The Hole

Private school student Liz reappears after 18 days missing, disheveled and stained with blood. She is interviewed by Dr. Phillipa Horwood, who asks probing questions about what happened. Liz recounts her version of events—her friendships, the shelter plan, and the escape attempt—while presenting herself as the cautious, unpopular girl.

Martin arranges for the four to spend a weekend in an abandoned underground fallout shelter to avoid a school field trip. Liz admits she is considered unpopular, yet Frankie is her friend, and she persuades Mike, Geoff, and Frankie to join. The plan hinges on secrecy and a sense of daring as they cram into the shelter.

Inside the shelter, they realize Martin never returns; they discover microphones planted by Martin to monitor them. Frankie pretends to be ill to draw attention, while Mike and Liz fake hostility toward each other to mask their schemes. Martin's unrequited love for Liz complicates the group's dynamic as paranoia grows.

The group wakes to find the hatch opened and the doors to the outside seemingly accessible, giving them the illusion of escape. They celebrate a possible reprieve, unaware that danger and manipulation still linger. Liz uses the moment to rationalize their freedom as the others attempt to climb toward daylight.

Following their escape, Martin is taken into police custody, where he presents a starkly different account. He claims Liz and Frankie orchestrated the scheme to advance Liz's social standing and to give Frankie time with Geoff. The police begin to see that Liz may not be the innocent girl she claimed to be, challenging Phillipa's skepticism.

Liz goes back to her home and experiences disturbing flashbacks of the shelter ordeal. The memories blur and torment her, hinting at a darker truth beneath her social facade. The psychological tension grows as she tries to reconcile her self-image with the events she describes.

Martin visits Liz, believing she has framed him. She runs from him through the garden toward a weir, and Martin breaks down in tears. Liz implies that they could not prove anything and that he will face consequences.

In the next session, Phillipa asks Liz to make a formal statement supporting Martin's version, but Liz refuses. She asks to return to the bunker to provoke her memory, and Phillipa agrees to the risky plan. The shifting dynamic deepens the therapy's tension.

Back in the shelter, Liz reveals the truth: she locked everyone in to win Mike's affection after discovering he slept with Frankie. The group drinks and uses drugs but cannot escape, and the real horror of entrapment sinks in. The others' jealousy and desire escalate tensions.

As food and water run out, Frankie grows sicker, vomiting and dehydrated, her weakened heart failing due to bulimia. The group's panic intensifies and violent acts replace whispered fears. This marks the start of the deadly consequences of their confinement.

Mike learns Geoff hoarded a Coca-Cola in his backpack and attacks him in a fit of rage. In the ensuing struggle, Geoff is fatally beaten. Liz's manipulations and the group's breakdown accelerate toward violent outcomes.

The despair pushes Liz and Mike toward a suicide pact, but Liz uses the moment to trigger a chase. She climbs the ladder and unlocks the hatch, only for Mike to chase her as the ladder breaks. Mike falls to his death, impaled on the broken ladder.

When Phillipa presses for an official statement, Liz refuses and reveals she murdered Martin the day before, to prevent him from exposing her. The admission reframes the entire case, turning Liz into the architect of the tragedy. The police later discover his corpse and the shelter key on him.

Police find Martin's corpse in the river, with the shelter key in his pocket, implying his death was a suicide. They attribute his death to suicide, despite the complex web of deceit surrounding the shelter events. The investigation nears its end as Liz sails past accountability.

Liz is allowed to go free and leaves the shelter in an ambulance. She smirks at Phillipa from the window, suggesting she has preserved her secret and escaped accountability. The final image hints that the truth remains buried with Liz.