PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Hmm, a documentary about found footage of paranormal aliens? Ok, I’m listening. Now, these aren’t just a few of my favorite things. They’re “Things that freak me out. For $700 Alex!” Or should I say, Ash Hamilton (Play With Me (2018), the writer, and director of Holes In The Sky. Admirably, there’s something to be said for filmmakers betting on themselves and creating their ideas. Especially on a low budget of only $700(if you didn’t pick up on the bad Jeopardy joke), and shooting their shot. It’s extremely inspiring and impressive.
Holes in the Sky: The Sean Miller Story (2021) Synopsis:
A documentary film crew attempts to make a movie detailing the 2013 alien abduction of Sean Miller, but the shoot becomes a life-changing experience for everyone involved as events spiral out of control.
The Setup
Holes in the Sky: The Sean Millers Story begins with a disturbing 911 call recording from the miller residence of a close encounter paranormal home invasion.
Intrigued by the story of Sean Miller’s (Sean Ed) abduction and reappearance in 2013. Ash, his wife Chanell (Herself – Play With Me (2018), and DP Brett Pearson (himself) set out to film a documentary. After making contact with Sean via Email. Sean and his wife permit Ash’s crew to film the original abductee and his family over the course of 5 days. The crew soon discovered that the creepy events that preceded the 2013 disappearance had not only persisted long after the event but had increased in intensity.
Sean Miller’s property is something out of Skinwalker Ranch. All types of paranormal sightings, orbs, electrical disturbances, and other unexplainable phenomena. There’s a scene when Ash asks Sean why he hasn’t tried to leave, Sean vaguely rationalizes his reasoning, but yet he seems alone in the experience. As if Sean feels someone familiar and otherworldly is trying to communicate with him from the other side. It’s more personal for Sean and also now Brett Pearson.
What Works…and Hangups
The mix of alien abduction and elements of poltergeist motifs is a fun idea. Admittingly I was unfairly over-excited about this Sci-fi concoction. Tension starts building as lights flicker, digital disturbances to the screen, cooking pans fly off the wall by themselves, The ‘Miller Monster’, blurry disappearing people, and mysterious liquid oozing from faces among other spooky issues kept me engaged and trying to figure out where the story was going.
However, Holes in the Sky fell victim to the common found footage dilemma of excessive dialogue. It felt forced and clunky. The knee-jerk conversations muddied the waters and removed the suspense. It wasn’t until the second act that we finally heard the words “alien abduction”. I’m not sure if the pacing restrictions were due to budget related scene cuts, but the flow was turbulent.
Holes in the Sky: The Sean Miller Story(2021) Final Thoughts
Holes in the sky was an eerie and choppy slow burn at times that relied more on the human experience of Sean Miller living in a hot spot than jump scares or gore. There were genuine chilling moments. After researching online and discovering Ash Hamilton used real accounts of experiences to make the Sean Miller story made the scenes more authentic and creepy.
For the budget they had, creating this film was still an impressive feat. It did fall short of my expectations in the sense I really hoped to be traumatized. After all, I’m a huge fan of found footage, especially involving alien abduction and paranormal activity. Holes in The Sky has won a stunning 25 awards, surpassing found footage royalty ‘The Blair Witch Project (1999), so perhaps it’s just me?. Let me know what you thought in the comments!
Holes in the sky: The Sean Miller Story is available Tubi and On Digital now! Check out the trailer below.
