The Hole in the Fence

I watched 'A Hole in the Fence' given its strong rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and I was not disappointed. It is currently streaming on Shudder (7/2024) but this is not truly a horror film in any sort of jump-scare sense. But it is pure horror in terms of the horrible things colonialism, privilege and classism compel people to do, especially when carried out in the name of 'God.' This film is a blistering indictment on how the Catholic church sweeps its own sins diligently under the carpet and the chaos that ensues when those charged with taking care of youth abuse and neglect them instead. This brought up many uncomfortable memories of being bullied in junior high school, and how a bullied child so easily turns into a bully. Not an easy watch. But an incredibly thoughtful, insightful and disturbing one.