Hole (2024)

Con artists Kevin (Marko Plantan) and Mia (Lea Cok), seduce and rob wealthy women. After mistakenly believing they've killed a seductress named Ema (Darja Krhin), they attempt to bury her in a remote forest. Emma awakens and flees, initiating a deadly game of cat and mouse where appearances are deceptive.

Whilst the plot itself is one we’ve seen before there are some fun set pieces, most notably a fight scene in the forest between our female antagonist and unwilling final girl. A western style score sets the tone as the two duke it out for survival.

This Slovenian independent feature feels like a throwback to grindhouse films of old, but balances more towards humour than horror. Given the revenge plot, I anticipated a grittier tone, but instead we’re met with levity at every turn and surreal decisions including Ema using a sanitary pad to tend to a wound that won’t stop bleeding. It’s certainly something I’ve not seen before and the definition of thinking on your feet!

As fun as some of the set pieces are I feel this feature could have played more into the horror genre using effective cut scenes at moments of torture. That being said, it does throw you off with the story and tone being at polar ends of the spectrum and is effective as a comedy set piece.

The isolated setting works in this film’s favour, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the performance of our leads and the story without undue distraction. The role of Ema is at first portrayed as just a rich girl and not a lot of substance is provided. However, you can see her unravel at pace and it’s clear Krhin had a lot of fun in this role.

Hole delivers a style of anarchy unlike most in the genre. With a runtime of just 71 minutes, it fits a lot in and could be a hit with fans of frantic filmmaking.