Filmmaker Dante does a superb job of instantly luring the viewer into the proceedings by evoking the feel of its similarly-themed ’80s counterparts (including Dante’s own Gremlins)...

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jan 11, 2025

Dante's direction manages to take a formulaic experience into exciting new areas, even if the larger themes at play don't get a major payoff.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 22, 2023

Dante's touch (aside from including a mandatory cameo by Dick Miller) walks a fine line between going too far and exploring dull general audience fare, a line he’s been walking with considerable success his entire career.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 23, 2022

Not likely to give anyone outside of toddler range any nightmares, but it's still a smooth, smart, and eminently likable "rainy night" family film.

| Aug 26, 2015

The Hole doesn't have the frantic wit of Dante's Gremlins 2 or the political import of his Small Soldiers, but it has something just as satisfying: a thorough understanding of the psychological underpinnings of the genre.

| Jun 17, 2013

On the surface, Dante's movies are juvenile horrors with some movie-savvy comedy thrown in, but underneath they're among the most subversive entertainments being made today. Hopefully future generations will discover this silly, smart gem.

| May 20, 2013

Sadly, the picture is just too mild for its own good.

| Original Score: 1.5/4 | Jan 8, 2013

Dante once again finds similar success in The Hole, merging juvenile concerns with darker stories.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 2, 2012

Curb your expectations and know you're going into a film about how curious children overcome their fears, not how malevolent darkness torments a group of unsuspecting "victims."

| Original Score: 5/10 | Sep 30, 2012

A refreshing example of how to make a film for a specific demographic the right way. ... Smart, scary and fun as hell.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Sep 28, 2012

Entertaining, with a welcome sense of mischief, The Hole plays to Dante's strengths, returning him to a suburban battleground where young characters face off against an unstoppable, often knee-high malevolent force.

| Original Score: B | Sep 28, 2012

Catch THE HOLE in 3-D if you can, but watch it with your kids during this approaching Halloween. You might remember a time when horror was fun and creepy and less violent and exploitative.

| Original Score: 6.5/10 | Sep 28, 2012

Now that it's finally here, it proves a sight better than its direct-to-video credentials suggest.

| Original Score: B | Sep 28, 2012

No one understands that giddy rush of sugar buzz cinema better than director Joe Dante.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 27, 2012

All the elements are here, they just don't add up to a satisfying whole.

| Original Score: C- | Sep 27, 2012

A fun kids horror film that may be a minor work for Dante, but still very satisfying.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 5, 2011

Will be instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up watching movies in the 1980s!

| Oct 18, 2010

This is scary, thrilling stuff, especially considering there's very little actual violence or gore.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 29, 2010

The return of director Joe Dante would be more welcome if his children's horror-thriller weren't so tepid.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 29, 2010

Director Dante knows a thing or two about making teen thrillers, and this film gets the atmosphere just right without indulging in cheap movie gimmicks.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 29, 2010