Stream it on Netflix.
I am sure that I, along with many others, have stated that there is no such thing as a bad idea for a movie; there are only bad executions of ideas. A movie can have the cheesiest, most predictable, and silliest ideas for a story and still come out superbly entertaining, so long as it feels earnest and has heart. A perfect example would have to be the action masterpiece Hobbs & Shaw, a film that is not only aware of how silly it is but revels in it, thereby encouraging the audience to revel as well. Today's subject, The Devil Below, is not a silly action romp but an attempt at a dramatic horror piece, with monsters for good measure. Sadly, while there might have been some effort put into making the film look good, not enough effort went into making the film actually good.
The story follows a group of scientists on an expedition to find an old coal mine that is believed to contain some kind of rare mineral that could prove beneficial to humanity. After some trial and error, they find the hidden path leading to the abandoned mine isolated via an electrified fence and not listed on any of their maps. After shutting down power to the gate and descending into the mine shaft, they discover not a rare mineral but a pack of terrifying and deadly humanoid monsters. After escaping a few members short, they meet up with the local townspeople who have taken it upon themselves to maintain the secrecy of the monsters until they are completely irradicated. Now, they must survive the night as the ones who have escaped are on the hunt.
The biggest problem with this film is its lack of texture in its writing. To put it in musical terms, it has the baseline of an idea and a basic melody of characters, but it lacks anything beyond that to give its presentation any kind of depth or richness. The dialogue is stiff and uniform, making every character sound too similar and undistinctive. None of the characters have relatable or identifiable personality traits beyond that required for the plot. Even the protagonist, the most important character for any story, offers nothing compelling or sympathetic for the audience to latch onto; and what little texture is there doesn't resonate enough to make anything engaging.
Not to mention many of the things featured in this film (the concept of the monsters sensitive to sound, keeping a strange and possibly supernatural threat to humanity a secret, and so on) have all been done better in other movies. A Quiet Place, The Descent, and The Ruins, just to name a few.
Another issue with the film is its inability to decide how it wants to handle the monsters. Because this was obviously a low-budget film, it resorts to minimizing how often the creatures are shown. This is usually a clever practice as it elevates the tension in imagining what the creature might look like, along with not knowing exactly where the threat is coming from. However, it soon becomes clear that the filmmakers wanted to show the monsters but were embarrassed at the quality of the effects and design of the monsters. So they mostly "show" the monster through quick cuts, out-of-focus shots, and long distances. Not to mention copious amounts of fog and smoke. Plus, the film reveals too early that the threat is indeed some kind of unearthly monster, thereby removing any kind of potentially interesting build-up and tension. The film wants to have its cake and eat it, and it simply can't!
The only aspect of the film I can give any positive points to is the cinematography. Photographed by Morgan Susser, whose previous works mostly include short films and second-unit work, creates a dark style without making the images indistinguishable. Some of my wonderful readers may recall my previous blog entry regarding underexposed cinematography, where I critiqued the overwhelming surge of photographic styles that try to be artistically dark without the proper use or understanding of contrast. Even in dark scenes within caves, the film succeeds in photographing dark scenes properly with clever use of fire and well-placed practicals. I hope Morgan Susser enjoys tons more work as a cinematographer.
The Devil Below is a prime example of a film not trying hard enough. It has a great idea for a story, admirable monster effects, and the potential for emotionally resonating themes. Sadly, most of the people involved in this production do not appear qualified to handle any of those elements. This film needed a lot more work before it was ready for release. If you're the least bit curious or would like an example of dark cinematography done well, give it a look. Other than that, don't watch for any kind of entertainment value because, sadly, there is none.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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