A review of "Beneath"

Confessions of a Film Junkie: A review of “Beneath”

By: Brian Cotnoir

If you asked any person to list what they think is the most terrifying way to die, I think pretty much everyone would list “being buried alive” somewhere in the Top 5.  It is a fear that has plagued humanity since they first started burying bodies.  This fear was so real to some people that many years ago they used to bury people with an air hole vent that led from the casket in the ground to the surface so they could call for help if they had accidentally been buried alive.  Now can you imagine working a job, where you run the risk of being buried alive, every day???  Well, that is a reality that all people who work in the field of coal mining face every day.  In that is the setting for the film I’m reviewing this week, “Beneath”.            

“Beneath” is the story of a young Environmental Lawyer returning to the coal mining where she grew up to talk her father into retiring from the mines.  Her father is reluctant to give up his livelihood and invites his daughter down into the mines to show her that it is safe and that there’s nothing wrong with what he does for a living.  Shortly after they arrive 600 feet underground there is a collapse in the mine.  The miners that survive reach the Rescue chamber and that it will take 72 hours before a rescue squad can reach them.  All seems to be going fine at first, but then some strange things begin to happen.  The Rescue Chambers oxygen tanks are broken off and two of the trapped miners go missing.  The group tries to find the missing miners and uncovers an old mine shaft from the 1920’s.  Legend has it that a group of miners were trapped down there years ago, and they were never rescued.  Some begin to speculate that it may be the angry spirits of the trapped miners, while others believe that the two missing miners have gone crazy from their near death experience, and our protagonists life & death situation has just become a lot grimmer.         

    So yeah, this films pretty similar to “As Above, So Below”: it takes almost entirely underground, and we’re just as confused as to what is going on as the characters in the film.  All of the fun in the film is trying to figure out what’s going on, but other than that this film has very little to offer.  There aren’t any real scares or thrills, the acting is definitely over the top and hammy.  Other than a few good scenes of suspense, I can’t really think of anything else positive to say about this one.  I will recommend that you check out “Beneath” if you enjoyed “As Above, So Below”, but if you didn’t then I think you’ll be okay if you skip this one.