'The Hole in the Ground' Trailer Released

Having just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, The Hole in the Ground is gaining serious buzz for being one of the festival's most horrifying experiences. Check out the film's trailer above before it lands on DirecTV on January 31st and hits theaters on March 1st.

In the film, Chris disappears in the night into the forest behind their house and Sarah discovers an ominous, gaping sinkhole while searching for him. Though he returns, some disturbing behavioral changes emerge, and Sarah begins to worry that the boy who came back is not her son.

In 2017, Get Out debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, which went on to become one of the biggest genre hits of the year, making good on the buzz it earned out of the festival. Last year, Hereditary earned a reputation as one of the most frightening experiences of the festival, ultimately being considered one of the most disturbing horror films of 2018.

The Hole in the Ground comes from studio A24, who has earned a reputation in recent years as bringing audiences some of the most ambitious genre narratives imaginable. Previous releases include The Killing of a Sacred Deer, It Comes at Night, The Blackcoat's Daughter, and the aforementioned Hereditary.

Over at Birth.Movies.Death, Evan Saathoff described, "[Director Lee] Cronin utilizes flawless pacing, ensuring you never get bored as the film builds toward its rousing climax. The film rests on the shoulders of Seána Kerslake's performance as Sarah, mother of the troubled Chris. She is a unique and exciting horror character. When the film begins she seems small and shy, strong enough to have just gotten through something requiring her and her son to remove themselves to the country, but also wounded by that process to her core.

Michael Gingold at Rue Morgue explained, "The Hole in the Ground plays on an age-old parental fear: As one character asks, 'Do you ever look at your kids and not recognize them?' No doubt every mom and dad has had that thought watching their son or daughter grow out of childhood innocence, but Chris is a special case. Though still well-behaved by most appearances, he starts acting out and doing odd things while only Sarah is watching, sometimes without his knowledge. In particular, there's one moment, very effectively staged by Cronin as a static shot outside an open door, that makes it clear Chris has come back from his nocturnal walk in a terribly altered state."

Check out The Hole in the Ground when it lands on DirecTV on January 31st and hits theaters on March 1st.

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