Beneath the World of the Dead: A Movie Review

*there are some minor spoilers here.

Director: Ben Ketai.

Writers: Patrick Doody and Chris Valenziano.

Cast: Brent Briscoe, Kurt Caceres, Eric Etebari and Jeff Fahey.

Ben Ketai's (30 Days of Night) second feature film as director is the horror title Beneath. This film was recently released on video-on-demand, through IFC Films. And, this is one horror film that viewers should take notice of. Dealing with trapped miners deep below ground, the writing team of Patrick Doody and Chris Valenziano introduce a supernatural element, born of hell. Lots of thrills can be found in Beneath, with the lighting standing out as the film's strongest element. There is a lot of mystery and a lot of tension in this exciting, horror outing.

The story primarily focuses on the character Samantha (Kelly Noonan). Sam is visiting her dad from New York and Sam's dad is close to retirement. As a fond gesture, Sam offers to venture into the mine, in which her father - George (Jeff Fahey) has worked for thirty-five years. Both father and daughter descend deep into the Earth's surface. Not much later, a drill bit hits an air pocket. Inside, several missing miners are found. A dwindling oxygen supply motivates the characters to find escape, but a supernatural element is hounding their every movement. Beneath creates shortness of breath for more than just the characters.

The darkness hides true terror.

Beneath is a tense and sometimes terrifying film. There are multiple threats in the narrative. For instance, the drill has destabilized the tunnels and a second cave-in is possible, at any moment. As well, CO2 and methane levels are rising as air circulation is limited. The characters must scramble to find oxygen tanks, while taking shelter in an emergency module. Most desperately scramble to just stay alive. If that was not enough, characters turn on each other in a blood-thirsty fashion. No one is your friend in this film outing. Finally, several missing miners might be returning from the dead. All of these dangers keep the events onscreen consistently interesting and exciting.

This viewer believes that the more direct threats are being caused by a supernatural entity. There are a few red herrings here. One character mentions her demonic hallucinations and another mentions the rising CO2 and methane levels. However, CO2 and methane poisoning do not induce hallucinations, nor aggression. Some of the characters in the film kill others or display other hostile behaviors. Yet, poisoning of this kind leads to lethargy, headaches and other non-threatening symptoms. It would seem that the drill has broken into a netherworld. Characters look waxy and their eyes appear watery. Faces contort and demons lurk in the visages of several minor and major characters. Apparently, Hades, the Greek world of the dead, has been found by the drilling and mining crew. And, it is very difficult to escape an antagonist which is mostly invisible and often cunning.

This viewer enjoyed the film crew's use of lighting and the creation of a suitable horror tone. Much of the film is shot in tight, underground environments. These settings are inhabited by shadows, especially late in the picture. Headlamps, glow sticks and a few strings of lights allow for some vision, but a lot of tension is created by all of the darkness. Villains move in the close foreground or in the background and their movements are partially hidden by the lack of the light. As well, screams come out of the darkness at inopportune times and these shrieks will unsettle most watchers. This is not the only film element which is dark. The dark tone of Beneath is a consistent one. Lighter tones begin the film in a gathering at a local pub, but this light-hearted mood is quickly replaced by a more malevolent one. Death is around every corner and horror pops up frequently. A late sequence involving a deep hole is particularly unnerving, with several survivors offering up their own living flesh for the hungry. Several other images offer gore; Beneath is a dark and moody horror film through and through.

Beneath is also a compelling horror film. Recently released on Video-on-demand (June 27th, 2014), most horror fans will find an entertaining time, here. This film is a true portal into hell, or a world of the dead. And here, the characters must deal with threats from all around. Though, characters seem a little too disposable and there is so much chaos onscreen that it is difficult to keep track of all of the numerous minor characters. Though, it is not recommended that anyone get attached to the flatter characters onscreen; their time is limited. Overall, Beneath is a true thrill ride, which offers a hellish experience, in the world of the dead.

Overall: 8 out of 10 (a good sense of pacing, lots of claustrophobic scenes, shot on a well built set).

More on the film can be found at IFC Films:

Beneath at IFC Films

A trailer for the film is available here:

A Beneath Trailer on 28DLA


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Posted in: 2014,ben ketai,cast,crew,dead,film,horror,ifc films,living dead,movie,movie review,review,supernatural,underground