Soundtrack

Official Site

Below
by Christian De Matteo

Solid

            Answering that eternal (not really) question, what generally happens to a film when you don’t advertise it, Miramax has found the answer to be:  Not a whole helluva lot.

            I guess somebody pissed off one of the Weinsteins because this fine submarine ghost story (a novel concept in today’s age of movie rehashing) written by Pi and Requiem for a Dream scribe/director Darren Aronofsky and directed by Pitch Black director David Twohy, the film plays out tautly and tensely, providing a generally creepy hour and half, claustrophobically stuck in a submarine, where there is finally literally nowhere to run.  I guess the water is where the scares are right now, as Ghost Ship readies itself for the big screen, but this film— based on only what I’ve seen in Ghost Ship previews— is the better quality of the two.  It seems to be the kind of film that could possibly (and who can ever really tell about these things) take off as a cult favorite amongst horror buffs.  So why not advertise it?

Wonderfully informed by "Macbeth," the supernatural portions of the film are all presented as debatable, while the moral quandaries are obviously the heart of the film.  These are very well done, as is the mystery of the movie, which is fantastically laid out, plotted and explained.

  The ghost images are also effectively eerie, subtle and frightening.

            Catch it in theaters while you can, as it is a breath of fresh air in a sea of stagnant ideas (couldn’t resist) or at least rent it on DVD (and, I guess, video).  A worthwhile viewing and a fun ride, Below truly stands out as some of the most original and intelligent horror in years.

Critique Section

HugeReviews.com's  Official Rating System:
Pathetic         Wimpy         Solid        Super        HUGE