Starring Toby Poser, John Adams, and Max Portman
Directed by John Adams and Toby Poser
Written by Lulu Adams, Toby Poser, and John Adams
Shudder
Since John Carpenter’s THE THING, many films have explored isolated groups facing monstrous invasions, but HELL HOLE stands out as the unique vision of the Adams Family. Known for their distinct, indie approach with movies like THE DEEPER YOU DIG, HELLBENDER, and WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS, the Adams Family has built a reputation for their collaborative, DIY style. Typically, father John Adams, mother Toby Poser, and daughters Lulu and Zelda Adams co-star and manage key production roles, making familial dynamics a core theme. However, with Lulu and Zelda overseas or at college during HELL HOLE’s creation (which premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival before its Shudder debut on August 23), this film leans more into the disintegration of group dynamics, blending quirky character moments with high-stakes horror.
The story begins in 1814 with a squad of Napoleon’s soldiers, led by Anders Hove of SUBSPECIES, becoming lost in Serbian lands. They think they’ve found salvation when they come across some much-needed food, but things quickly take a gruesome turn as a tentacled creature invades one of the soldiers through an unsettling orifice. Fast forward to the present, and a fracking company drills into the same territory, awakening a long-buried horror. Directors Adams and Poser, along with co-writer Lulu, may not shy away from obvious metaphors, but this straightforward approach fits seamlessly with the film’s blend of dark humor and grisly thrills.
That’s the previously mentioned Frenchman, somehow still alive but far from healthy after being buried underground for two centuries. With all access routes to the remote location flooded, the team is left to manage their unexpected “visitor.” This group includes team leader Emily (Poser), foreman John (Adams), Emily’s nephew Teddy (Max Portman), and scientists Nikola (Aleksandar Trmčić) and Sofija (Olivera Peruničić)—the latter two monitoring the environmental impact of the operation—along with various local workers. Instead of a slow-burn tale filled with paranoia and distrust, the Adamses quickly reveal their monster’s presence, building a mix of jittery humor and tension as it hops between different human hosts.
A twist on who the creature—reminiscent of the beast in THE KINDRED—is most inclined to invade allows the filmmakers to explore contemporary body/choice issues allegorically. Rather than focus on relationships within a traditional family, HELL HOLE playfully examines the concept of birth and the formation of family through a creature feature lens. This added layer distinguishes it as an Adams project, setting it apart from similar films, along with its quirky character portrayals and sharp, humorous dialogue, especially the memorable lines Poser crafted for her no-nonsense, acerbic character, Emily.
Moreover, HELL HOLE is an incredibly entertaining blend of grisly and unsettling fun, crafted with energetic skill. This marks the first Adams feature not shot by any of the family members, yet cinematographer Sean Dahlberg aligns perfectly with their style, capturing the bleakness of the Serbian landscape and the vivid splashes of bright red that punctuate the film. Renowned monster creator Todd Masters handled the physical creature effects, while Adams regular Trey Lindsey managed the digital and stop-motion elements, resulting in a great mix of jump scares and gross-out moments.
John Adams not only composed the heavy-metal score (a nod to HELLBENDER) but also edited the film, synchronizing the rhythm of the editing with the music to create a dynamic flow from start to finish. It might be coincidental that “Hell Hole” shares its title with a song from THIS IS SPINAL TAP, but this movie, though serious rather than a spoof, captures a similar gonzo spirit. It promises to delight the Adamses’ growing fan base while providing something refreshingly unique for those in search of tentacled terror.