Review by James Lindorf
Twenty years ago, Mena Suvari (American Beauty, American Pie) would have been the focal point of “What Lies Below.” Now, she is playing Micelle, the fun mom who tries a little too hard to be her socially awkward daughter’s best friend. When Liberty (Ema Horvath) returns from two months at camp, her mom blindsides her with a much younger live-in boyfriend, John Smith (Trey Tucker). Michelle worried about Libby liking John but didn’t count on the teen lusting after his blend of charm, intelligence, and abs. The closer Libby watches John, she begins to wonder if her mom’s perfect man may be too perfect to be human. Braden R. Duemmler makes his feature film debut by writing and directing the sci-fi thriller, which will be available Digitally and through VOD on December 4th.
The movie opens on a precarious footing with Michelle is acting like a stereotypically over-sexed cougar, and Libby’s attraction is bordering on obsession. Thankfully before turning into something that would premiere on Pornhub, Duemmler gets away from the inappropriate sexuality and focuses on John’s strange behavior. Whatever may be going on with him, Michelle should consider having him pack his bags the second he sucks the sweat out of his jogging clothes because gross. From his generic name to his veiled answers to all kinds of questions, on builds the mystery for Libby. The closer she watches, the more she notices, and the weirder things get.
Duemmler does an excellent job of creating an unsettling atmosphere as he begins to peel back the secrets. Once the climax starts, the film morphs into a reasonably competent body horror film. Those films are always best when the central figure is undergoing the body-altering horror like Jeff Goldblum in “The Fly.” The cast is minimal, with only the three characters for 99% of the movie, making it imperative that they all carry their weight. Trey as John may be a bit stiff, but it could be intentional given the mystery of the film. Mena is as good as always but spends a large portion of the movie in bed. Ema, who looks like she could be related to Mena, or maybe the Mara sisters, carries the film well and could develop into a star with the right projects and a little luck. Some rough edges should be expected in a project from a first-timer, but you could do a lot worse than finding out “What Lies Below.”
Genre: Mystery And Thriller
Cast: Ema Horvath, Trey Tucker, Mena Suvari
Director: Braden R. Duemmler
Writer:Braden R. Duemmler
Release Date: December 4, 2020
Rating: NR
Run Time:87 minutes
