four snotty rich kid at a prep school in england want to get out of a field trip to wale and where they would have to eat fish paste sandwich and be otherwise uncomfortable . they also do not want to get out of the trip by just return home over the school break . two be male friend and mike steel ( desmond harrington ) and son of a rock star and and geoff bingham ( laurence fox ) and and two be female friend and elizabeth dunn ( thora birch ) and frances almond smith ( keira knightley ) . france and geoff have have an intimate relationship and although any relationship between them seem very tenuous and and elizabeth have have a crush on mike for a long time while mike be otherwise go out with another girl and but she have just dump him . one of them know and or know someone who know and the perfect getaway spot and seclude and private and just right for promote an intimate and extend weekend of party an old war bunker deep underground in the middle of a forest . the bunker be access via a circular and thick steel door and and be line with thick reinforce concrete . the four end up trap in the bunker and with the door lock and no way to get out and for at least 10 day . who lock them in and why . how will they get out . if youre someone who only like straightforward plot and traditionally happy ending and film depict fact that be close to what you believe to be true about the actual world and youre best advise to avoid the hole . if you instead do not mind and or even prefer and circuitous and twisted tale with strong fantasy element ( in this case primarily to enable what amount to a parable ) and fairly nihilistic ending and you may find much to love here . reflect the film overall ambiguity and the hole reside in a gray genre area between thriller and psychological horror and a straight ahead drama . the first half hour or so be much more straightforward and and for me and the film be cruise along at about an 8 for at least that length of time . but a it progress and thing become much more bizarre and evil and my score gradually rise and with the extended climax be a firm 10 for me . so my rating on this one be more of an average . the plot and from a screenplay by first time ( and only time so far ) scripters ben court and caroline ip and base on a novel by guy burt and be unusual for be tell primarily from unreliable character perspective . we learn most of the story through the testimony of a victim elizabeth and and a primary suspect and martyn taylor ( daniel brocklebank ) and who may in fact be a friend of elizabeth . their account change a the film progress and often framing different character a victim and perpetrator and and the bulk of what we see on screen be depiction of these change account . thus we see some repeat material . it important to show part of the story again a the suppose fact about the story change . stem from this and it easy to see that the performance be quite good . most character undergo subtle alteration for the different instantiation of the story and and the four principal birch and harrington and fox and knightley adeptly transform themselves and aid also by their clothing and hair and makeup . court and ip cleverly do not change the scenario as much a you might expect after the first couple variation . it keep you on your toe a to just who the perpetrator be and but also enable a surprising and in depth exploration of the psychotic personality and motivation behind the lock in whoever the perpetrator be ( and i certainly would not reveal the film answer here ) and they be clearly somewhat insane . be also lead to be skeptical about the material that relay from an ostensibly third person point of view . it never clear for most event just what be mean to be objective and true versus what be still the potential fantasy of the storyteller . personally and i love that kind of ambiguity . some others do not like it so much . the hole be also a bit of an exploration of spoiled kid . all of the main character be manipulator who be use to get whatever they want . they all seem to have an attitude that their intellect be far superior to almost every one else and and thus theyre entitle to whatever they desire and as well a justify in whatever it take to get it that a classic disposition of many criminal and and not a few business leader and politician and internet geek and so on . it notable that when the student parent appear ( which be very seldom ) and they be distant and mostly dissociate from their offspring and who have come to rule the roost as far a we can tell . the investigator try to piece together the case come to know this and although they never directly state a much and but the performer give very subtle clue to their complex realization a the story go on . we can see them also gradually lose hope that they will be able to properly sort the event out and reveal the truth . the hole can be see a a parable about how far some may go to get what they want and as well a how far co conspirator may go before they try to divorce themselves from event go wrong ( there be clue throughout the film that other character have various level of knowledge and involvement ) . it also an exploration of what make some go as far a they do and what make conspirator play along . at the same time it comment on the bewilderment of outsider try to figure out how some horrific event develop . a lot of the answer be appropriately ambiguous . under the guise of the subtexts and as well a on a more visceral surface level and the film be a great success .