In this enigmatic and unsettling meditation on adolescent angst, 13-year-old John (Charlie Shotwell) discovers an unfinished bunker while exploring the neighboring woods—a deep hole in the ground. Seemingly without provocation, he drugs his affluent parents (Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Ehle) and older sister (Taissa Farmiga), holding them captive within the bunker. As they anxiously wait for John to free them from the hole, the boy returns home, where he can finally enjoy and explore a newfound independence. Exploring the difficult passage from childhood freedom to adult responsibility, John and the Hole is both a slow-burn psychological thriller and meditative coming-of-age fable, anchored by a chilling lead performance from Charlie Shotwell.
For thoughts on John and The Hole, please see my colleague Michael Cook’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The film debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio that captures the claustrophobic narrative really well. The movie itself has a muted, cooler color palette that does not radiate off the screen, but the lush greenery of nature makes a grand impression. The transfer does feature a great amount of detail and clarity even in the darkest scenes. The movie often utilizes darkness to build tension at various points, and the deep black levels really help maintain the illusion without crush or compression artifacts. Objects hold up pretty well in the shadows and retain their depth. The mud and other unsavory material that the family finds themselves covered in while in the hole provide some impressive moments of texture. There is slight loss of detail in some panning shots, but it is not pervasive throughout this mostly meditative narrative. There is no damage or digital noise detectable in this transfer. For a film with such striking cinematography, it is nice to have such a rock solid technical presentation.
Audio Quality
John and the Hole comes to Blu-Ray with a tremendous DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. The movie is not a non-stop thrill ride, but it maintains a consistent, uneasy tone that gives your speakers a workout. The environmental and nature sounds provide a very immersive atmosphere for the story. The low end of the track is especially active in conjunction with the moody score from Caterina Barbieri. The sparse dialogue and sound effects are appropriately balanced with the music where nothing gets lost in the track. Surround channels get some nice activity during the outdoor scenes and with the house ambiance as you often have conversations radiating out of neighboring rooms. This track is quite precise and effective, and will be appreciated by fans who pick up this disc. There are English SDH and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on this disc.
Final Thoughts
John and The Hole is a film that evokes mixed emotions. The feature has an impeccable command of tension and world building as you breathlessly dive into this bizarre situation. Yet, you will more than likely not be completely satisfied once you reach the end due to the story’s insistence on keeping concrete answers at arm’s length. The narrative seems like one that will grow stronger the more you reflect upon it and debate internally. In the meantime, you still have a terrific ensemble cast who tackle these roles without fear or reservation. The filmmaking on display from director Pascual Sisto in his directorial debut is very impressive and elevates the movie even further. RLJE Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. There are enough elements that work immensely well to recommend a viewing, but be prepared to be challenged when it comes to character motivation. Recommended
John and The Hole is currently available to purchase on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
