The Creature Below (2016)

Sorry, this movie sucks

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I actually enjoyed this low budget horror flick. The story line is great and was developed very well........as the little creature from the depths of the ocean is metamorphosing into a hideous creature, the smart biologist who found the creature is also struggling with her sanity as she bonds with the creatureThere is no established actor in the film. The quality of acting is not the best. But the main character (Anne Dawson) played her role very well. Over all, it is a nice film!

When I saw the DVD cover for this film I was expecting a SyFy channel level production and whilst the opening 10 mins of CGI didn't convince me otherwise I was pleasantly surprised to find a very competently put together take on Lovecraftian horror. The film is certainly low budget and as the producers on the 'Making of' DVD bonus feature state, they worked with what they had, using their own houses as location. Any of these shortcomings are overcome by the great cast, all of whom I have not seen before but did a really good job with the script. Anna Dawson is very convincing as the lead character Olive, slowly loosing her mind to the creature which seems to have some kind of psychic control over her. The characters of Ellie & Matt are also well played and the chemistry between them seems very authentic. There are also some great supporting cast members in there like Doctor Fletcher and Olive's friend Dara. All of the cast play their roles with a straight face which I think was important considering the crazy script. Where the film truly shines is in the practical creature effects which are used sparingly but build up the mystery around the creature. There is plenty of blood and guts for gore fans but it isn't extreme in anyway so fans of more psychological horror films will also be satisfied. The ending of the film takes things to completely insane levels and also surprised me considering the small scope the film had shown thus far and there is potential for a sequel there. As I said before the film is slightly let down by the opening CGI which isn't very good but I don't think it lets it down too much there. For fans of H.P. Lovecraft this is a must see.

True, there are other somewhat similar movies. What makes this one stand out is the excellent acting. Other more mainstream movies of this kind inevitably always have linear acting - meaning that what you see from the first scene is what you'll get in the last frame. Not so with this one. Anna Dawson starts off by portraying an ambitious go-getter who becomes increasingly taciturn. The supporting actress, Michaela Longden, starts off by being something akin to a party girl, but ends up emotionally distraught. The silent ''screams'' at the end are surreal, and as such, are even more terrifying - reminding me of some nightmarish scenes seen in Europeen movies of the 70's. Very often, a film with a smaller budget has to maximize its limited resources in imaginative and creative ways that seem to elude bigger budget films. The Girl With All the Gifts, Morgan, Dog Soldiers - although all unrelated - are movies with limited budgets that excel in imagination and mood management. The Creature Below belongs in this company. I hope they make a sequel!

"The Creature Below" is a mish-mash of all sorts of "creature" movies poorly rolled into one. It is a story of a young marine biologist, Olive, who experiences a horrible diving accident while trying to test out a scientists latest diving suit. She sees "something," but when she comes to she cannot remember what she saw. While examining her diving gear, she discovers some sort of egg lodged in what was her oxygen tank, steals it, and returns home.Face it, guys, we've already seen this about 20 times: Alien, Species, Species II, Grabbers, and Little Shop of Horrors, et al. The only difference is most of Creature's predecessor movies were much better. There was nothing original in here. What makes this movie even more unbearable is the stilted dialogue, characters complete obliviousness that something is wrong, characters which should wear signs that say "kill me next," and an ending which just helped the entire movie fall flat on its face. "The Creature Below" is rated "R" for some violence, brief nudity, and language. Sorry guys, but I've already seen this movie.