Are we alone in the universe? Probably not, but I don’t know. I’m not necessarily what you would call a UFO believer, but, like Fox Mulder, I want to believe. Writer/director/cinematographer/editor Ash Hamilton’s Holes in the Sky: The Sean Miller Story (which started making rounds on the festival circuit late last year) is a mockumentary with found footage elements that tackles a supposed alien abduction scenario. According to IMDb, it has a budget of $4,000, but it definitely punches above its weight. Though there are some minor missteps, I found myself completely engrossed with the effort.
Hamilton plays himself, a microbudget filmmaker with a handful of credits and an interest in the paranormal. In 2020, while searching online for credible alien abduction accounts, he comes across the story of Sean Miller (Sean Ed). In 2013, Miller disappeared for four days and claims to have been taken by extraterrestrial beings. In the ensuing years, he has withdrawn from the public eye. However, after some persistent sleuthing, Hamilton gets in contact with Miller. An agreement is reached for Hamilton and his team (wife and production partner Channell, playing herself, and DP Brett Pearson, maybe playing himself) to stay with Miller and his wife at their rural Illinois home.
Almost immediately upon the filmmakers’ arrival, strange stuff begins to happen. Weird electrical issues and unexplainable noises pester the production. The tension mounts, though, as the incidents start to include menacing ghostly apparitions. Are Hamilton, Miller, and company now being subjected to multiple paranormal phenomena?
Let’s talk about structure and the meta component of the film. Hamilton is obviously interested in blurring the line between fact and fiction. By including himself and his wife in the film, and by referencing his other work, he sets up the illusion that what we are seeing is real. Additionally, other tiny details, like Pearson not being listed on the film’s IMDb page assist in the obfuscation. Holes in the Sky is essentially presented as a piece that is looking back on Hamilton’s attempt to make a documentary about Miller. Intermittently, there are asides where Hamilton is interviewed by a man (Douglas McDonald) not involved with the initial production. This of course plays into the conceit, but it also assists with creating tension, as these sequences vaguely reference tragic occurrences that we have yet to experience in the story proper.
Dialog is pretty naturalistic, possibly spiked with some improv here and there. For the most part, it’s pretty tightly written. There’s a bit of a double-edged sword in play here, though. Hamilton wants to leave some elements vague in order to cultivate his meta aesthetic, but I think this approach introduces some unintended confusion occasionally. I appreciate his judicious editing, but the storytelling is slightly too lean. At about 95 minutes, I think maybe an additional seven to twelve minutes clarifying the instances surrounding Miller’s initial experience, its connection to what we see after the film crew arrives, and an expansion on the in-law visit and hypnosis sequences might strengthen audience engagement without diluting either the pacing or the is-it-or-isn’t-it-real element. On the other hand, the 911 call scene toward the end runs a little too long, considering the lack of traditional visuals it employs. Ultimately, though, these are minor nitpicks and didn’t affect my immersion into the movie.
The main performances are all legitimately strong. I completely bought into the presentation of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Sean Ed, if that is his real name, gives an anxious and vulnerable turn that was truly believable. Hamilton and his wife deliver comfortable work in front of the camera. Pearson’s role requires a little nuance, as there’s a bit of sleight of hand going on with his character’s storyline, but he does good work. Overall, I was surprised by how polished the cast was considering the tiny budget and them all being basically unknowns.
The location shooting generates the required authenticity needed for the premise. Hamilton’s office gives us insight into his personality with its horror movie posters and framed Ghost Rider comic. The rural setting and farmhouse that dominate the last two thirds of the picture instill a sense of isolation that amplifies the creepiness of the effects sequences. Speaking of the effects, they’re deployed with restraint and are fairly modest, however, I personally found them to be genuinely hair-raising. The staid shots of Hamilton being interviewed also provide a nice contrast to the handheld and camera phone footage used for the main story. Ash Hamilton’s Holes in the Sky: The Sean Miller Story impressed me. Tension is effectively teased out and I greatly enjoyed the small handful of overt scares. With this being such a tiny affair that employs unknown actors, the reality of what’s presented is effectively blurred. It’s not a flawless film, but I am greatly interested in seeing what Hamilton and company come up with next. Obviously, it owes a great debt to The Blair Witch Project, but I’d also recommend it to fans of Fire in the Sky, Paranormal Activity, and Digging Up the Marrow.
Michael Cavender