What Lies Below – Movie Review (4/5)

WHAT LIES BELOW is a new supernatural thriller that works remarkably well with a simple plot and great cast. In fact, the cast is exactly what makes this story come together in all the right ways. Read our full What Lies Below review here!

WHAT LIES BELOW is a new supernatural mystery thriller that also offers up elements of sci-fi and pure horror. What makes this movie come together is the simple premise brought to life perfectly by an exceptional cast.

Obviously, I don’t want to take anything away from the writer-director either. After all, without a good story and someone to bring it to life, the cast wouldn’t matter much.

Continue reading our What Lies Below review below.

You do not want to miss out on What Lies Below

The less you know about What Lies Below, the better. You’ll know everything you need from reading the plot or watching the trailer. What really blew my mind along the way were simple scenes where characters acted in ways you would not expect. Both the very natural kind and the decidedly unnatural kind of actions!

I loved this about the movie since it definitely kept me on edge as a viewer. In all the best ways!

Also, I have to mention that it is wonderful to see Mena Suvari (American Beauty) in this movie. She looks amazing, is perfectly natural in this role, and is both strong and vulnerable at the same time. Sure, you’ll be irritated at her character along the way but never to any degree that gets in the way of the story. Quite the opposite!

We’ll see a lot more of Mena Suvari soon since she has more than a handful of movies that are either completed or in post-production. Personally, I am especially looking forward to Don’t Tell a Soul which should be out in January of 2021.

Look out for Ema Horvath and Trey Tucker

I know I’ve watched both Ema Horvath and Trey Tucker on-screen before, but I’m not sure I’ve really seen them until now.

Most recently we saw Ema Horvath in The Mortuary Collection which we also loved. However, in What Lies Below she manages to completely engage the viewer as she perfectly portrays a girl becoming a young woman. Complete with awkwardness and acute awareness of both her own feelings and those she may awake in others.

Up next for Ema Horvath is Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series, which she will be starring in.

And I may be a female of the gay persuasion, but I can certainly see why anyone (gay or straight, male or female, as well as everything in between) would be fascinated by Trey Tucker (The Outpost) in this movie. He is both the perfect leading man and a complete enigma.

This is the kind of role that I would think needed someone like Chris Evans or Chris Hemsworth to pull off believably. A real “manly man”, who can also be a total softie and turn sinister at the drop of a hat. But clearly, Trey Tucker managed this perfectly as well which is no small feat.

Watch What Lies Below on VOD or Netflix

Braden R. Duemmler is the writer and director of What Lies Below which he should be damn proud of. This is the first feature film from Braden R. Duemmler who previously wrote and directed two short films. The fact that this is a feature film debut only makes it even more impressive.

The tight runtime of 87 minutes along with the gorgeous visuals makes for a very promising career as a filmmaker. Also, if he can continue getting such excellent casting for his movies, then we undoubtedly have a lot to look forward to.

If you like indie movies that mix genres in all the best ways, then do check out What Lies Below. You’ll get character-driven drama along with thriller, sci-fi, and horror. All wrapped up in a mystery that will be unveiled exactly as much as needed.

What Lies Below is released on VOD on December 4, 2020. It will also be out on Netflix in the US from April 4, 2021.

Details

Director: Braden R. Duemmler
Writer: Braden R. Duemmler
Stars: Ema Horvath, Trey Tucker, Mena Suvari