Shudder Secrets: Hell Hole

Over the last few years, the Adams Family have released some of the most interesting genre films in the game, including Hellbender (2021) and Where the Devil Roams (2023). Their latest, Hell Hole, directed by Toby Poser and her husband John Adams, who also wrote the script with their daughter, LuLu Adams, is a wild creature feature with an environmental message.

While Hellbender certainly underscores the power of nature through a witchy female lens, Hell Hole, filmed in Siberia, addresses fracking and the way that humans ravage the Earth. Oh, and it also has really gnarly creatures, specifically parasites that infect one host after the other. Hell Hole has elements of The Thing with a dire warning about what we’re doing to the Earth.

Hell Hole’s Enviornmental Message

In their directors’ statement, Toby and John stated that this was inspired by a family road trip through Alberta, Canada. There, they encountered lonely oil fields, causing them to wonder what secrets may exist deep in the Earth. In this feature, Toby Poser stars as Emily, while John Adams plays John. Their characters, who are also married in the film, own a fracking company.

Not long into the runtime, once the company is given permission to drill, they unearth a 19th Century French soldier harboring a vicious parasite in his body. Before the film fully morphs into a creature feature, however, the environmental message is loud and clear. The machinery drilling into the Earth is loud and monstrous, often filling a frame when it’s scene. Emily and John also skirt regulations and environmental advisors without a care.

Emily especially has no regard for the Earth. At one point, a scientist on the crew, Nikola (Aleksandar Trmcic), warns Emily about the destruction the crew causes. Yet, in a powerful bit of dialogue, he also praises the Earth, its resistance, and its ability to evolve. Emily responds, “Believe it or not, I voted for Bernie.” There’s simply something so callous and cruel about her character, especially the way that Poser plays her. She’s totally indifferent towards the land and even to the Siberian workers.

However, there is a dash of optimism in the film, especially the younger characters, Sofija (Olivera Perunicic), a student intern on the crew, and her crush, Teddy (Max Portman). Sofija has a deep understanding and love of biology and organisms. Her respect for nature hints that maybe the younger generation will take care of the Earth, especially considering the film’s ambiguous ending. It’s a good contrast to Emily’s heartlessness and disregard for nature. If the previous generations won’t care for the Earth, maybe the younger generations will.

Hell Hole as a Creature Feature

While Hell Hole’s message is slightly heavy-handed at time, this film is still very much an old-school creature feature. The Adams family teamed up with Shudder on this production and FX guru Todd Masters. It paid off. The parasites look vicious and really, really cool. They worm into nostrils, ear holes, and other body parts. The have tentacles that whip around and look slimy.

While Hell Hole may be the Adams Family’s most overtly social and political film, the message never overpowers the fun. In fact, the blood and guts make this a really entertaining midnight feature. I wouldn’t be surprised if this plays on “The Last Drive-in” at some point. It’s the perfect film for that show.

With Hell Hole, the DIY filmmaking family continue to subvert the genre and expectations. What’s impressive is how different each of their features is. Hellbender was a witchy mom and daughter story. Where the Devil Roams felt like a German Expressionist film, and Hell Hole is a monster movie with contemporary themes about the environment and bodily autonomy.

Hell Hole worms onto Shudder on August 23. Keep updated on the streaming service’ latest content by following my Shudder Secrets column.