Sometime a movie skates past and you never know it existed till a few years later. However,thanks to a serendipitous tweet by Adam Green, the movie Beneath did not take that long route.
Beneath takes place in a coal mine during George Marsh's (Jeff Fahey) last day on the job. He's accompanied by his normal crew and, as a sendoff, his daughter. Their not in the mine more than ten minutes before disaster strikes and things take a turn for the worse.
First I have to say I love anything Fahey does, so that might make me kinda bias. Yet even if you take Fahey out of the equation you're left with a solid cast that really shines through. Kelly Noonan (Haunt),Eric Etebari (Cellular),Joey Kern (Cabin Fever) and Brent Briscoe (The Messengers) all deliver note worthy performances. But Kern and Noonan breakout in their roles,really drawing you into the movie.
What stands out the most is the cinematography. This one was shot so beautifully I felt like I was watching Alien sprinkled with The Descent. Every shot is just perfect and builds the tension and claustrophobia. The tension becomes so palpable it feels as if the screen will burst. Not to be outdone the audio really sells the death-at-any-time feel. From the settling of the mine to the general ambience of the movie it all meshes perfectly, like a classical string quartet.
There isn't one bad thing I can say about the acting,directing or writing. The only thing that may bother some is the cause of the story which is left very ambiguous on purpose. Not one moment drags or takes you out of the story. I honestly thought there would be a My Bloody Valentine feel here,but it does nothing to imitate it other than location. That's the only thing these two films have in common,a mine.
Verdict: 8/10 stars and I believe this rating may go up a point when I pick up the Blu-ray. Check it out right now on VOD or Netflix Instant right now.