John and the Hole ending explained: Why does John trap his family in a hole?

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for John and the Hole. Reader discretion is advised.

A 13-year-old kid traps his family in an underground bunker in John and the Hole, a psychological survival thriller directed by Spanish visual artist Pascual Sisto. The film mainly follows the kid, engaged in his usual routine while his parents hope he rescues them. Still, the question remains, why does John trap his parents in a hole? Here's the ending explained.

The film is written by the Birdman scribe Nicolás Giacobone based on his short story titled El Pozo. It stars Charlie Shotwell (Captain Fantastic) as the lead. Jennifer Ehle (1923), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), and Taissa Farmiga (The Nun) appear in the central roles of John's family.

At the end of John and the Hole, John rescues his parents out of the bunker. He traps them so that he can live like an adult in their absence. Eventually, the hole gets filled with sand. The family behaves as if nothing bad ever happened to them.

What is the story behind John and the Hole?

John and the Hole follows the titular character (Shotwell), living in an isolated but pristine house with his parents, Anna (Ehle) and Brad (Hall), and his older sister, Laurie (Farmiga). He seems quiet and reserved but curious. During a family meal, he asks about a deep hole in the woods around their house.

Brad reveals that it was part of an abandoned construction of a bunker. Anna adds that people build such bunkers to stay safe in case of unforeseen crises. John quietly absorbs everything he hears and sees and makes the shocking decision to trap his unsuspecting family in that hole. Now and then, he offers them food and water.

Does John's family get out of the hole?

Anna, Brad, and Laurie are trapped and can't get out by themselves. Meanwhile, John goes about his daily routine and tricks others into believing his family is out of town to check on his comatose relative.

John drives a car, cooks meals, and tries to understand what it is like to be an adult. However, he gets bored and lonely quite soon. Eventually, he decides to offer his family members a ladder. They get out to see him drowning in the pool. Moments later, they realize that he was only playing a game.

Why does John trap his family in a bunker?

A still from John and the Hole (Image via YouTube/@IFCFilmsUnlimited)

John and the Hole doesn't spell out exactly why John traps his parents inside a hole. However, it hints at possible reasons, mainly his desire to be an adult. Anna reveals that John asked her what it's like to be an adult and when one stops being a child. She mentions that it comes with a fair share of responsibilities.

It likely contradicts John's presumption that adulthood grants him more freedom. At home, Laurie expects him to understand the importance of social boundaries while Brad expects him to not be reckless with his expensive drone. So, he might have felt that, as an adult, he wouldn't have any such restrictions.

As a result, John traps his parents and plays a wicked role-reversal game where he can live as an adult while his parents depend on him. Eventually, he realizes that it's not all fun and games, and rescues them. The film's final moments mirror a family meal scene that happens in the beginning.

The director once explained it, saying,

"With everything that happens, and the silence, and the fact that they’re not dealing with it, and the fact that they’re moving on with their lives — it’s so much more loaded. Psychologically, all the characters have changed radically and they’re completely different people. But outwardly, they feel and behave the same way."

Who is Lily, and how is she related to John?

While unfurling like a survival thriller, John and the Hole shows Lily (Samantha LeBretton), a 12-year-old girl who lives with her mother, Gloria (Georgia Lyman), in a house similar to John's. Lily's father is not in the picture, and Gloria doesn't explain why. However, she starts telling Lily a story titled John and the Hole.

So, the film is likely a visualization of this story, which is meant to teach Lily about survival. This interpretation makes sense since, in later scenes, Gloria suddenly decides to leave Lily behind to fend for herself. Gloria reveals that her mother had her when she was barely a teenager. So, John's story serves as a parable for Lily to survive as a teen.