The Hollow (2018–2020) User Reviews

I binged it immediately

[foodgeek · 8/10 · 11 June 2018]

I liked it. It had the feel of a kids mystery video game where you find items and clues to use elsewhere. Seemed appropriate for a teen/tween audience. At times I felt a little bit of a (less creepy/scary) Stranger Things or Grimm Adventures vibe.

Good concept but ruined with the ending, still worth a watch

[jaelambert · 7/10 · 12 June 2018]

Ok the cartoon/animation/story was good, they had a really good idea for a cartoon but that ending have me stage 4 cancer, they could easily got 2 or 3 seasons out of it, still worth a watch as i was addicted straight away but the ending will make you headbutt a knife

Refreshing to Watch

[cetraey · 8/10 · 18 June 2018]

As an animator I try and watch new shows as they come out, and The Hollow was no different when it showed up on my Netflix feed. As it started, I was cautious. I've seen a lot of puppet animation done poorly or just to save time, but Slap Happy really put their hearts into it, and it shows. The story mixed a lot of themes that I love, and in a way that really mimics what I wish children's programming had more of in general. The story kept me extremely interested, and even the plot points I expected kept me engaged. The sound design was also beautiful, I admire whoever put the time into the music and ambient design on that front. My only issue was the very end, it was just very abrupt and made it feel like the plot and character development was rendered nearly pointless. I still loved the show, and would love for more like it to be made, but I just wish the ending had been crafted with the same care that the rest of the series seemed to be. It's definitely worth a watch though, really. If anyone who worked on it is reading this, keep it up!

The ending ruined it...

[xfactor-78139 · 6/10 · 14 June 2018]

Ok, I loved this show. I wanted to rate this at least an 8/10. But then I watched the ending of the final episode, an BOY HOWDY I WAS TICKED. I was expecting some grand conspiracy of area 52-esque proportions! I was running theories the whole series! Were they robots programmed to think they were kids? were they government experiments? Were they dead and was this some sort of purgatory? Skip ahead to the last 4 episodes and it turns out they are in some sort of game. I'm thinking "Ok, they're going to pull a Sword Art Online and it's a playtest or something. It went wrong and now they are trapped in the game. Explains why they have seemingly random powers and why there are talking trees and space aliens in the same world." It could have been done well fairly easily. Then came the final episode. Finally a few answers as to what was going on. Suddenly a live action sequence jars its way into view and my first coherent thought was a simple "Wat?" They pressed the green button, and we were greeted with a live set, with a live audience, with our protagonists in three dimensions. That Weird Guy, also with a live actor, presents them with a trophy in the shape of that one symbol from the Atlantis movie and we're presented with a shocking and ugly truth. They were never in any danger. They never were in trouble when they were being chased by minotaurs, nor by flesh-eating aliens, or escaping witches. They never would have died to that gas at the beginning in that bunker. All the puzzles they did, all the clever tricks and daring escapes, all the people they helped and the battles they were in, THEY MEAN'T NOTHING. You know why? BECAUSE IT WAS ALL A FRIGGING GAME SHOW! What. The. Actual. HECK? You mean to tell me I watched an entire series, rattling of theories to anyone in earshot, and it amounted to nothing? This isn't pulling out the rug from under you. this is politely asking you to step off the rug, rolling the rug up, putting the rug in the attic where it can bother no one, and then politely asking you if you want a cinnamon scone.You could have chopped out the live action bit at the end and replaced it with how Porky Pig ends a loony toons cartoon and would amount to about the same thing.

It is very rare to find a show that is pointless in it's own existence. It's especially irritating because up until this point the show was great. True it wasn't Twin Peaks levels of mystery, but it was entertaining and had some decent action. And the pervading question of "What the heck is going on" was, of course, the main appeal. It's just when this question is answered in such an underwhelming and self-defeating way, you have to wonder why you watched in the first place. The reason I watched the show was to try and solve the mystery of why and where they were.Who was That Weird Guy? Why were there spaceships in that desert? How does a demon become a monk? things like that had a lot of draw. it was the mystery that kept you going. But when you learn that there was little to no point to any of that you just feel like you were tricked into trying to swallowing your foot. It makes no sense, is a complete waste of time, and makes you feel like an idiot afterwards. My advice is to watch it all the way up until they enter the castle, and stop right there. Go no further, but make up any ending you want in replacement for it. Go on to source film maker, or any other animation software you want, heck draw it in crayon if you have to, but you can undoubtedly make up a better 5 minutes than the ending.

Allow me to reiterate, as I have a tendency to rant so much I don't make much of a point. THE ENDING. BLOWS. Rest of the show, Great! Fantastic, perfect, 8/10, but FIRE THE GUY WHO MADE THE ENDING Netflix.

A fun adventure

[bmschoen1 · 9/10 · 16 June 2018]

This was a random find, and it was a fantastic adventure. The great characters and storyline was a lot of fun! I will watch it again!

Strong season 1, disappointing S2

[dontakeitpersonal · 7/10 · 7 October 2020]

I was immediately hooked after the first episode. It was engaging, weird and kept my curiosity going. The ending of season 1 was cool, switching to real people. For me end of story. Then they tried their hand for a season 2 and that was a mistake. Ending was terrible but the whole storyline .... Seemed to me a bit forced to keep the story going. They tried to make something around the glitch ( which send my mind off to sugar rush Vanellope) but it didn't work for me. They tried to hard to find a twist.

Had great potential... until its end

[BrittleBandit · 8/10 · 13 June 2018]

The Hollow operates in the same pacing and logic (or lack of thereof) of a dream, things come and go quickly, the world around is a mystery and nothing really makes sense, and that might be a deal breaker for people that wanted a long and compelling story, rather than just a fun ride. The art style is a bit ugly, but it is in no way lazy and the animators do their best. The biggest let down is definitely the ending, regardless of what you wanted it to be, or if you already knew early on, it is very hasty, and very very very poorly made, and it has one of the things I hate the most in animation, it just made me cringe and almost ruined the show. The entire time I was thinking "this is one of those shows that really starts at season 2", but after that ending, I'm not sure it will or if I care. Still worth watching if you have free time, just don't bother if you find yourself not liking the characters, staying to find out the conclusion alone is not worth it. Strong 6 to a light 7

Season 2 was very disappointing

[asenakar · 7/10 · 13 May 2020]

Season 1 was very creative and ended with a good conclusion. I loved it. But the show should've ended there. I felt very annoyed almost all the way through season 2. Hope they dont make season 3.

Amazing

[letsplay-25032 · 9/10 · 8 June 2018]

The story is perfect, and the simple art style is sweet and simple. The only problem is the humor which is quite weak. If you have Netflix I recommend this to you.

The Hollow rings a bit hollow

[hypersonic8999 · 6/10 · 16 July 2019]

I had fun watching this, but I'd be hard-pressed to recommend this series to anyone above the age of 10.

Positives: Very good concept, reminiscent of a tabletop RPG. The mystery and action will keep you interested. There is an interesting world to discover in the Hollow. The characters are nothing special, but when they work together, they have a good dynamic.

Negatives: The dialogue is mostly stale. The humor is very hit and miss, emphasis on miss. The plot is sometimes nonsensical. It really sucks when the audience is much smarter than the characters. The series is not sure of what it is, is it a Rick and Morty style cartoon for adults? Is it aimed at teenagers? Is it aimed at children? No one knows. It tries to do all 3, but does so very badly. When characters are talking or trying to do something, there are annoying pauses between each character, which ruin the pacing.

Have Your Children Reflect on the Brave Future World of Immersive Virtual Reality

[BabelAlexandria · 9/10 · 19 October 2021]

My kiddos (six and nine, boy and girl) both really enjoyed this show. Both seasons are a bit shorter than usual (10 episodes each), but that was a nice change, and we watched them over about a week and a half in the middle of Halloween "season," which also seemed appropriate. The "big reveal" of the first season was relatively straightforward: the kids were in a competitive game, "The Hollow," which seems like a sort of VR version of a MMORPG, with the added catch that the player/avatars lose their memory, only to realize what has happened when they "win" at the end. The second season is even more interesting, and had my kids pondering questions about reality, AI, and ethics, without realizing it, all while having fun. This season features the same characters, who somehow remain in the game after it's over. They gradually realize that they are programs that maintain the memories of their "real life" game players, who have attained consciousness and agency(apparently) in an ongoing virtual world which plays out independently of the "real word." What will they do, and how (if at all) do they fit into the plans of the company who runs The Hollow? Fascinating Stuff!

Great idea, decent excecution

[benjaminecurtisdyck · 7/10 · 9 June 2018]

I'm three quarters done the show. It has a great concept, and the atmosphere, especially in the first episode, is good. The voice acting is nothing special, but not a weakness. The script is fine, a bit unrealistic, but thats to be expected on a kids show. My biggest issue with the show is it's animation, which isn't very appealing and easily the worst part of the show. I don't want to end on a bad note however, so I'll mention the music, which is good, if not underused. I should add, that the polar bear cub in episode 7, may very well be the cutest thing, Period. Overall, The Hollow is a great, but flawed, show.

A teenager show that probably won't be memorable

[skellingster · 4/10 · 10 June 2018]

Nice animation and modern references visually. The plot/mystery quickly get old with the sloppy writing for the characters. "We're lost! Oh yeah, you're right, we're lost!". Lots of repetitions and passing through useless hoops to advance an ordinary plot. The initial situation was interesting but it quickly fall flat.

I mean, the whole "3 kids are lost in a strange land and try to get back home" is pretty cliché at this point and that show doesn't bring much more new and interesting plot twists to the table.

It's ok, but i started to get bored after episode 4. Not a mustwatch, but it pass time if you have nothing else to watch.

Pleasantly surprised

[metalgear800 · 22 September 2018]

I did not really have any expectations for this show since I just came across it on Netflix and just started watching. But wow, this show was really captivating. This show has a lot of elements in it like adventure, mystery, action, comedy, drama and even a little bit of romance. And it's all executed very nicely in just 10 episodes. Target audience would kids and young adults, I would say. Some people complain that they didn't like the ending but I guess that's just because they were hoping or expected something different. That doesn't make the ending bad. Like I said, I had no expectations. I for one liked the ending. It didn't feel rushed, it felt "not unnecessarily dragged out". I'm hoping for a season 2. Fingers crossed...

-2 stars bc of the ending

[tpilpani · 6/10 · 16 November 2019]

Was soooo excited and then this ending came up. Idk I was expecting smth more

Good show, bad ending

[isaac-60410 · 8/10 · 12 June 2018]

SPOILER: While I was watching the show I thought that it was pretty good and I still do, but when I got to the end though, it surprised me. Not in the good way. The ending made my mind go a different direction of thinking and that flooded over me and knocked me down (figuratively). I thought that they were going to wake up in some kind of lab to help cure some kind of futuristic disease. The ending, in my opinion, was not the best. Overall though, it was a good show.

Everything's good.

[capjorjik · 7/10 · 9 May 2020]

Everything looks good. The final is incredible. I understand the main idea of the series, and if you watch it, you'll get it too. But... Why is Adam (and not only him) gay?

Ending not that bad. GET OVER IT

[Dante47 · 10/10 · 27 October 2018]

First and foremost again most people are upset that it's not the "ending they wanted" and simply thats all it is. You can't rate a movie off an ending because it not the one you wanted thats simply childish. This was a rare show that had a twist of an ending and I thought it was overall solid. Entertaining and keeps you guessing. Like one reviewer said make sure you pay attention the last episode. Solid acting and binge worthy. I cannot stress enough if you see someones title that says "bad ending" dont even bother reading it. One kid goes on paragraph after paragraph how upset he is how he wanted it to be and should have done this, and who produced it should be fired, and the way he wanted it end blah blah blah. Pfffff go make movies yourself then.

So if your wondering if you should watch it go ahead and enjoy it's entertaining, funny, action packed, and bit of mystery.

nice show but so bad ending

[sorcery_ag · 6/10 · 15 January 2019]

I hope they make an alternative ending. nothing was good about the ending. first of all from a gamer's point of view it was so bad they could manage to open the door without they keys and also kill the dragon because the game was "glitching" in general point of view the fact that they were actually humans in end and not keep it as cartoon (even with same ending) for me really ruined it. even if we overtake this, my humble opinion is that the acting was terrible I would give over 8 but because of the end, 6 is enough I would say

Captivating

[isabeldavies-23317 · 8/10 · 9 June 2018]

As soon as I saw the trailer on Netflix I binged the whole series as soon as it came out. Story was capturing as soon as it started and the cliffhangers were so intense that I needed to keep watching. Kept you wondering what was going to happen as soon as it started. Ending was quite unexpected but soon lost it's wow factor when Kai spoke in his 'cartoon voice' and the attempted cliffhanger at the end of the season did not work.

Final episode is a let down

[negiudit86 · 7/10 · 27 November 2018]

Although there were many shortcomings in the plot but somehow the series still managed to keep us hooked till the end. However the big reveal in the end was a let down as it was too convenient and could have been seen as being the only option by the time we reach there. Far too many characters have been underutilized, who could have made the plot much more gripping before the finale. 8/10 for episodes 1 to 9. 4/10 for episode 10.

Why the hate?

[redhead-82317 · 10/10 · 26 March 2022]

Sure the philosophical analysis/critique has been around for a coupla years.

I've seen it well storied in that episode of Black Mirror and some animes for adults.

But can you say you've seen it this done well in a cartoon for kids?

And those animes and that black mirror episode weren't that pleasant or relaxing to watch. In contrast, I could watch The Hollow comfortably with my 7 year-old son (with the exception of the deaths).

Was a good show but the ending blew it off😭

[abigailsierra · 7/10 · 27 October 2018]

The show was good but the ending!If they were cartoon and not real people it would be better.

Not long enough, the ending pissed me off.

[hawkman-43452 · 5/10 · 10 June 2018]

Netflix did a disservice by only having 10 episodes for this show it easily could have had 13-15 episodes to really flesh out the characters and I don't want to spoil the ending but this easily could have become a series and they cheaply decided to finish it off in a stupid way that made me feel like I had wasted the previous 5 hours because of the payoff

bruh

[GodIsObamaObamaIsGod · 25 May 2020]

Character decisions, the story, the characters and everything made me just question it second by second. i watched til the end thinking "hey, it would be awesome, right?" guess i was wrong.