Horror Movie Reviews
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Title: Below (2003) |
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Review of Below
- On what should be a routine rescue mission during World War II, the submarine USS Tiger Shark picks up three survivors of a U-boat attack. But for the crew -- trapped together in the sub's narrow corridors and constricted spaces -- the unexpected visitors seem to spark a series of chilling, otherworldly occurrences! Starring Hollywood favorites Olivia Williams (THE SIXTH SENSE, THE POSTMAN), Bruce Greenwood (THIRTEEN DAYS, DOUBLE JEAPOARD), and Matt Davis (LEGALLY BLONDE, BLUE CRUSH).
Description
- Inspired by the vintage thrillers of Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur, Below is a superbly crafted spookfest primed for cult-favorite status. As he did with The Arrival and Pitch Black, director David Twohy revitalizes a B-movie staple--in this case, the World War II submarine thriller--by turning it into a nerve-wracking funhouse of smoke and mirrors, where chilling visions tease the brain and stir paranoia among a close-knit group of terrified characters. When a U.S. sub takes on three survivors from a sinking British ship, its captain (Bruce Greenwood) uncovers secrets while concealing his own. As the sub's recent history unfolds, its crew is increasingly haunted by ghostly images, fleeting and subliminal, while the threat of German attack looms ominously overhead. More of a mood piece than a truly satisfying thriller, Below favors tense atmosphere over cohesive plotting, but it's so visually captivating, and so tautly acted by a fine ensemble cast, that its narrative flaws are easily forgiven. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.com
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Comments for Below
- Posted on 2008-04-04
Trapped In A Tin Can At The Bottom Of The Ocean...
BELOW is director David Twohy's (Pitch Black, Chronicles Of Riddick) masterwork of paranoia, conspiracy, claustrophobia, and oh yeah, deep sea hauntings! The USS Tiger Shark rescues 3 members of a doomed british ship, only to be hunted by germans from above; and haunted by ghostly visions, noises, and occurances below! Malfunctions and tragedies just sort of happen in ways that seem supernatural. Has a dead crewmember returned, or is everyone going slowly insane due to lack of oxygen? As things unfold, we find that not everyone is as they appear to be. All of the action takes place in quarters and corridors so tight that it's difficult to move freely. I could feel the compactness and confinement on board as I watched! I'd never survive being on a submarine, even without the ghoulish goings on! BELOW hit me in the same way as THE DESCENT did, by making me feel trapped along w/ the Tiger Shark crew! The story reminded me of some of the better tales from old E.C. comics or CREEPY and EERIE magazine. The cast is flawless in their heightening fear and insanity. Bruce Greenwood and Olivia Williams are especially good in their roles. Highly recommended...
Score: 5
- Posted on 2007-12-28
Supernatural Adventure
Somewhat of an undiscovered film, many viewers might find "Below" just sitting on the shelf at a local DVD rental store. Upon closer inspection, it collects a recognizable cast and an interesting enough premise to warrant further exploration. Below is a film that will appeal to anyone who revels in Submarine films, but this particular one is a bit more on the haunted side.
So what makes Below better than the average spooky film? The WWII era based film is great period work, with clunky phones, large dials and tattooed, old school sailors who know that each new day is a blessing. The aspect of this script that is great is the fact it does an excellent job of allowing the cast and their ties to the storyline slowly soak in over time, without revealing too much before the film ends. The cinematic appeal is to be expected, with props going to the writers for making sure that each little surprise leads to another, without the viewer feeling they are being dragged along nor given too much revealing information too soon. More mystery than monster mash, Below is a film that definitely warrants more props than it has gotten, with a stellar cast and many suspenseful scenes that still leave one wondering just who else knows what, who is good or bad, and how the intriguing storyline will ultimately finish.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2007-12-11
A ghost story in a submarine
An American submarine rescues the British survivors of an apparent U-boat attack, but that's not really the beginning of the story. As the film moves forward, the story of the USS Tiger Shark comes into focus, and provides the backbone for an interesting and competent -- if not particularly suprising -- submarine ghost story. Unlike a lot of modern ghost stories, "Below" isn't a gore-fest, and doesn't resort to cheap scares. (To be fair, you don't HAVE to use cheap scares when your movie is set in a subarine.)
The cast is surprisingly good, and they're ably directed by the mood-light-loving David Twohy. The supporting characters are appropriately colorful, even when the delve into the realm of cliche. The script shows the touches of both Twohy and Darren Aronofsky, which is probably why it lends itself so well to the weird blend of realism and fantasy that this story demands.
Fans of the kind of suspense you only get when a film is set underwater will find a lot to love in "Below," as will anyone who enjoys the occasional supernatural thriller. "Below" is successful because it crosses those two subgenres without diminishing either. All in all, a very satisfying little flick.
Score: 5 - Posted on 2007-08-01
DAVID TWOHY > GENIUS, VAL LEWTON does DAS BOOT
I liked Pitch Black, I loved Chronicles of Riddick... I first saw this ... missed the very beginning... channel surfing... what the HELL is going on? What the heck is this really about? Genuinely scary... creepy... When it was over, I found out it was written and directed by David Twohy. What a flipping out loud GREAT movie. If you go into this totally blind, you will be AMAZED, captivated, enthralled. Now that I know what its "about", I still think it is a perfect little B-movie. Ive seen it half a dozen times now and have bought DVDs to give to my friends. No one involved in the making of this movie could possibly have thought this was going to be a hundred million dollar bloackbuster. It is VAL LEWTON doing "Das Boot".
Score: 5 - Posted on 2006-12-06
Very good underwater horror
I just saw this movie and was very impressed with the horror of this movie. They actually took an underwater movie and turned it into a haunted horror. It uses both the fear of water and the fear of being closed in too as fear factors. I really liked this movie because it turned a "haunted" horror into something different other than "haunted" houses. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time throughout this movie. I highly recommend it!!!
Score: 5