Beneath (2013)

Whatever tension the pic manages to build ... is mostly undercut by the recurring appearance of the fish and by the generally overemphatic performances of the human cast ...

As shrill as it often is, the film's situational peril makes otherwise unlikable characters sympathetic, or maybe just sympathetic enough.

A proudly lowbrow, low-budget monster movie that sees nothing wrong with the cheap-and-dirty shortcuts of yesteryear.

The title doesn't just refer to what lurks in the lake's still water. It's a guide to where Beneath's substance lies, the acid heart inside its plastic chest.

The whole film is a campy put-on, right? Apparently not.

A few things could have been improved upon, but it's at least ambitious and has an interesting twist.

Beneath is both a tribute to monster-in-the-woods and the creature-under-the-water horror and a genuine indie drama in the guise of a horror film.

The film is simply too sloppy and full of holes, many of which should have been easily noticed from the writing of the script through pre-production.

[Blu-ray Review] Well shot and technically competent. It's also a bit of an insult to the viewer's intelligence.

Feels as if it were made by an amateur on his second film...

Beautifully shot, but marked by a screenplay that mistakes and substitutes volume for well staked-out, compelling interpersonal disagreement.

There just isn't enough going on beneath Beneath.