'Beneath the Darkness' Fails as a Thriller

There are movies that seem to come out of nowhere at times. Some prove to be hidden treasures that audiences uncover, while others may have been better left buried. One movie that appeared recently with no real fanfare was the thriller "Beneath the Darkness." After a brief description of the film, we'll see what critics and moviegoers thought.

The movie revolves around a group of teenagers who witness their best friend get murdered. They search for a way to reveal that the town mortician and football hero is a brutal killer. Can they prove it before they become the next victims of a homicidal maniac?

There wasn't a single good review for "Beneath the Darkness." Tim Grierson of the Village Voice complained, "[This] doesn't even have the pulse-pounding excitement of a second-tier Scooby-Doo mystery." Variety's John Anderson called it "A malformed, would-be horror shocker with a deliriously deranged performance by Dennis Quaid, who unfortunately seems to be the only one onboard who thinks he's in a comedy." Mark Olsen of Los Angeles Times wrote, "At times it seems the simple ineptitude of 'Beneath the Darkness' surely must mask some undercurrent of deeper sophistication and intention on behalf of the filmmakers. Alas, as it turns out, such things never surface."

Audiences have been all across the spectrum when it comes to "Beneath the Darkness." W.V. stated, "I had fun watching this one! [The] soundtrack is killer with some serious notables putting out some cool tunes. I hope that they release a soundtrack!" Mary E. said, "Well, I for one enjoyed a thriller that didn't have me puking in my popcorn. Simply showed an enjoyable light mood to an otherwise dark story line. I welcome the fresh idea of the two in one film."

Family entertainment website Movieguide.org reported, "'Beneath the Darkness' is a macabre thriller that features some intense suspenseful moments and a creepy, crazy, but compelling, performance by Dennis Quaid, but otherwise is just okay. There's also a lot of foul language as the story's macabre situations unfold. It's clearly low budget. Dennis Quaid is funny and scary at the same time. Also, the moral elements aren't strong enough to make this a truly memorable thriller, even though the villain is defeated."

Martin Guigui directed "Beneath the Darkness." It stars Dennis Quaid, Tony Oller ("Gigantic"), and Aimee Teegarden ("Prom"). The movie is rated R for some violence and language. It was released in limited theaters on January 6, 2012.

For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:

Start the Year Out Right With an Asylum '2012' Movie
January 4: 'Impostor' Fails to Thrill Fans of Philip K. Dick
Mixed News About 'The Avengers' Could Thrill or Concern Fans

Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.

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