John and the Hole

John and the Hole is a 2021 American coming-of-age psychological thriller film directed by Pascual Sisto and written by Nicolás Giacobone. A feature-length adaptation of Giacobone's short story, El Pozo, the film stars Charlie Shotwell, Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Ehle, and Taissa Farmiga. The film revolves around a boy who discovers an unfinished bunker in the neighboring woods of his home.

The film was selected for the official selection of the 2020 Cannes Film Festival and had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021. It was released on August 6, 2021, by IFC Films.

Plot
John comes from an affluent family, living in a luxurious suburban home with his parents, Brad and Anna, and his older sister, Laurie.

On the surface, John's life appears picture-perfect, but deep inside, he feels disconnected and disillusioned. Seeking escape from the pressures and expectations of his privileged existence, John stumbles upon a hidden bunker in the nearby woods. Intrigued and drawn to the idea of control and power, he devises a chilling plan.

Driven by a mix of curiosity, rebellion, and a desire to assert control, John decides to drug his family members. One by one, he carefully lures them into the bunker, rendering them unconscious and trapping them within its confines. With his family effectively imprisoned underground, John now has complete control over their lives.

Within the confines of the bunker, the dynamics between the family members slowly unravel. Brad, Anna, and Laurie wake up confused and disoriented, struggling to understand their new reality. As days turn into weeks, tension and desperation mount, revealing the complexities of their relationships and the true nature of their personalities.

Production
The film is the directing debut of Pascual Sisto, and was written by Nicolás Giacobone. The film is the first screen adaptation of Giacobone's short story El Pozo.

Principal photography for the film took place in Massachusetts (Lexington, Lincoln and Norwood). Filming began on October, 2019 and lasted 23 days. The soundtrack is by Italian composer Caterina Barbieri.

Release
The film was part of the official selection for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. The festival did not take place in its physical form due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On a social network, Pascual Sisto confirmed that the film's release was postponed to 2021. In November 2020, the film appeared at Sundance Wish List by IndieWire Sundance Film Festival. The following month, Pascual Sisto was named by Variety as one of the ten directors to watch for 2021.

In January 2021, the film appeared on TheWraps, Screen Dailys, Hollywood Reporters and Deadlines list of the most popular films on sale at the Sundance Festival. John and The Hole also appeared on GQs (Mexico), Vogues (which was reported in Italy and the United States), IndieWires, Voxs, Chicago Readers, Harper's Bazaars, Vanity Fairs and USA Todays list as one of the most anticipated films.

The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021. It was released on August 6, 2021, by IFC Films.

Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, 60% of 129 critic reviews are positive for the film, and the average rating is 6.10 out of 10. The top critics give it a fresh rating of 67%. The critics consensus on the website reads: "John and the Hole's enticingly unique premise and disquieting atmosphere are often at odds with a meandering story that prevents this thriller from fulfilling its creepy potential." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Accolades
The film won the Prix de la Révélation at the 47th Deauville American Film Festival and the Crossovers Prize at the Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival.