The Woman Under the Stage is a psychological drama that pulls you further in as the story unfolds. I genuinely got more interested as it progressed.
What didn't work for me were the horror sequences. There is a proper setup into these nightmares with a cup, but something about the escalation and the environment lost me. These sequences look fantastic and they do ramp up in intensity with some great visuals. But, I found a hook missing or something to land that connection.
What does work is the drama. There are truly incredible performances, especially by the leads Jessica Willis and Matthew Tompkins. And a tender scene between Willis and Ashley Spicer clutches on miscommunication that lands the kind of dramatic comedy I eat up.
Next to the performances and overall horror in show business theme, its greatest strength is the cinematography. This movie looks unbelievable for it's small budget. This is about a play and it's lit and shot with all the drama you could envision.
This is one of the best films to come out of the North Texas film scene in recent years.