[BUFF ’25] ‘Head Like a Hole’: Unique premise and tension carry indie horror

Head Like a Hole is a Canadian horror movie screening at the Boston Underground Film Festival. Asher (Steve Kasan) is in desperate need of money. When Emerson (Jeff McDonald) hires him to watch what he refers to as “the anomaly”, Asher agrees. After all, it sounds easy enough. Check a hole in the basement of a house, measure it hourly, and report any changes. As it turns out, the job is much more difficult than Asher could have imagined.

A creepy prologue sets up the tension that the microbudget film hinges on. The audience is clued in that something has gone awry. But the obvious questions are there. What? How? And most importantly, why? Unsurprisingly, Head Like a Hole moves at a methodical pace. It is up to the mystery to carry it.

For the most part, it works. After almost a year Asher has not seen any changes, but clever camerawork will make anyone watching wonder if maybe there is something happening with the hole. There are also unexplained noises. But it leads to an even more sinister possibility. What if it is not the hole that is being studied, but Asher himself?

Head Like a Hole is a character study that follows a months-long breakdown. As things progress, Asher begins having strange dreams and screaming at the hole. He is clearly suffering and it is hard not to wonder if maybe it is all intentional. There are some pacing issues, but it is an overall enjoyable watch. The mystery is an engaging one and there are some good scares. Head Like a Hole is a slow burn horror flick that is worth your time.