John and the Hole

John and the Hole
Official release poster
Directed byPascual Sisto
Screenplay byNicolás Giacobone
Based on"El Pozo"
by Nicolás Giacobone
Produced by
  • Elika Portnoy
  • Alex Orlovsky
  • Michael Bowes
Starring
CinematographyPaul Ozgur
Edited bySara Shaw
Music byCaterina Barbieri[1]
Production
companies
  • Mutressa Movies
  • 3311 Productions
Distributed byIFC Films
Release dates
  • January 29, 2021 (2021-01-29) (Sundance)
  • August 6, 2021 (2021-08-06) (United States)
[1]
Running time
98 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$26,069[3]

John and the Hole is a 2021 American coming-of-age psychological thriller[4] 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.[2][1] 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.

Cast

Production

The film is the directing debut of Pascual Sisto, and was written by Nicolás Giacobone.[5][6] The film is an adaptation of Giacobone's short story "El Pozo".[7]

Principal photography for the film took place in Massachusetts (Lexington, Lincoln and Norwood). Filming began in October 2019 and lasted 23 days.[8] The soundtrack is by Italian composer Caterina Barbieri.[1]

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.[9][10] On a social network, Pascual Sisto confirmed that the film's release was postponed to 2021.[11] In November 2020, the film appeared at Sundance Wish List by IndieWire Sundance Film Festival.[12] The following month, Pascual Sisto was named by Variety as one of the ten directors to watch for 2021.[13]

In January 2021, the film appeared on TheWrap's, Screen Daily's, Hollywood Reporter's and Deadline's list of the most popular films on sale at the Sundance Festival.[14][15][16][17] John and The Hole also appeared on GQ's (Mexico),[18] Vogue's (which was reported in Italy and the United States), IndieWire's, Vox's, Chicago Reader's, Harper's Bazaar's, Vanity Fair's and USA Today's list as one of the most anticipated films.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]

The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021.[27] It was released on August 6, 2021, by IFC Films.[28]

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."[29] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[30]

Accolades

The film won the Prix de la Révélation at the 47th Deauville American Film Festival[31] and the Crossovers Prize at the Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival.[32]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "2021 Sundance Film Festival". fpg.festival.sundance.org. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "The films of the Official Selection 2020". Festival de Cannes 2021. June 3, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  3. ^ "John and the Hole". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  4. ^ "Home". John and the Hole. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  5. ^ Scholz, Pablo (June 4, 2020). "Nicolás Giacobone, el único argentino seleccionado para Cannes". Clarin (in Spanish). Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  6. ^ "El argentino Nicolás Giacobone guionista de filme internacional seleccionado en Cannes". Télam (in Spanish). June 3, 2020. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  7. ^ "First-look: Cannes official selection 'John And The Hole' (exclusive)". www.screendaily.com (in Spanish). June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  8. ^ "Made in Massachusetts - Massachusetts Film Office". Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  9. ^ Roxborough, Scott (June 3, 2020). "Cannes 2020 Lineup Unveiled". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  10. ^ "The films of the Official Selection 2020". festival-cannes.com. Cannes. June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  11. ^ "Pascual Sisto". Instagram. November 11, 2020. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  12. ^ "Sundance Wish List: 50 Films We Hope Will Premiere at the Festival in 2021". IndieWire. November 24, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  13. ^ "Variety Names 10 Directors to Watch for 2021". Variety. December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  14. ^ "14 Buzziest Sundance Movies for Sale in 2021, From Questlove's 'Summer of Soul' to Rebecca Hall's 'Passing' (Photos)". The Wrap. January 25, 2021. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  15. ^ Kau, Jeremy (January 27, 2021). "Fifteen acquisition titles to look out for at Sundance 2021". Screen Daily. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  16. ^ Galuppo, Mia (January 27, 2021). "Sundance Hot List: Questlove, Jerrod Carmichael Directorial Debuts Among 10 Titles Set to Heat Up the Fest". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  17. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 28, 2021). "Sundance Hot List: Titles To Warm Up This Year's Virtual Festival". Deadline. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  18. ^ González, Paloma (January 19, 2021). "Las películas más esperadas de Sundance 2021". GQ (Mexico). Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  19. ^ Seth, Radhika (January 27, 2021). "Sundance Film Festival 2021: i film da non perdere". Vogue (Italy) (in Italian). Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  20. ^ Seth, Radhika (January 27, 2021). "These are the Sundance Film Festival 2021 releases you just can't miss". Vogue. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  21. ^ Lindahl, Chris (January 25, 2021). "Sundance 2021 Market: 15 Movies That Could Sell Big in a Year of Virtual Discovery". Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  22. ^ Wilkinson, Alissa (February 9, 2021). "12 movies that everyone will be talking about this year". Vox. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  23. ^ "What we loved at Sundance 2021 . . . from our couch". Chicago Reader. January 19, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  24. ^ "12 Sundance Movies You Need to Look Out For". Harper's Bazaar. February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  25. ^ "All the best movies we saw at Sundance Film Festival, ranked (including 'Judas and the Black Messiah')". USA Today. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  26. ^ "The Best and Worst of Sundance 2021". Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  27. ^ Debruge, Peter (December 15, 2020). "Sundance Film Festival Lineup Features 38 First-Time Directors, Including Rebecca Hall and Robin Wright". Variety. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  28. ^ "Exclusive new photos from the biggest summer movies". USA Today. May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  29. ^ "John and the Hole (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  30. ^ "John and the Hole". Metacritic. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  31. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (September 11, 2021). "'Red Rocket,' 'Blue Bayou' and 'Down With the King' Among 2021 Deauville Film Festival Winners". Variety. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  32. ^ "Winners 2021 – FEFFS". Retrieved November 11, 2021.