John and the Hole – Ending Explained 

The movie ” John and the Hole” directed by Pascual Sisto and released in 2021, captivated audiences with its intriguing narrative. 

Central to this intrigue is the film’s enigmatic ending, which prompts numerous questions and interpretations. 

In the following article, we delve into the concluding events of ” John and te Hole” and attempt to unravel the mysteries woven throughout the plot. 

***Note*** 

This article contains spoilers for the film “John and The Hole.” 

If you have not yet watched the movie and wish to preserve your viewing experience, I highly advise discontinuing reading at this point. 

John’s Journey: Story Synopsis

“John and the Hole”, directed by Pascual Sisto and released in 2021, delves deep into the intricacies of human psychology through the narrative of John, a 13-year-old adolescent, portrayed by Charlie Shotwell.  

Before we get into how the movie wraps up, let’s take a quick look at John’s adventure.  

John, an ordinary teenager, indulges in online gaming with his buddy, takes tennis lessons, and attends school.   

Venturing into the vicinity of his family abode, John stumbles upon a hole, which is an under-construction bunker.   

Motivated by an obscure and seemingly unrelated impetus, John opts to drug his parents, Brad and Anna Shay, portrayed by Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Ehle, alongside his sister Laurie, played by Taissa Farmiga, trapping them inside the hole.   

John meticulously plans the deed, even testing the sleeping pills on the gardener Charlie, to determine the dosage required to sedate his family.    

Under the cover of darkness, ensuring their unconsciousness, John transports his family members to the bunker, carrying them individually via a wheelbarrow.   

At this point, we are introduced to a new character: Lily, a 12-year-old girl, who is in her room with her mother.    

Following an ostensibly nonsensical exchange, her mother narrates the tale of “John and the Hole.”   

Subsequently, the phrase “John and the Hole” graces the screen, as Brad, Anna, and Laurie awake within the hole, in despair and bewilderment, clamoring for aid.   

Meanwhile, John pulls off a phone impersonation, mimicking his parents’ voices over the phone, to keep the gardener from being suspicious.  

Utilizing his father’s automobile, he withdraws cash from the ATM, indulges in fast food to his heart’s content, and fabricates a tale for his mother’s confidante Paula, asserting that the family has embarked on a visit to his ailing grandfather.   

Later, John delivers provisions and blankets to his family from atop the hole, without saying a word.  

The family’s convinced it’s someone else who put them there until they realize it’s John’s doing.  

Come the weekend, John invites his gaming friend to come over and they both have a blast.  

Concerned about Anna’s prolonged absence, Paula ventures to the household, as John tries to convince her again about his family’s trip.   

Finding  John’s behavior odd, she calls Anna’s phone and hears it ring in the living room, prompting her to leave and summon the authorities, who find the house deserted, as John is in hiding.   

Simultaneously, we revisit Lily and her mother, the latter hastily preparing to depart, leaving Lily to fend for herself with ample funds to cover a year’s rent, urging her to assume adult responsibilities.   

Desperate pleas falling on deaf ears, Lily witnesses her mother’s departure, forsaking her.  

Returning to John, he continues his routine, including attending tennis lessons.   

Growing weary of fast food, John cooks risotto and brings it to the bunker, sharing it with his family, while maintaining a detached demeanor.   

Subsequently, after spending another night in solitude, John, looking bored, goes to the bunker.  

In a rare moment of solitude, John has a heartfelt moment with Laurie, shedding some tears without really understanding why.  

A ladder is then lowered into the hole, facilitating the family’s escape and they exit the bunker, walking towards the house as they approach it, they see John, submerged in the pool, only to realize he is safe.   

The concluding scenes witness the closure of the bunker’s construction site and the family sharing a meal in silence, interspersed with Lily navigating through a forest, reminiscent of the bunker’s landscape.    

Film Analysis: “John and the Hole”  

“John and the Hole” goes beyond just looking at what John does; it also explores the consequences of his actions.  

John, a privileged youth, who has everything and is cared for by seemingly loving parents but yearns for the one thing they seem to overlook: genuine time and attention.  

As we watch the story unfold, we see what life is like for John after he locks up his family.  

The film accentuates the strains and clashes among his captive relatives, while John embraces a life unrestrained by familial obligations, navigating adulthood on his terms.  

As days pass, John, left to his own devices, neglects household chores, resulting in disarray and a neglected garden.  

Yearning for autonomy, John overlooks the responsibilities that accompany adulthood, failing to comprehend its full scope.   

Now, let’s talk about why John does what he does…  

Theories and Interpretations: Unraveling John’s Motivations  

1. Symbolism of Adolescence and Transition to Adulthood  

One plausible interpretation of the film revolves around the symbolism of adolescence and the transition to adulthood.  

John’s act of confining his family and assuming adult responsibilities might signify the pressures and expectations adolescents face when stepping into adulthood.  

The contrast between John’s outward normalcy and his extreme actions could symbolize the internal conflicts and drastic changes teenagers undergo.  

As childhood fades, the harsh realities of life emerge.  

John’s family appears to shield him from these realities, treating him more as a fragile child than a maturing teenager.  

For John, the hole becomes a means to explore adult life curiosities suppressed by his parents’ reluctance to let him grow.  

2. Escape from Reality  

Another theory posits that John’s actions serve as an escape from reality.  

The hole becomes a mental refuge, a retreat from the complexities and challenges of everyday life.  

John’s seemingly “normal” existence post-confinement could signify his attempt to construct an alternate reality.  

His parents’ explanation of the bunker as protection against danger fuels John’s belief that by confining his family, he can shield them while escaping his reality.  

3. Existential Emptiness  

An existentialist interpretation suggests the film delves into the existential void and lack of meaning in John’s life.  

The title, “John and the Hole,” hints at the inner emptiness driving John’s actions without remorse.  

The “hole” signifies the modern emptiness devoid of meaningful connections.  

Is John a psychopath?  

Is John a burgeoning serial killer, sociopath, or psychopath?   

His quiet demeanor combined with heinous actions leaves audiences questioning his psyche. 

His expressionless face and monotonous demeanor hint at inner emptiness, raising questions about his psychological state and motivations.  

While the narrative uses psychological suspense, John’s ambiguous actions keep the audience guessing about his intentions.   

Some scenes leave us with the distinct impression that people are going to be murdered, but nobody is killed in the plot. 

In the scenes where John and his friend play a kind of “drowning game” in the pool, you get the feeling that John is going to cross the line at any moment, holding him down until he drowns. 

When the gardener collapses after being drugged and John approaches him, poking him with a branch, we don’t know if John has killed him or will murder him. 

When Paula, his mother’s friend, comes to the house, worried about her absence, John doesn’t seem to want to let her go and, for a moment, it looks like something bad is going to happen. 

John oscillates between craving companionship and exhibiting concerning behaviors, seeking solace in friendships and surrogate maternal figures.  

Despite initial appearances of familial normalcy, the family’s silence at mealtimes underscores their disconnection, with John silently eating amidst their electronic distractions.  

Charlie Shotwell’s portrayal of John garners acclaim, portraying him as a cold, enigmatic figure with a potential personality disorder.  

Lily and Her Mother: A Parallel Narrative  

A pivotal subplot unfolds alongside the main storyline in “John and the Hole is”, essential for contextual understanding of the film’s thematic depth.  

Lily’s narrative strategically occurs approximately every 30 minutes throughout the movie.  

Viewers anticipate a convergence of Lily and other characters’ trajectories, expecting their stories to intertwine, enriching the narrative’s coherence.  

However, this anticipated connection never materializes, leaving audiences pondering Lily and Gloria’s relevance to the overarching plot.  

Following John’s eerie transport of his unconscious father to the hole, Lily and her mother, Gloria, are introduced in the first of Lily’s scenes.  

Lily, a red-haired 12-year-old, is introduced, seemingly detached from the central plotline.  

Gloria enters Lily’s room, expressing concern as Lily hasn’t left her room for 24 hours.   

Their dialogue hints at her father’s departure, leaving them uncertain of his return.  

Lily claims to have learned to dance, but Gloria doubts her, sparking a brief confrontation.  

Gloria then embraces Lily, offering to recount the story of “John and the Hole”, setting the stage for the film’s central theme.  

A subsequent hour into the film revisits Lily and Gloria, with Gloria informing Lily of her imminent departure, insisting she’s old enough to fend for herself. 

Despite Lily’s protestations, Gloria remains resolute, leaving Lily to contemplate her newfound solitude. 

The film’s concluding scene revisits Lily, wandering through a landscape reminiscent of the forest where John discovered the bunker, signaling a cyclical narrative.  

Gloria’s Narrative Offerings  

Gloria presents Lily with a choice of stories: “Charlie and the Spider” and “John and the Hole”.  

“Charlie and the Spider” mirrors John’s manipulation of the gardener, Charlie, paralleling the scorpion and the frog fable, highlighting betrayal and trust.  

Lily ultimately opts for “John and the Hole”, encapsulating the film’s core narrative.  

This fable serves as Gloria’s cautionary tale, preparing Lily for impending abandonment and the harsh realities of maturity.  

John’s tale symbolizes a transformative journey toward adulthood, mirroring Lily’s forced maturity amidst her mother’s abandonment.  

The film’s final scene elucidates that John’s narrative is but a story within Lily’s reality, metaphorically intertwined with her familial abandonment.  

Lily and John: Parallels  

Lily and John share poignant parallels as peculiar children with absentee parents.  

John’s parents remain oblivious to his loneliness and detachment, ignorant of the dangers posed by his lack of empathy.  

Similarly, Lily yearns for visibility, symbolized by her dream of becoming a blue balloon, unnoticed amidst the sky’s expanse.  

Lily’s father’s departure precedes Gloria’s cold abandonment, mirroring John’s familial detachment.  

Their narratives converge in themes of isolation, familial neglect, and the tumultuous journey toward maturity amidst abandonment’s harsh realities.  

How did John manage to get his family into the hole without injuring anyone?  

John incapacitates his family and transports them to the abandoned bunker nestled in the nearby woods.  

Ever wonder how he pulled it off?  

We witness John wheeling his father through the night in a wheelbarrow.  

The only clue we glimpse regarding their descent into the seemingly deep hole is when his father awakens, revealing ropes around his body.  

Did John lower them into the hole using ropes?  

That’s the likely scenario, considering the family is positioned side by side.  

During his planning, John inquires about the number of cushions in the house.  

Did he intend to provide comfort and cushion their descent?  

Yet, it’s improbable to simply drop them from a height without injury, even with cushions.  

Therefore, the rope theory seems the most plausible.  

Why didn’t the police investigate further when Paula called them?  

When Paula visits the family home, she discovers Anna’s phone ringing in the living room.  

Spooked, she leaves and returns with a policeman, who finds the door locked. 

John remains silent until they depart.  

Perhaps the lack of thorough investigation stems from the story’s narrative being relayed to a child, where real-world procedures are omitted.  

Maybe that’s why John can drive all over the city without consequences and why he knows his parents’ bank card password.  

John, an accomplished pianist  

At one juncture, John fills his time playing the piano flawlessly amidst the rain.  

The classical music he plays in his father’s car mirrors that on the piano.  

When he picks up his friend Peter at the bus station, he criticizes the classical music playing in the car, but John tells him to leave it on.  

The same music plays again in the background while John prepares risotto for his family.  

His change of heart and the release of his family  

In the bunker, his parents talk about how Paula is probably going crazy, as she needed Anna’s help with a job and Brad says that someone would call the police soon.  

Paula accepts John’s lies when he says that the family went to visit their sick grandfather, leaving John behind to train for a tennis championship.   

Charlie, the gardener, dismissed and believing that John’s father is ill and will take over the garden, goes to the house one day and finds the garden all abandoned.  

For John, these incidents help him realize that he is about to be discovered, leading him to end the “experiment” with his family.  

Did John attempt suicide at the end?  

Returning to the pool, John’s action could be interpreted as a cry for help rather than a suicide attempt.  

It could even have been him playing the “drowning game”, as he did with his friend,. 

Maybe he tests whether his family would save him despite his actions.  

John was fine, living without limits on his own, but he missed his family and being looked after.   

Unanswered questions from “John and the Hole”  

Some aspects remain unexplained:  

Why did John slip money into Charlie’s pocket after sedating him?  

As the gardener staggers and falls, sedated, John goes to him and pokes him with a piece of twig. 

When he sees that there is no answer, he puts money in the gardener’s pocket.  

Was it because Charlie had helped him with his test? Compensation for the inconvenience?  

The relationship with money is interesting.  

John has everything he needs and has no financial worries.  

When he has access to his parents’ account, he withdraws as much as he wants and spends it on a TV and offers money to his friend Peter, surprised when at first Peter refuses, saying he doesn’t need it.  

What transpired between John and his mother?  

There’s a scene in the bunker in which John’s parents are discussing an incident between John and his mother and Brad asks if “something happened” between her and John.  

 Anna seems upset by the inquiry and replies harshly that nothing happened.  

 There seems to be no further explanation about the event.  

Why is John fixated on Paula’s age?  

John seemed to get very excited when he learned that Paula was also 50, just like his mother.  

His excitement over her age parallels his mother’s, but the reason remains unclear.  

He persistently asks how old his mother’s friend is, even after she tells him that it’s impolite to ask a woman’s age.  

Why is the payment for tennis lessons delayed?  

The delay in payment to the tennis instructor raises questions about financial matters.  

The instructor says he cares about John and needs his mother to send him his payment.  

Why haven’t the checks been sent to him?  

Was Anna unable to do it because she was captured?   

 If this is the explanation, it may be another motive for John to end his “experiment”.  

 But on the other hand, John had access to the family money and could have made the payment himself.

Why does Gloria discourage Lily from being an assistant?  

Gloria’s reluctance to allow Lily to assist her remains unexplained, adding to the film’s intrigue.  

When Lily pleads with her mother not to depart, offering to work as her assistant, Gloria reacts with dismay, declaring “My daughter is nobody’s assistant” – twice.   

Was it to make sure Lily tries hard in life to overcome obstacles?

What is the significance of the banana?  

The significance of the banana recurs throughout the film, starting with Lily’s mother offering her one.   

John later offers Paula a banana, when she visits the house and John’s mother eats a banana peel when hungry in the bunker   

Did Lily lie about learning to dance?  

Why would Lily lie about learning to dance and why would her mother imply that was a lie?  

Regarding Lily’s claim about learning to dance, why she might lie about it and why Gloria doubts her remains unclear. 

The ending of “John and the Hole”  

In the conclusion of “John and the Hole”, John, feeling lonely and bored, cries over the hole as Laurie apologizes, though unsure why.   

Does John regret his actions? Has loneliness become overwhelming? Is he afraid of being discovered?  

John places a ladder in the hole for his family’s escape but doesn’t wait for them, heading to the pool, where he may be attempting suicide or playing the “drowning game”.   

His sister’s cry prompts his father to rescue him, revealing the family’s concern despite John’s actions.  

The subsequent family meal, indifferent to past events, underscores the absurdity, hinting at the story’s fable-like nature.   

Lily is left to mature abruptly, while John, sheltered and spoiled, escapes consequences, challenging viewers’ perceptions.  

The ambiguous conclusion fosters ongoing reflections and discussions, inviting varied interpretations of human complexity.  

As “John and the Hole” concludes much like it began, with a silent family dinner, John faces no repercussions for his disturbing acts, as predicted by his family.   

They easily revert to routine, seemingly untouched by the traumatic ordeal.  

Ongoing Reflections and Discussions  

“John and the Hole” is undoubtedly a movie that lingers in viewers’ minds long after the end credits. 

The enigmatic ending not only challenges conventional narratives but also offers room for a variety of interpretations and theories.  

As viewers continue to debate and analyze the ending of “ohn and the Hole”, the true essence of the film may lie in its ability to provoke reflections on the complexity of human existence.  

Regardless of individual interpretations, it is undeniable that the film stands out as a work that defies expectations and stimulates meaningful discussions.  

“John and the Hole” ends as it began, with a silent family dinner, suggesting that John will face no consequences for his disturbing behavior.  

His family had told him as much while trying to convince him to let them out of the hole.  

John and his family easily return to their routines, as if this traumatic experience hadn’t touched them.  

And what about Lily? If this was all a story told to her by her mother, Lily’s ending is uncertain to viewers.  

Explore more about the explained ending of “John and the Hole” in this interview by Pedro Pascal with Mel Magazine, watch it on Prime Video or view the trailer for insights into its enigmatic narrative.