Plot: Marek is a police officer who disguises himself as a monk and goes undercover in a remote monastery. Several women have disappeared in the neighborhood and word is that they were all taken there. Marek discovers that the monastery's exorcism work is fake, but the reason behind it is far more sinister than he could've imagined.
Watches
July 24, 2024
Hellhole may be super basic and simple, but it's also a very capable and impressive genre film that left me wanting more once the credits started descending from the screen. The ending is fabulous, which (ironically) may be the main reason keeping me from giving this an even higher score.
The setting is majestic, the presentation is moody and the score is fitting. The first 60 minutes or so are a bit slow though. The build-up is good, but looking at the finale it's clear there was the potential to do ever more with this film. The styling of the demon and the final scenes are exemplary, let's hope for a sequel.
February 13, 2023
One hell of a Polish horror film. The setup is pretty simple and thematically Hellhole has nothing new to offer, but Kowalski puts all his marbles on mood and atmosphere, and that's where this one shines. If the finale had come a bit earlier this could've been a personal favorite, but I was still pretty damn impressed in the end.
The setting is pretty awesome, but it's Kowalski's pointed direction that makes all the difference. A moody score and top-notch cinematography create a tangible feeling of discomfort, the build-up toward the finale is solid (but a tad too long), and the finale itself kicks ass. One of the better horror scenes I've seen in years, it's just a little disappointing the film ends there. Looking forward to Kowalski's next film though, he's definitely one to watch.