Beneath Us All (2023) User Reviews

A Very different, slow burn vampire film with a gory payoff.

[paulclaassen · 4/10 · 20 December 2023]

The film starts in 912AD with a young girl being killed by a man, Frey, who is then captured by villagers and buried. We then jump ahead a few centuries and meet social worker Rebecca (Kaiti Wallen) who is being sent to check up on kids at a foster home. The foster home is run by Todd (Sean Whalen), who is a gambler, and his wife Janelle (Maria Olsen), who is anything but as pleasant as she first appears to be. Maria Olsen in my opinion delivered the best performance.

At the foster home we meet Julie (Angelina Danielle Cama), who is the film's lead character. One evening she finds a crate in the woods. When she opens it, a man in dire state emerges from the box, whom she takes home and shelters in the barn. As she starts caring for him, we discover something sinister about him.

'Beneath Us All' is so well filmed with stunning cinematography that its a pity I can't say the same for Yan Birch's acting as Frey, the man/creature whom Julie rescued. Unfortunately I found him unconvincing.

There were many instances in the movie that left me raising an eyebrow thinking surely this would never happen. Yes, I understand this is a fantasy horror, but the character actions - especially Julie - were not believable, even within the genre. The flow of events also just didn't feel natural.

'Beneath Us All' did not really interest me from the beginning, yet I gave it the benefit of the doubt hoping it would improve and possible even blow me away. Well, the final act was a gruesome turn of events for this slow burn horror, and by far the film's highlight, and most disturbing moments.

If you're looking for a different kind of vampire movie, then this is probably it. As for me, it was a bit too different. It was also an unusual film in the sense that some scenes looked like they belonged in a big budget movie, while other scenes felt cheap. Either way, the final moments are guaranteed to satisfy horror buffs and fans of the vampire genre.

This is not a 10/10 movie at all

[jrmarchesini-52-636192 · 2/10 · 25 September 2023]

I have read ratings some other place, they scored it at 8.1, some other people, and I mean several other people have scored this 10/10. So I confidently watched this... the result? Go watch Sharknado or something similar, it is more consistent and funny than this. I am reviewing this so you don't fall in the scam

Do you want to know why? Spolers ahead:

This guy, the "moster" is a viking vampire that can hunt his pray in plain broad light. Ok, that is new. Why viking? It doesn't offer anything interesting at the end or innovative. The vampire might as well would have been Italian, Spaniard, Guatemalan or even Chinese and it wouldn't even matter at the end. His Viking origin contributed nothing at all in the end.

Where did Julie our protagonist got the medallion before she found Frey? It suddlenly appears in one scene, where did it came from?

The music is generally weird, it doesn't goes accordingly to the scenes.

The voices and the sound seems almost like monoaural. This is what really tells you that this is an bad or cheap movie.

When we meet the policeman he has a huge police sign in his chest instead of a badge so we all can agree that "guy is a policeman for sure".

Where did Frey learn to speak English so fast? He gets out of his coffin and the next days he speaks perfect english... did vikings spoke english?

Frey's makeup when you can see him in his first scenes after he is out of the coffin is not good. You can see his gray face and the rest of his body in a regular skin tone. However, his vampire make-up had a good appearance it was a shame his face was fully shown, it was a waste. Although you can say that is a latex mask.

Frey's first meal are potato chips? Really? Isn't he a vampire or something? He was offered two bags of potato chips. Perhaps they were blood flavored...

Without any motivation Julie sucks Fray's blood from his arm, why? She is not really showing that great of attachment to him so she might be wanting to suck his blood. Why? Was she lusting for him? No! When???

Rebecca is been told a couple of times to stop working to avoid burn out, but she keeps working. Why? Her boss is insistent, but it doesn't really matter.

The gangster allowing Todd Gibbs (Julie's foster parent) to play cards to collect his debt is a stereotype of a bad guy with his beard and eye patch. Look st him, his is a bad person, right?

Sound effects are not good, really. Really, really bad.

It's been said that Julie is seeing some man in the woods, but this man (Frey) has been in the barn all the time, he hasn't been in the woods unless it's the time he was in the coffin.

When Julie starts her transformation it's funny, but not scary at all. She just seems to need a teeth cleansing and an orthodontist.

There is a stereotypical choral music for the vampire scenes. A very bad choice that don't go with the modern times of the play. What is this? Bram Stoker's dracula?

The fog is clearly so artificial, sometimes it covers the back if the stage but not the actors in the front. Sometimes it covers the left part of the scenary but not the right, how come?

At some point there are lightning in the sky but no sign of rain anywhere. Just one lightning and that's it, no wind, no rain. Kind a like a Frankenstein effect. Bad, so bad.

Frey the vampire's death was bad, no emotions at all. No agony. The remainings are a couple of bones and a skull covered in strawberry jam or something.

The policeman death was simple, no emotions at all either. I really didn't care for his death, only I felt shame for the 2 little girls' death, but their corpses were found just laying on the ground, face down.

The black kid is not really afraid at his inminent death, you don't look scary eyes or see him screaming, bad acting. His character wears a stereotypical hair style that I don't think his foster parents would allow it, it doesn't seem consistent.

If you read this, and like bad movies, then this is your stuff. You have been warned.

Fantastic story!!

[CotaMF · 10/10 · 26 September 2023]

I ended up watching this because I am a big fan of Maria Olsen and I'm glad I did. I saw a very pretty horror film that was so much more than a horror film and I must say I really enjoyed it! I felt the characters were very well developed, they doubled down in story and drama before they built the suspense up to the crescendo that seemed to last a long time and had me at the edge of my seat. Another thing was. I had no clue the teenager got turned from the trailer and that was one of the things I absolutely loved. Most trailers give away the whole movie but this was skillfully crafted and I'm a new fan for sure, it's refreshing actually with most independent horror is to cheap and a bit of a one trick pony with mostly disgusting gore everywhere. I strongly recommend this and will probably watch it sgain. For some reason I don't have enough characters on here so I guess I'll add that I also liked the Viking beginning and the origin story although it was far too short so if there is a sequel please revisit Viking times.

A boring storyline brought to the screen in a sluggish and slow paced manner...

[paul_haakonsen · 2/10 · 18 December 2023]

Of course I hadn¨t heard about this 2023 horror movie titled "Beneath Us All", prior to sitting down and watching it. However, with it being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to watch it, as I do enjoy horror movies quite a lot.

Bret Miller wrote a somewhat dull and mundane storyline and script for the movie. I have to admit that I found the narrative in the movie to be a bit slow and pointless, and thus it was difficult to enjoy this movie from writer Bret Miller and director Harley Wallen. And the storyline itself was just somewhat poorly written and constructed, with elements and things happening throughout the 91 minutes that the movie ran for somewhat odd and strange.

It should be noted that the acting performances in "Beneath Us All" were actually adequate. Sure, it wasn't impressive acting performances, but for a movie of this caliber, then the acting performances were fair enough. There were only two familiar faces on the cast list for me, and that was Sean Whalen and Maria Olsen.

Visually, then there weren't anything to write home about here, as "Beneath Us All" wasn't a movie that made use of a lot of special effects or CGI.

If you are a horror fan, then "Beneath Us All" is not a movie that I would recommend you waste your time, money or effort on. Some of us suffered through this ordeal, so you don't have to.

My rating of director Harley Wallen's 2023 horror movie "Beneath Us All" lands on a two out of ten stars.

Great film, director, and talented group of actors.

[donnydeutsch-83342 · 10/10 · 22 September 2023]

Beneath Us All is a very well written script teamed with a talented group of actors led by a great director and crew. It begins with a group of Vikings tracking down a vampire and trapping him and burying him. Fast forward many years later we are introduced to a set of foster parents who have a child in their care who is about to turn 18 and will be released from the system. Julie the teen girl stumbles upon the grave deep in the woods behind her foster parents home in which our vampire played by Yan is in tombed and releases him. She keeps him in a barn in the woods at first but soon he escapes and starts feeding on people in the neighborhood to regain his strength. He soon turns his sights on Julie and from there you will be on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next. A great film from beginning to end full of suspense, drama, mystery, horror, and thriller. A must see.

A generally fun if somewhat problematic genre effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 7/10 · 10 October 2023]

After finding a special object in the woods, a teen living with several other kids at a foster family house in the countryside slowly starts acting out of character the more she's around this creature, and when the child-service agent in charge comes across the horrific truth tries to help them stop the creature targeting them.

Overall, this was a rather fun and generally enjoyable genre effort. One of the better aspects of this one is the rather intriguing build-up that manages to be quite likable overall. Including a nice bout of Nordic folklore here involving the backstory of the vampire at the beginning to show his influence in the past with the hunting party trying to track him down and capture him which sets up the discovery in America later on. This leads into the later scenes at the house where his uncovering and slow-burn healing process provides a nice means of including this connection in the modern day as his decided influence grows much darker and more devious over time. The bits involving his corruption over the daughter to keep the streak going as it gains the power to leave and move on in the world are quite fun and allow this to take on some intriguing storylines along the middle section of the film. This is carried over to the impressive vampire attacks that have a lot going for them. The main part of this is the storyline about his corrupting the daughter as this all comes off rather nicely involving the darker, more reclusive, and disengaged attitude while not being bothered to care about the world around her that flies in stark contrast to who she was before. The concurrent attacks on others around the area to generate the kind of power it needs to get stronger are generally more dramatic than anything but are still intriguing enough to offer up some solid scenes throughout here as it all prepares itself for the finale when it shows the creature attacking the house and bringing about some fine confrontations with the disbelieving members of the family that are quite chilling and suspenseful involving some nice bloodshed and action along the way. Overall, these are all enough to bring this one up quite a lot even though there are some issues that hold it down. The main issue to be had with the film is the generally slow build-up to the vampire as there's quite a lot to deal with the bland storyline about how the family is abusing their foster children. While it enables everything to come together quite nicely, a lot of these scenes involving the way the parents are dismissive of everything she tells them, the needless subplot about the detective trying to recruit the social worker to join him at a new job, or their burgeoning relationship that's shown throughout here where the two of them chat and hang out several times. It all ends up making the vampire's presence come about a bit later than expected and feels quite sluggish to get started. There's also a bit to this one where the daughter's failure to not notice anything wrong with the vampire makes her look more stupid than earnest due to the obvious malevolent energy of the creature and this is somewhat unbelievable. These all end up bringing it down overall.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, and children-in-jeopardy.

Harley Wallen Masterpiece

[cawjr · 10/10 · 21 September 2023]

A great movie from the beginning to the end. This movie will draw you in and keeps you in suspense. Had my mom sitting on the edge of her seat. A must watch when you get the chance. The Director - Harley Wallen did a very good job with this film showing the down side of the broken foster system and the twist that makes everyone wonder what's coming next, a great story. The cast and crew were awesome in their particular roles. Sean Whalen and Yan Birch reunite from People Under the Stairs back in 1991. If you are looking for some drama, fantasy, horror, mystery, thriller then this is the movie that you are looking for.

Dark and Mystery

[themovieraidshow · 7/10 · 30 September 2023]

The story involves girl living in a foster home, being distraught with her living situation she takes a walk in the woods, she stumbles on a pendant that appears ancient, as she makes her way home she starts to feel funny. She finds a man in the wilderness that needs help so she places him in an old storage shed. Things become more strange and murders occur, a social worker is called upon to check up on the foster family but things doesn't set right with the foster parents things take a dark turn.

The story is a slow burn with a large quantity of drama. It features less gore and more of the ascetic approach with character reactions. One of the highlights would be actress Maria Olsen and Sean Whalen as the foster parents giving off cold and selfish characters they portray as we can tell the parents are in it for the easy money having foster care for kids without real notice from authorities. The foster father also being a gambler hoping to make the big money playing every night.

The film has nice overview shots and the creature looks well done. I would only like to have seen the foster parents become more dark by intentionally misleading the social worker and more verbal to the kids to heightened tension while the entity living in the shed builds its strength to kill.

It is a film to take a look into and can lead to curiosity on the lore of the main monster in the story.

It's Amateurish

[bilalmalikg · 3/10 · 25 March 2024]

Most of the reviews here are too positive along the lines of 'work of art'. It isn't. It's amateurish.

The scenes, the music, and the acting... they all just seem amateur level. I would only recommend watching this if you want to support upcoming actors and crew with low budget or if you are in to this kind of production.

But if you're looking for good quality production, then this is not it. As far as the story goes, it was good. With the right budget and production values it could have been a great movie.

There are couple of scenes where something important just suddenly happens in a second and you get the feeling that the scene was cut short for some reason. Like I said, it's an amateur movie.

Bargain basement vampire junk

[w00f · 3/10 · 2 February 2024]

TREE:

unoriginal worn common stock ordinary tired routine dull stereotyped hack pedestrian commonplace stale banal corny run-of-the-mill threadbare clichéd uninspired hackneyed bromidic

Everything about this flick is poor. The acting, the screenplay, the groan-worthy plot holes (not that there's much plot), the cheap prosthetics, the amateurish score, the characters knowing things they had no way of knowing in an attempt (that fails) to make the ending matter somehow. And why Vikings? The silliness about Vikings and vampires that starts this abomination is a potent of bad things to come.

But hey, they've answered the burning question "What is ET was a thousand year-old Viking bloodsucker?"

Run. Run far. Run fast.

Give it a chance

[mangosteen55 · 7/10 · 28 September 2023]

Beneath Us All" (2023) is a riveting cinematic piece that artfully peels back the layers of human nature, exposing the hidden depths and shadows lurking within. The film masterfully intertwines compelling narratives, evocative visuals, and powerful performances, immersing the audience in a gripping exploration of the complexities and mysteries that lie beneath the surface of our everyday lives. The storytelling is nuanced, and the atmosphere is charged with tension, making every revelation a moment of awe, as the audience delves deeper into the intricate web of the human psyche.

In conclusion, "Beneath Us All" stands as a remarkable testament to the power of cinema to explore and reflect the multifaceted nature of humanity. The film, with its blend of suspense, drama, and emotion, offers a thought-provoking and captivating experience that leaves the audience pondering long after the credits roll. It is a compelling journey into the unknown territories of the human soul, making it a must-watch for those who seek depth and introspection in film.

Beneath Us All

[BandSAboutMovies · 7/10 · 15 October 2023]

Somewhere in Maine, Julie (Angelina Danielle Cama) has grown up with foster parents Todd (Sean Whalen) and Janelle (Maria Olsen), but at this point, she can't wait until she's eighteen. Despite how close she is to being free, she keeps running away from home, which alerts a social worker named Rebecca (Kaiti Wallen) to her case.

The supernatural part of this story - the one that ties it into the flashback that opens the film - is that Julie has found a pendant and a secret Viking burial ground that holds Frey (Yan Birch), a monstrous killing machine that has been buried alive for hundreds of years. She feels for the creature and hides it in a shed, bringing it food when she can. But as you can imagine, that won't be enough and he's soon feeding on her neighbors.

Beneath Us All mixes up social issues, Rebecca's workaholic nature and the growing vampiric bond between Frey and Julie, as well as the money issues that are getting to Todd and Janelle. At the same time, Detective Booker (Harley Wallen) is investigating the murders that keep growing and soon destroy two of the foster kids Sarah and Erica (Hanna and Emilia Wallen). Now only Stephen (Malachi Myles) is left and he's fearing for his life while his foster parents refuse to leave their refuge.

This movie touches on things without hitting you over the head with them, like how Todd and Janelle have had so many problems yet continue to foster kids for fifteen years. Do they love them? Does it make them happy? The film is ambiguous in the right way, the way that life can be at times. The fact that natural nurturer Julie is turned to the side of Frey also feels that way. It's the first time she's had power and she's going to use it.

The entire Wallen family seems to have put their lives into this movie, as Harley directed from a script by Bret Miller. I've enjoyed past movies I've seen by the director (Ash and Bone, Tale of Tails, A Bennett Song Holiday) but this is the most complete and intelligent work I've seen from him yet.

Oh yeah! Sean Whalen was Roach and Yan Birch was The Stairmaster in The People Under the Stairs.