Head Like a Hole (PANIC) Reminds Us All About Why Work Sucks
Title: Head Like a Hole
First Non-Festival Release: TBD
Director: Stefan MacDonald-Labelle
Writer: Mitchell Brhelle, Stefan MacDonald-Labelle
Runtime: 93 Minutes
Starring: Jeff McDonald, Steve Kasan, Eric B. Hansen
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Panic Film Festival in 2025.
Corporate America has earned a negative reputation for being boring, pointless, and positively soul sucking, among other things. So many companies cause damage through their policies to make a quick buck without regard for the communities affected. From McDonald’s to British Petroleum and Facebook, it doesn’t matter the product or service, the pursuit of progress clears all considerations to the C-Suites and boardrooms of the world. Why should they care about the plebeians?
Everything seems to be going wrong in Asher’s (Steve Kasan) life. His phone company disconnected his service, his car breaks down, and his only job lead in months scheduled him to interview in thirty minutes. Once he arrives, he is slightly put off by how strange the job seems: he must measure a hole in the wall every hour, on the hour. Once Mr. Emerson (Jeff McDonald) offers him the job on the spot, however, Asher pushes his trepidations aside for the cushy salary and free housing. He doesn’t know that the job will cost him far more than his compensation package offers.
A slow-burn psychological take down of American work culture, Head Like a Hole makes unsettling sci-fi horror on a budget.
Using its bizarre story as a launching pad for a greater metaphor on American work culture, Head Like a Hole crafts slow burn suspense to stick its ending. Asher is thrust into an environment where the work culture is strange to say the least. His boss and coworkers exhibit this sort of religious psychosis toward the job. Despite Asher’s day consisting of measuring a hole in the wall, they remark on how important it is to the success of the company. There’s even a push for actual Christianity in the workplace too, with the organization pressuring its workforce into adhering to Christian standards for unrelated things like Asher’s sexuality.
This interrogation of work culture transcends individuals and examines other elements that haunt workers, specifically white-collar workers in this context. As Asher toils with boredom and confusion over the purpose of his work and role in life, this idea expands. Forced to pursue progress for progress’s sake, taking direction from a virulent ideologue, and caught at the crossroads of how he makes his living, it’s no wonder Asher loses his mind. And this is why it is so damaging for this set of workers. The poison pill hidden in a simple, yet well-paying job is in its consequences. Because it is so cushy on the surface, Asher can never complain about workplace safety or overall work conditions. Since it is a private company, infusing religion into their work is common. Asher even lives in the same building he works in, not unlike a company town. While Asher is immediately affected by these actions, the consequences of his new company’s plans will harm society for the sole purposes of satisfying a rich guy’s dreams.
Asher serves as an Everyman, reflecting the fears, frustration, and lack of agency afforded to workers. Desperate for work and willing to go the distance to get a job, Asher’s story feels relatable for scores of workers attracted to jobs that would otherwise repel them had they been given options. Strict in policy but lax in clear answers, Asher’s work leaves him struggling to maintain sanity. Day after day, he dutifully shows up and completes all his tasks. Asher navigates conversational landmines and keeps up in appearances to ensure that he abides by the rigid work culture, at a detriment to himself. The more Asher changes himself to fit the corporate mold, the less of a chance he has of making it out alive.
The black and white photography and the gradual morphing of the picture directly call back to that feeling of hopelessness and emptiness pervading in Asher’s workplace. Much like a spartan office or cubicle, Head Like a Hole takes a bare bones approach to crafting atmosphere. With no distractions, it becomes easy to focus on Asher much like he focuses on measuring the hole.
Head Like a Hole proves you don’t need a multimillion-dollar budget to tell a provocative and engaging story. Dense storytelling, compelling social commentary, and a good hook do the bulk of the heavy lifting here. The lack of polish shows up a few times but is vastly overshadowed by pure indie grit. Simple, yet effective, Head Like a Hole is a genuinely interesting psychological horror that is bound to start conversations on the absurdity of American work culture.
Overall Score? 7/10
