A man finds his mind poisoned by five tales in Underneath: An Anthology of Terror. Convinced that the cracks in his basement may be a breach into Hell, a man (Brent Baird) is subjected to the revelation of five tales that slowly break his mind. In Chapter One: 6 AM, Daniel (Nicholas Koy Santillo) is subject to horrifying visions, with his prescription only making them worse. In Chapter Two: Ms. Shapen, a television set transmits the haunted memories of a killer (John Nicol). In Chapter Three: Passages, a writer (Brandon Schamerhorn) discovers that his passages cause visions of madness. In Chapter Four: Certain Point Of View, demonic madness is seen through the eyes of the possessed. Finally, in Chapter Five: I Can Change, Osmond (Mike McMurran) discovers he can transform into a demonic creature.
Underneath: An Anthology of Terror is a DIY horror anthology co-written and directed by John Nicol (Channel Zero), along with segment directors Andre Becker, also a co-writer, and Cory Ivanchuk. The framing device of the anthology centres around a man, who is tormented by a demonic force that subjects the man to five horrific tales, before everything is tied up with the experimental epilogue Entropy.
As with most anthologies, the different segments of Underneath: An Anthology of Terror is very hit or miss. It is evident throughout that this is a film produced on a very shoestring budget and there is a noticeable lack of polish and perhaps too much echo in the dialogue. The film's pattern consists of longer narrative-based segments (6 AM, Passages, I Can Change), followed by shorter more experimental ones (Ms. Shapen, Certain Point Of View, Entropy). The end result is a very mixed bag and Underneath: An Anthology of Terror can only be recommended to the most hardcore underground horror fans.
Trailer for Underneath: An Anthology of Terror – TISH 2022
