Hellhole

After an hour of making the viewer cringe, Hellhole somehow manages to justify its own predictability, but there is no excuse for the bits of silliness in the film (the priest with the camera is shocked by the flaming cross, the loaded pistol sitting on the table...). Nor does the interesting climax make up for the embarrassing impression that the film makes in the run up to it. But Hellhole deserves a third star for that climax, because the filmmakers took it farther than a major studio horror movie would have dared (on the other hand, the first hour would have been better thought out). And the sets are okay. (13.11.2022)

The weak lead character and the slow pace slightly undermine the film, but both can ultimately serve the effectiveness of the finale, which works well as satanic horror film and religious satire. As a result, this is a very solid genre film, one which we can only envy our northern neighbours here in Czechia. (10.11.2022)

I found it somehow dull. For die-hard believers, it must have been a nerve-wracking experience. I see it as a rather unexceptional film full of religious lunatics capable of penetrating an infant (in this case, with a dagger) because of an eight-century-old literary vomit of another fanatic while maintaining very atypical eating habits. I would probably rate it higher if the plot weren't so painfully obvious. I could tell who the bad guy was right off the bat, and then it was a bit boring to watch the creators trudging to the expected result. I didn't particularly enjoy myself, and my rating reflects that. / Lesson learned: Do you want to take a trip back to the Middle Ages? Become religious. (26.01.2023)

A nice surprise from Poland. Bartosz M. Kowalski is the first legitimate Polish horror director and we can expect more interesting things in the future. This film has an unconventional and fairly original theme about a detective who infiltrates a monastery as a monk to investigate the recent disappearances of women's bodies, but uncovers a terrifying conspiracy in the process. It teeters between crime thriller and satanic occult horror, an attractive combination I think, all backed up by decent craftsmanship. The locations are good (the tree in front of the monastery is breathtaking), the monastery has a lot to offer. I liked the music, I enjoyed the plot, the atmosphere was dense in places and there were a few tasty touches (a spectacular throat slitting, dismembered hanging women's bodies, or flies flying out of the monk's head), and the finale with the devil and Jesus himself had some great make-up effects. The fast pace and short running time is also pleasing, I really don't have a problem with it. The fact that it was made by Poles deserves a round up to 4 stars. 7/10. (11.11.2022)