Review of The Hollow

By Dave B.

In The Hollow (Netflix), three teens wake up in a sealed room that contains only a typewriter. They have complete amnesia and as the room fills with toxic gas, they must work together using their wits and recently discovered superpowers to escape the room and find out who they are, what has happened to them, and why. As the 10 episode show progresses, the trio traverse diverse worlds in an epic quest to find their way back to unremembered homes. 

​The Hollow is another in a string of highly entertaining and original animated productions from Netflix and it is fun for all ages. By far, the most entertaining aspect of the series is trying to figure out the mystery surrounding what in the world is going on in the show. How did these kids find themselves in the situation they’re in? How did they get powers? What are they supposed to be accomplishing? The show realistically captures the confusion and fear that one would feel upon waking up in a bizarre and dangerous situation with absolutely no memory of who you are except for a piece of paper in your pocket with a name (presumably yours) on it. It took me about four and a half episodes to realize what was going on and I have to give the show a lot of credit for that. Usually, I can ferret out mysteries (especially on animated shows) much more quickly. 

​Frankly, The Hollow is trippy as hell at times, which makes the mystery all the more difficult to uncover and makes the show a lot more fun than it may otherwise have been. But while the mystery and bizarreness in The Hollow are what will get audiences hooked, it’s the show’s epic scale and sense of adventure that will leave viewers hungering for more episodes once the mystery is revealed. The three heroes “portal” to incredible and unbelievable worlds on their journey of discovery. They encounter myriad dangers, from a planet full of minotaurs to demon monks who live in a floating monastery to Death itself. And they overcome significant personality clashes to coalesce into a group that is willing to die for each other. 

​Although primarily focused on a younger audience, viewers of all ages will find many things to enjoy about The Hollow. The only reasons that I don’t give it a higher rating are that one of the characters annoyed the crap out of me and the ending, while unique, felt slightly underwhelming. That said, I definitely recommend The Hollow, especially to fans of mystery adventures. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Rating: 7/10