Review of "Subterranea" by The Headless Critic

Subterranea – 2016

Production by: Birdman Films
Distributed by: MVD Entertainment Group



A film based on the U.K. progressive rock band IQ's 1997 album of the same name. While not a movie of the horror genre, Subterranea is a mystery, suspense, drama with a horrific premise. A man simply known as the Captive has spent his entire life in a dark cell. When he’s released into the society for the first time, he must take in everything around him and learn to adapt to survive. Being thrown into a world as frightening as ours would make a dark cell where everything makes sense look appealing. Long before you get deep enough to be frightened by issues like politics, bombs and world hunger, the simplicity of the fast paced world we live in, human interaction, cars, skyscrapers and electronics is enough to overwhelm anyone. Subterranea takes a simplistic approach to a man who’s new to society as a more complicated subplot unfolds.

This low budget, kickstarter funded film is quiet amazing for a $30k movie. It’s professionally shot, with decent acting, cinematography and score. The movie is slow paced and story based but with such a low budget, that’s how it should have been done. Bug Hall (Little Rascals) shows he isn’t just a child actor providing the best performance in the film. Barely recognizable as a bearded adult, he plays our lost male lead in his bewildered role as the Captive. A great name (or lack thereof) for a character. The premise of the movie is a bit out there. It’s similar but more realistic to the movie Old Dog. The Captive’s low key involvement in the real world seemed a bit unrealistic, but is still plausible and it worked for the budget.

I can’t recommend this for a horror movie. What they accomplished for the budget is very impressive. Any wannabe filmmaker out there may learn something from watching this film. It is still a very low budget movie. That doesn’t show in visuals, sound or acting but was limiting in the overall story.

2 out of 5 Headless Critics