Hell Hole Review: A Glimpse into the Gooey, Gory Underworld

A low-budget horror movie that consists of John Adams, Toby Poser and their daughter Lulu, Hell Hole, focuses on a group of engineers who come across the body of a French soldier from the time of Napoleon.

The soldier in question is home to a parasitic monster and is still alive, buried deep inside the surface of Earth. The movie features the following synopsis on IMDB and stars the likes of Olivera Perunicic, Bruno Veljanovski, and John Adams himself:

“Hell Hole hails from the filmmaking family behind Hellbender and centers on an American-led fracking crew that uncovers a living French soldier frozen in time from a Napoleonic campaign, whose body hosts a parasitic monster.”

The movie takes viewers to a remote Serbian forest as an American-led tracking team discovers a living French soldier during one of their digs. Their discovery leads to hell being unleashed on the group as they attempt to survive the parasitic octopoid creature that has made the soldier’s body its home.

Hell Hole presents a fearsome, almost ‘icky’ horror narrative

The Adams family has previously proven their horror mettle via movies such as Hellbender and The Deeper You Dig. This one, however, is arguably their scariest project to date, as Hell Hole delivers horror as a combination of violent special effects, dark humor, and a brutal brand of horror that is bound to scare even the most steadfast of viewers.

The movie begins with a flashback from 1814, which sets up the premise. Two soldiers from Napoleon's army are seen being attacked by a tentacled creature in a Serbian woodland, and the story finally transitions to the present day. In this scene, a crew of American trackers led by John (John Adams) and Emily (Toby Poser) are shown looking for natural resources to exploit.

The group also includes the likes of Sofija and Nikola, who are concerned with the ecological impact of their search. However, things take an awry turn when the group comes across a French soldier, whose body is preserved in a cocoon.

As they attempt to investigate, they realize that the creature in question can transfer from host to host as it proceeds to kill multiple team members at once.

The creature eventually finds a home in John and proceeds to kill a range of other team members as it takes on several hosts. The tentacled monster eventually destroys the entire group, leaving no survivors, as the climax sees John being trapped much the same way as the French soldier was shown at the beginning of the movie.

Hell Hole’s narrative takes inspiration from John Carpenter’s horror works, such as The Thing, and it presents a mysterious yet beautiful setting, which further amplifies the horror attached to the tentacled monster.

While some of the CGI used might appear bland, the extreme gore on offer means that it is a must-watch for horror enthusiasts, especially those who love a bit of dark humor as well.

Hence, the narrative itself may be lacking, but its blend of horror and humor makes up for the uneven pace of the movie. Hell Hole is also heavy on dialogue and attempts to keep viewers on the edge of their seats as they try to decipher which of the team members might be the next host of the tentacled monster.

Regardless, the movie’s quirky nature makes for a unique horror flick. Hell Hole is available to watch on multiple platforms, including Hulu and Shudder.