The Hole is a 2001 British psychological thriller film directed by Nick Hamm, based on the 1993 novel After the Hole by Guy Burt. The film stars Thora Birch, Desmond Harrington, Daniel Brocklebank, Laurence Fox, Keira Knightley, and Embeth Davidtz. Filmed in 2000, the film featured Thora Birch in the lead role which was attributed to her appearance in American Beauty (1999). It also marked Knightley's first major role in a feature film. The Hole was released in the United Kingdom on 20 April 2001 and grossed a total of $7.8 million. Dimension Films, which in October 2001 acquired the rights to distribute the film theatrically in the United States, never did so; it was instead released direct-to-video nearly two years later, by Dimension's then-fellow Disney subsidiary Buena Vista Distribution. The film was shot at Bray Studios and various locations around southern England, including Downside School in Somerset. Plot Private school student Liz resurfaces, disheveled and bloody, after disappearing 18 days prior along with her peers Mike, Geoff, and Frankie. Liz is interviewed by a psychiatrist, Dr. Phillipa Horwood. Liz recounts how her friend Martin arranged for the four to spend the weekend in an abandoned underground nuclear fallout shelter to avoid a school field trip. Liz portrays herself as being unpopular but as Frankie is her friend, she was able to convince the others to go down into the shelter. When Martin fails to return for them, the four realise they are trapped, and begin to turn on one another. They discover hidden microphones in the shelter which were placed there by Martin. Attempting to get Martin's attention, Frankie pretends to be ill, while Mike and Liz feign hatred for one another; Martin has had unrequited romantic feelings for her since their childhood. Liz claims they woke up one morning and found the hatch opened, allowing them all to finally escape. Phillipa is skeptical of Liz's story. Martin is subsequently taken into police custody, where he tells an entirely different story: He claims Liz and Frankie orchestrated the scheme in order for Liz to get to know Mike better, and for Frankie to spend time with Geoff. Liz is not the unpopular loner she has portrayed herself as, in fact it is Martin who is the loner while Liz and Frankie are the popular girls. Meanwhile, Liz returns home, where she experiences disturbing flashbacks about what happened. An enraged