In 2013, a coal mine in Beckley, WV collapsed killing two miners. Beneath is the story of what happened down in that mine.
Of course, this film is just loosely based on the actual events of the collapse in the way that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is loosely based on the events of serial killer Ed Gein.
The story begins with a retirement party for George (Jeff Fahey), a coal miner whose daughter Samantha (Kelly Noonan) is in school for environmental law. To prove a point, Samantha decides to spend George’s last day down in the mines with her father and his workers. Now, we all know from watching Seven that whenever a man says he is going to retire, things go awry. In George’s case, his last day results in a mine collapse.
Beneath is a claustrophobics nightmare. The miners travel deep into the earth with nothing but artificial light and a few fans to pump in fresh air. The pathway out is long and dark and the smallest mistake can result in death.
One such mistake is made when a worker digs too deep into the mountain, finding a deep crack, and the mountain collapses around everyone, blocking the only exit out. One worker is injured and five or six are missing. Luckily, inside the mine, is an emergency shelter for the survivors to live in until they can be dug out.
Sounds perfect right? Not quite, because this is where things get really weird. Oxygen is running short and something is down there that is killing the crew.
Beneath is reminiscent of The Descent and is just as scary. You can honestly feel just how closed in they are from the complete and utter darkness down there. I was getting claustrophobic just watching! I don’t know if people were dying because of an evil entity they released when the crack was discovered or if everyone was going a little crazy because of the lack of oxygen. Either way, I found myself spooked more than once.
If nothing else, Beneath is an environmentalists dream film and for good reason. You actually get a good look at the dangers these miners put themselves into on a daily basis for coal. If you put aside all of the supernatural parts of the film and focus on the darkness and the feeling of struggling to breathe, deep down in the earth where no one can hear your cries, it’s absolutely terrifying. You are forced to wonder who would willingly put themselves into a situation where these things can happen. I certainly have a whole new respect for miners and a new found fear of caves.
Check out Beneath, an IFC Midnight film, available this week on DVD and, hopefully, Netflix.
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Ann Hale is the horror editor for Pop-Break.com and a senior contributing writer, reviewing horror movies and television shows. She is also the American Correspondent for Lovehorror.co.uk. Ann attended East Carolina University, majoring in English Literature. She is a collector of Halloween (the film) memorabilia and is a self-admitted opinionated horror nerd. You can follow her, her collection and her cat, Edward Kittyhands on Twitter and Instagram @Scarletjupiter
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