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Running Time: 89 Minutes
Starring: Toby Poser, John Adams, Max Portman, Anders Hove, Olivera Peruničić, Aleksandar Trmcic, Petar Arsić, Bruno Veljanovski, Boris Lukman, Joana Knežević
Following their exceptional 2020's works, Hellbender and Where The Devil Roams, The Adams family return with another piece of independent horror that comes complete with a rocking soundtrack. Hell Hole begins in 1814, Siberian territory, where a lost platoon of Napoleon's soldiers are verging on starvation. While the appearance of a horse seemingly brings hope, the proceedings take a fun turn in grisly fashion, as a parasitic monster makes itself known.
Cut to the present day, where the desolate Siberian wilderness is now occupied by a U.S.-led fracking crew. Amidst their attempts to dig in the cold terrain, the crew discover a cocoon containing a somehow-living centuries-old French soldier. Yet, that is not the most surprising discovery for the crew, as a dormant monster gestating inside the soldier is now awakened. Exposed in its most dangerously fragile state, the monster tears through the men on the grounds in search of a new womb.
Changing gears for a creature feature, the new film from the Adams family taps into zany B-movie gore that will play well with a crowd. There are shades of John Carpenter's The Thing in this tale of a parasitic creature infecting an isolated crew, for whom tensions are already raised within the cold environment. It is also worth mentioning that the practical effects work wonderfully on-screen, although one wishes the same could be said for the often-distracting CG work.
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Filling the screen are well-characterised figures, from empathetic chef Teddy (Max Portman), to fracking boss Emily (Toby Poser) that reads the situation with great effectiveness, Most interesting among them is conservationist head Nikola (Aleksandar Trmcic), whose desire for scientific advancement overwhelms any care about the horrendous effect such leaps may have. While the character relationships work, one misses the familial emotion that powered the Adams family's previous two features, making those truly magical works among the best releases of their subsequent years.
As the parasitic force disregards women in search of the strongest man to use as an incubator, a question arises regarding what is morally right. Should this creature be killed when it cannot help the way that it must survive? It is a fascinating question that generates more interest than a morally black and white tale, while highlighting that the cycle of violence will forever be perpetuated when met with more violence. Hell Hole may not be a top tier work from the Adams family, although it remains a solid entry that is worth the watch.
Hell Hole is available to stream on Shudder from August 23rd
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