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Cherry Pop

John and the Hole [Blu-ray]
(Charlie Shotwell, Michael C. Hall, Taissa Farmiga, Jennifer Ehle, et al / Blu-ray / R / 2022 / IFC Films)

Overview: 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.

Blu-ray Verdict: Visual artist Pasquale Sisto steps behind the camera for his first feature (which is a fascinating look into the feeling of nothingness, and existence without empathy) along with an exceptional cast of Charlie Shotwell, Michael C Hall, Jennifer Ehle, and Taissa Farmiga (who shines in what is a limited role), the highly impressive coming together of talent playing the wealthy family facing a unique crisis.

With a stoic glare, John (Charlie Shotwell, who impressively intimidates throughout) attends tennis lessons, practices piano (of which these very same scenes were actually just Charlie practicing piano, not knowing that they were going to be in the final cut) and has one friend mainly existing only online.

He is completely disconnected spending the majority of his life alone. One day while out exploring with his drone he stumbles upon an underground bunker.

Later that night, John drugs his family and transports their sleeping bodies into the deep bunker where they’re unable to escape. With his newfound freedom the 13-year-old takes his father’s car out for a joyride and checks their back account.

After noticing a balance just shy of a million dollars, he purchases a bigger TV for himself. Before inviting his only friend over, John continues tennis and piano lessons while beginning to role play being an adult.

With a screenplay by Oscar winner Nicolás Giacobone themes of isolation, skewering upper class, and the toxic effects of individualism are fully realized.

In particular money is constantly displayed as a central theme of adult relationships. A subplot with the one of my favorite underused actors Georgia Lyman is intentionally confusing but important nonetheless.

Sisto and Director of Photography Paul Ozgur shoot in a tight 4:3 aspect ratio. Through the use of long lenses they frame the large house and surrounding woods in a surveilled perspective that feels claustrophobic.

While the vision and story are original, I kept thinking of Michael Haneke’s Cache and Funny Games for both of those films involve bourgeois couples in disturbing situations while the films maintain a clinical evaluation of history and society.

In closing, and with Michael C. Hall bringing what he always used to bring to Dexter to the fore facially, much like those aforementioned stories John and the Hole is reminder that the past never stays buried! [ET] This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.33:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.

Official Trailer

Official Purchase Links

www.IFCfilms.com

www.us.RLJentertainment.com





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