Fairaher
The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
ActuallyGlimmer
The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
Michael Ledo
Six students who graduate from high school go up to a Black Lake property where quiet Johnny (Daniel Zovatto) has access and knowledge of the thing that lives in the lake. The six kids get stranded in a row boat in the lake attacked by a rubber headed flesh eating fish. In order to survive they end up voting someone off.The film does its horror style character build up in the vehicle on their way to the lake. From then on all the action takes place in the boat in this low budget production. If you like films like "Altitude" or "Frozen" where the action is limited and takes place in one location, this one is of that genre, but a little worse.No sex or nudity in this horror film. The fish monster is MST laughable, but the rest of the film lacks cheese character. The film would have been infinitely better had they made it to the island, had a party, got picked off one by one, then attempted to cross back vs. rubber head.My recommendation: Watch "Two-Headed Shark Attack" instead.
Wuchak
RELEASED IN 2013 and directed by Larry Fessenden, "Beneath" documents events when six high school graduates get together one last time, but find themselves trapped on a boat in a secluded lake, threatened by something in the water.This is a "confined location" horror flick with a psychological subtext. Except for the beginning and climax, these kinds of films focus on two or more threatened people in a restricted setting and the mental/emotional struggles thereof. "The Mist," "Wind Chill" and "Prey" are good examples (all from 2007). "Beneath" isn't as good as the first two, but it's debatably on par with the last one. The best part is the first act. Bonnie Dennison (Kitty) and, especially, petite cutie Mackenzie Rosman (Deb) score well on the female front and the director wisely highlights the latter's beauty (no nudity or sleaze). The monster is well-done and is plainly revealed before the first act is over. This shows that the heart of the picture isn't the creature, but the psychologies of the six victims and the hidden hostilities thereof. They're a fun-loving group of friends, but are they really? It's a well-made movie for only $1 million, but I found the second and third acts kinda tedious. Still, the film makes its point. The movie runs 90 minutes and was shot in Oxford, Connecticut (Naugatuck State Forest). Writers: Tony Daniel & Brian D. Smith.GRADE: C
jody7177
This film was awful 1.the one I didn't want to die she died and 2.Jonny died and that was the main character it was a stupid death and a bad ending to him it was ridiculous,this film was a awful story line it needed to be more realistic instead of stupid deaths and mostly all the same,more needs to happen in this...Jonny should have stayed alive from the start to finish and show the life of him when he gets back on land and telling people what had happened.... Good ending because I didn't like the brother (Simon) but other than that it was utter crap and it's also very bad acting,saying that,that's what you expect for a not so popular film !!!
Matt Livingstone
There is so much to love in this film, from its clichéd premise to it's tongue, in cheek campiness, and Fassenden's excellent shots. The 'well, you just didn't get it' argument is one of the weakest arguments out there but the overwhelming negativity towards this movie makes me think it truly went over a lot of heads. There is so much to this movie but much like the title it's all beneath the surface. This movie isn't about a giant catfish, it's about the superficiality of friendships, about the protective, conformity nature of childhood friendships and how the characters only seem like friends when deep down they all despise each other and with high school ending, the necessity for those friends disappeared. The catfish represents the movie viewer and if you watch closely at what the catfish actually does, you'll might see it, but I don't want to spoil it.The characterisation in this film is very solid. We see the teenagers in their friendship roles and as the movie progresses we see beneath the facades all of them wear.The catfish effects are awesome. Every monster movie needs a good monster and this one is both humorous and threatening at once which isn't always easy to pull off. I love the mind games it plays with the kids.If you have a good eye for excellent filmmaking you will see the bounty this hidden gem has to offer. If you don't...well, chances are that is probably why this film has a 3.8 rating (which is preposterous).Beneath is a skillfully made, intelligent, witty, beautifully photographed horror film that should not be passed up because a bunch of idiots just simply didn't get it; a movie called Beneath went over so many heads is beyond me.
