Beneath the Darkness

Name: Beneath the Darkness
Genre: Thriller
Released: January 6, 2012
Duration: 96 min
Rating: 22

2012

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Ratings

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4.5

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4.5	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Ratings

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Beneath The Darkness

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Movie Details & Credits

Image Entertainment | Release Date: January 6, 2012 | R

Summary: The terrifying secrets of a small town hero are exposed when a teenaged prank turns deadly. Ely Vaughn is a pillar of the community in tiny Smithville, Texas. The town’s mortician, Ely has been revered since his days as the high school’s star quarterback. But since the tragic death of his wife two years earlier, Ely has withdrawn from hisThe terrifying secrets of a small town hero are exposed when a teenaged prank turns deadly. Ely Vaughn is a pillar of the community in tiny Smithville, Texas. The town’s mortician, Ely has been revered since his days as the high school’s star quarterback. But since the tragic death of his wife two years earlier, Ely has withdrawn from his neighbors, while local teens spread stories of supernatural goings on at Ely’s mansion—which is also the funeral home. When high school friends Travis, Abby, Brian and Danny decide to check out the rumors, they are shocked to see the supposedly grieving widower dancing with a mysterious woman behind the curtains of his bedroom window. Their curiosity aroused, the four teens wait for Ely to leave the house before breaking in to investigate. But instead of finding clues to the woman’s identity, they stumble on a grotesque, long-hidden secret. Before they can flee the scene, Ely returns and surprises them in the act. Travis watches in horror as the supposedly upstanding citizen brutally murders Danny and later convinces the police it was an accident. (Image Entertainment)… Expand

Director: Martin Guigui

Genre(s): Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 96 min

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Critic Reviews

Marc Savlov

Jan 5, 2012

Beneath the Darkness has nada on Don Coscarelli's epic "Phantasm" saga or, for that matter, Norman Bates' clear-eyed if psychotic shenanigans. It's strictly a guilty pleasure. Read full review

John DeFore

Jan 6, 2012

A teens-in-trouble thriller with barely enough momentum to make it to the end credits. Performances and script are made-for-cable grade. Read full review

Mark Olsen

Jan 6, 2012

Yet that deeply strange and agitated performance by Quaid is the only thing that makes the film remotely bearable. Read full review

Andrew Schenker

Jan 1, 2012

Overly expository dialogue abounds throughout Martin Guigui's movie, as do questionable filmmaking choices and plenty of stupidly unconvincing actions taken on the part of the film's characters. Read full review

Rex Reed

Jan 10, 2012

You anticipate every scene before it happens and figure out every secret before it's revealed. Read full review

Lou Lumenick

Jan 6, 2012

It's sad to see Quaid in sloppily directed (by Martin Guigui) dreck like Beneath the Darkness less than a decade after the performance of his career as a closeted married man in "Far From Heaven.'' Read full review

Tim Grierson

Jan 3, 2012

Unfortunately for Quaid, director Martin Guigui's pathetic thriller doesn't even have the pulse-pounding excitement of a second-tier Scooby-Doo mystery. Read full review

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User Reviews

Tss5078

Oct 6, 2013

It is great to finally see Dennis Quaid play a character with personality again! Lately, it seems like he plays the same scarred, emotionless character, over and over again. It's hard to remember that it's his charisma that made him a star and you can really see it in Beneath The Darkness.It is great to finally see Dennis Quaid play a character with personality again! Lately, it seems like he plays the same scarred, emotionless character, over and over again. It's hard to remember that it's his charisma that made him a star and you can really see it in Beneath The Darkness. Dennis Quaid plays Vaughn Ely, a mortician who is bat crazy. To the town, Ely is this great guy who gives back to the community, but only one person can see him for what he really is. Travis (Tony Oller) is a local teenager who works odd jobs for Ely and has always had suspicions about the man, but never did anything about it. One night, the subject comes up while with his friends and they decide to bust into Ely's home to find out what he's really hiding. The story starts out very slowly and I wasn't expecting it to get any better, but it really does. I already mentioned how good Quaid is, but the star of this film is Tony Oller. I've heard him sing, but I've never seen him act, and to say I was impressed is an understatement. Between Quaid's outlandish behavior and Oller's teenage angst, I didn't need much of a story to follow in order to be entertained. Beneath The Darkness is strange and not everyone is going to like it, but it's one of these films that you keep watching, because you want to know what's going to happen. What happens is that it actually turns into a pretty entertaining and respectable film, that features a star in the making.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

moviegrabbag

Apr 14, 2012

You want to talk about a movie that doesn't take much thought. Within the first ten minutes of the movie it is clear exactly where this is going and what is going to happen. This movie just isn't worth the time to watch it unless you like to sit and make fun of movies. If you like to makeYou want to talk about a movie that doesn't take much thought. Within the first ten minutes of the movie it is clear exactly where this is going and what is going to happen. This movie just isn't worth the time to watch it unless you like to sit and make fun of movies. If you like to make fun of movies then this movie has plenty to make fun of.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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