The Adams Family ventures to Siberia in the newest slimy creature feature to hit Shudder. Hell Hole lands somewhere between bloody comedic and comically bloody, making the film a fun departure from their usual genre fare. 

Directed by and starring John Adams and Toby Poser, Hell Hole follows a fracking crew drilling in the mountainous landscapes of Siberia. When they astoundingly come across a Napoleonic-era Frenchman engulfed in a cocoon-like encasing, yet somehow still alive, hidden deep in the ground, it slowly becomes apparent that they unearthed something better left buried. A mysteriously slimy and tentacled creature emerges, jumping from one unsuspecting crew member to the next. Explosive gore is met with a comedic tone, making the film play like something akin to if The Thing was a Troma production. 

The family behind recent films like Hellbender (2021) and Where the Devil Roams (2023), is stretching their legs and testing their limits as filmmakers. Having previously made films with personal and isolated stories with a cast list consisting largely of the family members themselves–John Adams, Toby Poser, Lulu and Zelda Adams–this is their biggest production yet, materially and thematically. The fracking crew is often ideologically at odds with the scientists accompanying them, who themselves are concerned with conservation and the integrity of the environment. The creature hidden among the crew has a goal of survival, and the men penetrating the planet are its enemy.

Hell Hole attempts to tackle the idea that man is the monster, invading and desecrating the earth. Earth is simply fighting back. The crew’s orange jumpsuits, and the copious amounts of blood that will spew from their bodies, stands out against the undersaturated foliage–hammering home the reality that humankind is a blemish tainting the world. However, this cast of characters is simply fodder, and it is difficult to care for anyone on screen. It is easy to get lost in a sea of insignificant characters, making the excitingly gooey deaths less effective. 

The saving grace of the film is the score, written and performed by John Adams himself. Heavy metal leaning soundwaves are intrinsic to the films created by the Adams Family, who are also the musical act H6LLB6ND6R. The punk rock nature of this amazingly artistic and creative family is integral to the charm of their films–something that becomes lost in the broad scope of Hell Hole. Nonetheless, the film is undeniably fun and dances in the freedom of a dark comedy–an unexpected surprise in comparison to the moody atmosphere of their previous horror filmography–and the creature effects by Todd Masters and MasterFX, Inc. will satisfy anyone looking for a bloody good time. With something like Hell Hole under their belt, audiences should be keen to see where the Adams Family will venture next.

Grade: C+

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: None

Where to Watch: Streaming on Shudder

Vannah Taylor
she/her @sirendeathcult
Lives in Southern California. Loves ballet and films about psychotic women.
Favorite Director: David Lynch
Sign: Aries