What Lies Below 2020, Underrated Horror Movie Gem
Vertical Entertainment’s 2020 thriller WHAT LIES BELOW was released on December 4th, 2020. Not to be confused with the title What Lies Beneath, this is a creepy mystery film with supernatural and science elements. The film is by Braden R. Duemmler. For Duemmler, this film is his directorial debut for a full-length feature after a collection of successful short films.
What Lies Below cast includes Ema Horvath (“The Mortuary Collection”) as Liberty, the movie opens as she and her mother Michelle (Mena Suvari, “American Beauty”) return to a remote lakeside cabin. Trey Tucker (“The Outpost”), makes his first appearance as he sashays from the water like a man who’s just finished his first magazine cover. For Liberty, her mother’s announcement that this rippled and tanned man, John, is her boyfriend leaves her with a mixed bag of emotions.
What’s more, John seems to be the perfect companion. Liberty, at first, shows more than an innocent fascination with her mother’s new beau. He is charming, smart in a geeky, scientific way, and interested in things Liberty likes. For a short while, John seems to have charmed both the women in this small family. And her mother Michelle is more than keen to keep this relationship going, even if it means lying about her age. If you watch the film’s trailer, you’ll see that he is a bit more than the average hunk of man meat.
The trailer for What Lies Below movie gives quite a bit away. With that in mind, if you like your movies to retain their mystique, I suggest you give the extended trailer a hard pass. For cinephiles who don’t mind knowing the big twist to enter the narrative, you can view it below.
What Lies Below Movie Trailer Starring Mena Suvari
Creepy Sexual Tension In What Lies Below Movie
The story of What Lies Below 2020 steadies itself in its sexual tension. The finer details of what Liberty sees and what her mother does not is what ups the ante in increasing doses. John’s calm and insistent nature, his smooth tenor, and his ability to mesmerize Michelle make Liberty look and feel like a jealous daughter. The audience sees what Liberty sees. However, there is no mistaking that John is not normal. This is what saves the narrative from being just a story about who is telling the truth. We know John is weird and not himself but we just don’t know why.
Performances from Suvari and Horvath are perfectly laid out. A believable duo as mother and daughter. Duemmler’s carefully crafted writing ensures there is enough background to capture the rift that crops up between them. Despite predictability in the narrative of What Lies Below, the root cause of what’s wrong with John and his supernatural agency maintains the film’s intrigue. A few big-picture elements are kept at arm’s length until the final reveal. It definitely does the film a service.
What Lies Below is not a perfect movie. Especially if you like a full explanation. But it’s engaging and entertaining. The film is dark and insidious. In addition, all of the characters are likable even despite their personality flaws. Far-fetched enough to give you that fantasy element of the sci-fi kind and real enough to make you understand the decisions of its players. I really enjoyed What Lies Below. A sequel would be nice from this first-time feature director, Duemmler, who certainly knows how to eke things out in a stylish and purposeful manner.
What Lies Below 2020 is rated
4 fertility bracelets out of 5
Where to Watch What Lies Below Movie
Plenty of platforms are streaming What Lies Below including the USA has the title available for free on TubiTV. For more places to watch, check below.
What Lies Below movie Where To Watch:
