Holes

After being wrongfully convicted for stealing a pair of shoes, Stanley Yelnats is sent away to Camp Green Lake, a boys detention facility where inmates are forced to dig holes all day in the hot desert sun as a form of character building. As he endures the brutal routine, Stanley begins to uncover a hidden truth behind the camp—one that connects to a dangerous secret and his family’s history.

A well-regarded family adaptation that most critics found surprisingly sophisticated for its target audience, with particular praise for the naturalistic young cast and Louis Sachar's own screenplay preserving the novel's layered storytelling. The film skews more positive than not, though a handful of reviewers noted occasional awkwardness in juggling its multiple timelines and tonal shifts.