Underground

Heading out for a night of festivities, a group of women on a bachelorette party for their friend head out for a night out on the city drinking and partying to celebrate, but when this leads to them being trapped in an underground Nazi bunker have to sort through their personal issues to get out alive.

This was a pretty difficult entry to get into. The opening exploits showing the group hanging out and having fun with their bridal party preparations, going dress shopping, meeting with the decorators, and just drinking or getting into arguments with each other that signal their bond and friendship with each other, is all decent enough in concept but it soon grows obnoxious and tiresome when they start to get progressively drunker and less interesting. When it leads to the bad decision-making skills that trap them underground in the particular bunker, it's somewhat hard to get behind them due to the antics demonstrated here where it becomes somewhat hard to care for them after this type of build-up as the only reason they're in the situation is due to their stupidity. That doesn't mean the film's scenes in the underground bunker aren't creepy or chilling, which is the case when they arrive inside the building. After the fall and the need to split up to find help, the groups' intoxicated state of mind makes it easy to understand their plight at being lost in the bewildering series of maze-like corridors and tunnels inside the bunker. Unsure and unfamiliar with their surroundings already, this combines with the low light available to make for a rather fun time. The explorations that arise when they arrive and try to find a way out which results in a disappearance and the discovery that someone or something is down there with them is handled quite well adding a solid way to enhance the unease felt in the situation the longer they're down there. However, it soon becomes apparent that this is really all the film has going for it with the final half being a real mess where not a whole lot makes sense. The whole idea of the group wandering around the tunnels repeating the same conversations about the missing friend and why they need to move along, breaking down into pedantic arguments about the situation that show off how unlikeable they all are dropping their friendly nature to start turning on each other for what's supposed to be dramatic effect at a time when it doesn't need any extra conflict between the group who should be concentrated on getting out alive. There are also bizarre encounters that don't make sense, from the soldier or other figures materializing to the unexplained occult rituals that are there mainly for scares but don't mean much that all come together to leave this one underwhelming.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Mild Violence.

Let me start off by saying that I'm no 'film snob.' I love cheesy horror movies and have quite a lot of 'found footage' films among my DVD collection. Since the sub-genre was revived by the 'Blair Witch Project' film-makers have tried copying its success by shooting a low budget film as if it was actually shot by the characters in the story.

Most 'found footage' films don't live up to the stand-outs like the 'Blair Witch Project' and 'Paranormal Activity,' but at least they do enough to be worth a watch. 'Underground' does not. I try to find something good in even the worst films, but it was hard to say anything positive in this case. I guess the actresses' performances were reasonable, i.e.naturalistic and therefore befitting of the film-style.

Otherwise, steer well clear. It's even longer than the average film and the first half hour is basically 'getting to know the characters.' Only the characters aren't that interesting. It's like a stranger asked you to sit down and watch their holiday video. You'd have to be really bored to oblige.

The plot is about a hen night where the women get lost in a tunnel system and - naturally - fall foul of something nasty that dwells down there. It's a decent enough premise, but nothing really happens. Once they do get lost of have long - and I mean looooooong - drawn out shots of the women sitting around in the darkness. If you haven't already turned off there's about five minutes worth of 'supernatural threat' towards the end. Then it ends. Only it doesn't. It sort of ends then starts up again for no real reason (or rather to offer one last 'scare' which isn't scary).

And that's its major problem - it's just not scary. I'd say if you're in the mood for horror/found footage then any other movie in those genres would be better than this. In fact... any movie in any genre would probably be better than this.

This is the most boring movie I've ever seen.

I'm watching it now. So far: thirty minutes of bachlorettes shopping and partying, then twenty minutes of them wanding around an underground complex. So, fifty minutes so far, and no plot yet except "women shop, party and then wander around scary tunnels".

Fifty minutes is way to long wait for the plot to begin. Add to that the fact that in addition to no camera work (it's another talentless "found footage" cheapout), there appears to be no sound work, you can hardly understand a word they say in the echoey tunnels.

I'll give this ten more minutes before I do something I almost never do: turn it off in the middle, rather than sit through any more of this.

Underground" (2023) emerges as a film with potential that unfortunately falls short in execution. The narrative centers around characters who, despite the high stakes of their underground world, often react with a lack of common sense. This choice in character development leads to a disconnection between the audience and the protagonists, as their decisions come across as implausibly naive rather than compelling or relatable.

The storyline itself meanders through a labyrinth of clichés and underdeveloped plot points, leaving viewers with more questions than answers. Rather than building suspense or intrigue, the scenario often feels contrived, missing the mark on delivering a coherent and engaging narrative.

Moreover, the casting choices raise concerns not about the talents of the actors themselves but about how well they fit their roles. The film struggles with authenticity, partly due to character appearances that seem out of sync with the gritty, raw setting one might expect from a movie titled "Underground." It's a reminder that casting is as much about believability and fit as it is about acting skill.

Visually, the film doesn't manage to compensate for its narrative and character shortcomings. The aesthetic and production design, which could have been the movie's saving grace, don't quite capture the essence or the urgency of the underground world it aims to portray.

In conclusion, "Underground" (2023) could have been a riveting exploration of its namesake's depths. Instead, it serves as a case study in missed opportunities, from its underwhelming character arcs and storyline to casting and visual execution. The film had the potential to offer a compelling dive into an intriguing world but ultimately leaves the audience wishing for more substance and coherence.

This review focuses on the aspects you found lacking while maintaining respect for the work and effort put into the film's production.

This movie was an emotional rollercoaster and did not disappoint.

A lot of reviews are saying that this movie is boring and poorly made, however, if you actually WATCH THE WHOLE MOVIE, you will see that everything comes together and is worth the watch. The acting is impressive: the actresses emotions are so raw and authentic that you almost doubt if they're even acting. The ending had me sobbing and I was so glad I didn't turn it off early. The beginning is kind of a slow burn, but the intensity picks up after some context is provided. I really felt for the characters and what they were going through, even though I cannot imagine being in such a horrific position. Going into it, I had low expectations, but that just made the watch more satisfying.