‘Holes in the Sky: The Sean Miller Story’ Review: Delivers Genuine Chills

Found footage films have seen quite the evolution over the past two decades. Ever since The Blair Witch Project blew the doors off the concept of pseudo-realistic, shaky-cam terror, there have been countless iterations and attempts to add variety to the genre. It’s hard to argue the effect a movie can have when everything you are watching feels real. Even in an age where anyone can go online to find a plethora of scary and disturbing videos, it’s jarring to the senses to experience a movie where it’s easy to forget you’re watching a fictional story.

Holes in the Sky: The Sean Miller Story gives an innovative take on the genre, but calling it a found footage film wouldn’t be a fair assessment. Written and Directed by Ash Hamilton, it follows a documentary crew, which includes Ash, his wife Chanell Hamilton, and their DP, as they attempt to investigate an alien abduction story.

In 2013, Illinois resident Sean Miller was allegedly abducted by aliens, only to return four days later with little to no memory of what occurred. Miller spends much of the years following the incident living in seclusion with his wife, Stacey, avoiding any and all media contact regarding what happened. Through diligence and research, Hamilton manages to not only find Miller but convinces him to allow a film crew to spend five days at his home documenting what transpired during his abduction. What happens during those five days is the crux of what the film is about, taking us on a slow burn descent into the unexplainable. 

Holes in the Sky opens with a chilling 911 recording of an event that takes place later in the film, then rolls back to show the circumstances that lead up to it. It’s an effective way to grip the viewer within the first few seconds, especially since there is a substantial but necessary informative period to set up the story. We get most of this through interviews with Hamilton and his wife, as well as narrative explanations by him to the camera. 

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Once the crew arrives at Miller’s home, it doesn’t take long for subtle, peculiar happenings to begin to occur. The tension, both between Miller and his wife, who clearly have disagreements on how much information he should be giving, and the crew, who sense immediately that something isn’t right, is palpable.

There is an ebb and flow to the creepiness of the situation these five individuals are in. For every creepy, inexplicable moment, there’s a calm, normal one to follow. At times, it may feel perplexing to have prolonged scenes of the five of them sitting around discussing mundane topics, but then the curtain pulls back just enough for Miller to take the opportunity to open up regarding his abduction, and the scene goes from normal to chilling. 

There are some legitimate scares in this movie that are presented in a way that will leave you transfixed to the screen. It makes you afraid to keep watching but also difficult to pull yourself away. It’s one of those horror films that truly gets the pacing and tension right, where you feel like you’re on a roller coaster ride that goes off the rails in the best of ways during the final act. 

Whether you’re a skeptic regarding alien abductions, a believer, or somewhere in between, there is no denying the authentic creepiness and originality of the terrifying moments Holes in the Sky provides. It’s currently making the rounds in the festival scene, having already garnered several awards and making an impressive presence on social media. 

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