Beneath (2013)

   

Directed by: Ben Ketai

Written by: Patrick Doody & Chris Valenziano

Starring:

Kelly Noonan .... Samantha Marsh
Jeff Fahey .... George Marsh
Kurt Caceres .... Torres
Eric Etebari .... Masek
Brent Briscoe .... Mundy
Mark L. Young .... Grubbs
Joey Kern .... Randy

Release Dates: Screamfest Horror Film Festival: October 8, 2013; Samain du Cinema Fantastique: November 2, 2013; Seattle International Film Festival: May 31, 2014

 

Rating:

 

A crew of coal miners are caved in and are trapped 600 feet below as it will take at least three days for rescue as the air becomes more toxic and then suddenly they spot some sort of evil spirits and demonic possessions while residing underground as well as each of them turning on one another.

 

An impressive beginning with a rescuer digging through the mine to rescue the people that were buried underneath which is a nice prologue to the story.
Some impressive moments and conversations with the miners having uplifting conversations at a bar as well as good carefully done shots on them at a table as things looked good and natural to everything.
Also a nicely done conversation between the main character's George and Samantha at their home as this looked like a good heartwarming situation between father and daughter to what they were discussing before heading to work.
Also perfect moments with George showing his workers around the mine and what thhey're expected to do as there's perfect realistic going on's with the workers working away as this was strongly done. Plus a great suspenseful shot on a grinding machine and the suggestions that a disaster is going to happen.
Perfect dynamic reactions here and there when the mine is caved in and the craziness that is happening along with someone being injured as this all leaves off a perfect psychological feel to everything especially on how long it will take for them to be rescued which doesn't leave a good feeling at all imagining if you're trapped in there.
The horror really kicks in a great deal when the gang hears a strange noise and trying to find out on what it is which keeps you in suspense a great deal.
Also we have a perfecrt moment when Samantha checks up on her injured guest which is Mundy as well as a moment that takes you by surprise on the change of his face which is a neat shoccking special effects moment wonder as to why this had happened.
Also perfect shots on some of the workers struggling against somme tight stone walls along with an abandoned mine they never knew existed which is a nice touch to the horror story and making you wonder if evil resides there.
Great struggling situations with Samantha trying to dodge a pick axe stabbing throough her insidde a tent as this makes you gasp and wonder if she will manage not to get killed with the great fast action moments and camera shots too. Also perfect moments revealing the killer which looked totally ghoulish spotting alot of this.
A terrific powerful psychological moment with George acting psychologically obnoxious towards Samantha as this leaves you a feeling that he is not himself and possibly possessed by the evil that is happening down there as it was carefully focused by what goes on here.
Great fast action camera shots involving the supporting character Masek attacking George by strangling him as it makes you watch carefully wondering if he will be killed as well as great fast action moments on a shovel smacking someone else in the head which all of this looked painful.
Perfect camera shot looking down when some of the survivors looking down from a ladder wondering how far the drop is as the shots looked perfectly dark. We have a carefully focused shot on Samantha climbing down the ladder and a ghoulish face catches her by surpprise which was supposed to make you jump but this fails a great deal yet is impressive to keep you in suspense wondering if she's okay after she fell. There's some interesting horror moments that are discovered on what she spots in a passageway but yet this doesn't look overly suspenseful like it should've been.
Bottom line is that the beginning of the story looked like it would be a great creepy story since it was based on true events but yet there's some disappointments with the suggested creepiness in certain parts of the story since we've seen some of this before in other types of ghoulish or supernatural horror flicks. The film was well done other arts regardless just not what I expected but that's just me.

The acting is very well performed in which the lead actress Kelly Noonan (Samantha Marsh) was perfect sharp in whatever she did and stole the show with whatever she did. Does well with her tough attitude whenever she had to be like this. Also was powerful within her blocking when the struggling moments or the terrors start to happen too. Does well with her upsetting attitude too which she looked energetic by doing so. She showed a good strong personality.
Jeff Fahey (George Marsh) was another well polished character actor in which he came across perfectly strong as a leader of a coal mine and showed a perfect seriousness into all that he had to do. He showed a perfect sharp focus into all of this. Plus does well by acting obnoxious and insane and adding a perfect punch to all of this. Shows off a nice versatality into this too. Also does well reacting to pain during other parts of the story showing great shocked expressions too.
Kurt Caceres (Torres) does well portraying the good hearted one with a good tough speaking type of attitude. He also had the right tough looks for this acting perfectly emotionless. Does a nice job with his tough sterness as well. Plus does well losing it and acting anxious as this showed alot of great energy within this.
Eric Etebari (Masek) does a nice job with his masculine attitude and intimidating features too. Was good by being expressionless and believeably introverted along with having a nice gruff speakinng in his voice. Also does well acting tough whenever he needed to. Shows a nice powerful forceful and deadly attitude when he acts possessed and shows a convincing and tight grip on someone as he knew on how to make this look truly painful.
Brent Briscoe (Mundy) for sure shows off a perfect mysterious type of attitude. Was perfectly intense when he gets injured. Not being able to handle the pain as he acted like he really was like that. Also shows off a nice upsetting and shocked expression when something deadly happens to him at the end of his performance.
Mark L. Young (Grubbs) haad an effective supporting role as hee was convincing by portraying a cocky prick of all the miners as well as dooing a goood job by getting short or aggressive towards someone else like he was going to hit them he did this well. Also had thhe perfect looks for playing this type of role looking like a bit of a punk.

A person's knee is mangled
Arm is torn off
Miner is gutted out
Bloodied bodies are revealed
People are stabbed by pick axe's.

Alot of perfect dark soundings and scrapings too along with heavy breathing which is perfectly suitable for the plotlines in the film iinstead of the typical classical suspenseful music that's used in today's horror films. Makes every moment seem genuinely eerie since it's down in a coal mine. Nothing too complicated. All of this was put together by Andres Boulton.