Beneath
2013 · Directed by Larry Fessenden
Original language: English
- horror
The story
Six high school seniors celebrating with day's excursion find themselves on rowboat attacked by man-eating fish and must decide who must be sacrificed as they fight their way back to shore.
What it’s like
Sun-glare on flat, brown-green lake water gives way to murky dimness wherever the camera drops below the surface, and the cramped frame of a small wooden rowboat keeps every shot tight on sweaty, sunburnt faces. Expect handheld closeness during the attacks, quick cuts, and a hot, humid summer feel, with fish that are glimpsed in pieces more than shown whole. The mood is a mean, sweaty pressure cooker: a teenage celebration that turns into a fight over who gets thrown to the water, with the group's loyalties fraying in real time. Gore is real and not sparse: bites, torn flesh, and blood clouding the water, and the cruelty between the characters lands as hard as the creature violence. There is also some teen sexual talk and drinking. Pacing is relentless once the boat is in trouble, with few breaths between scares. This suits people who want a lean, nasty creature feature that stays on the water, and it is not a fit for anyone seeking something gentle or low-stakes. It is for fans of tight survival horror and the bleak, unforgiving side of creature films.
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