate with a unique charm, infusing an air of dread.
Their freshest creation, "Hell Hole," is an intriguing deviation from their conventional style. Filmed in Serbia, it boasts of their largest-ever budget but drops Lulu Adams from its cast. The collaboration with a larger production house marks this vehicle as an addition to mainstream cinema, partially draining the family's characteristic DIY charisma, making it a slight letdown despite its fair share of captivating elements for the horror buffs.
"Hell Hole" is seemingly a tribute to the horror legend, John Carpenter. The film's plot draws a parallel to Carpenter's "The Thing"-a secluded spot infested by a monstrous entity camouflaging as a normal individual-and his narratives of innocent people unwittingly stepping into hell gates, like in "Prince of Darkness" and "In the Mouth of Madness."
The story unfolds with Emily's (Poser) team fracking in Serbia's remote stretch when they unintentially dig into something bizarre. They discover an oddly preserved body of a centuries-old warrior who is astonishingly still breathing. As they encounter this staggering glitch in reality, they find the Frenchman peculiarly inhabited by an entity that unpredictably makes appearances through his nose or ear. Soon, the hidden monster deserts the soldier to inhabit John (Adams) and cause further pandemonium.
The unique spin in this malevolent possession tale involves a kind of male pregnancy, with the creature capitalizing on men as hosts for its expansion. The plot playfully teases several outrageous scenarios and presents a comically dark narrative, proving to be a departure from the family's earlier disquieting creations.
While it's good to see Adams and Poser branching out with "Hell Hole," it doesn't quite pack the punch as their best works. The film lightly touches upon the theme of nature's wrath upon meddlers and fails to create memorable characters while emphasizing the gruesome enemy. Despite some smart character developments and sporadic fun, "Hell Hole" lacks the depth of great body horror, proving to be more of a shallow cinematic experience than a deep, terrifying journey.
