Stephen A
A Levitating Plot and Visual Feast Delivered
Under the Bed, a 2012 horror flick that promises to keep you on the edge of your seat, or at least hovering somewhere near it, delivers a rollercoaster of scares and head-scratching moments. Let's start with the elephant in the room – the story. Straight away, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but the narrative here is as solid as a house of cards in a wind tunnel. It's not just a plot hole; it's more like a plot crater with floating objects that seem to have detoured from Hogwarts. Was the writer a fan of levitating furniture, or did they positively endure a wizard of a time coming up with something remotely interesting?
And, speaking of extraordinary noise. Apparently, the entire house is throwing a clandestine rave, with walls shaking and windows rattling. It's like the rest of the family got invited to a silent disco because nobody hears a thing. Maybe they're all hard of hearing or just exceedingly polite. Who knows?
But let's not dwell on the negatives. The real hero of this horror tale is the director, who managed to turn a questionable script into a visual feast. The camera work deserves a standing ovation, with angles so captivating they could make a documentary about paint drying riveting. The lighting is on point, the panning is a symphony of motion, and close-ups are so intimate you might want to check your personal space afterwards.
When the effects burst onto the scene, they do so with the subtlety of a sledgehammer – gore-drenched and head-tearing, leaving little to the active imagination. Kudos for opting for wet work over CGI; it's like choosing a quality wine over a fruit punch – way nastier and much more satisfying.
The pacing, orchestrated by the directorial maestro, deserves a gold medal. It's a delightful blend of sprinting and strolling, hitting the right beats at the right moments. The performances rise above the murky waters of mediocrity despite the wonky characters. The shouty, quarrelsome father might be a cliché, but the actor behind the character delivers his lines with enough ardour to cause you to forget seeing this act many times before.
In conclusion, if you're in the mood for a horror flick and fortunately possess the unique ability to suspend disbelief like it's on a bungee cord, Under the Bed might be your cup of spooky tea. Sure, the storyline is as holey as Swiss cheese, but the director's considerable prowess and the gory effects generously offer a distraction juicy enough for a wet winter evening. But I'd rather wrestle with a poltergeist armed with a feather duster before revisiting this flick.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
11/17/23
Full Review
Purple F
Trash 🗑. Nothing happens in an hour of the movie. It doesn't make sense at all. Waste of time. I want that hour of my life back. They talk to low. And the fx sounds are loud. Is trash.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
08/14/23
Full Review
Elvis D
Esta película de bajo presupuesto nos narra la clásica historia del monstruo escondido debajo de la cama, que era algo a lo que muchos niños solían temerle. Es una historia simple enfocándose en 2 hermanos teniendo que enfrentarse a esta variante clásica del Boogeyman y es algo más duro para el hermano mayor que ha pasado tiempo internado viviendo con ese horror. La película es al principio un drama enfocado en estos dos hermanos mezclado con esta clásica historia de terror del monstruo debajo de la cama. De cierta manera plasma bien ese típico terror infantil, pero la película en sí es un tema distinto. Las actuaciones son regulares y vaya que el padre de los 2 hermanos es demasiado duro por ser el típico padre que piensa que todo solo está en la imaginación de los hermanos. La banda sonora es decente y la producción también. En cuanto a la criatura, no está mal el diseño. El tercer acto es lo que compensa el ritmo que tiene la película al principio, pero se pueden notar que hay agujeros de guion. Además, no se explica muy bien claro como la madre de los hermanos murió en las garras del monstruo. Ni siquiera tiene mucho sentido la forma en que derrotan a la criatura. El concepto de la película es bastante bueno por como quiso materializar ese miedo infantil a los monstruos que se esconden en la oscuridad, pero hubiera sido mucho mejor que esta película hubiese sido hecha por un estudio más profesional. Mi calificación final para esta película es un 6/10.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
06/10/23
Full Review
dave j
Executive produced, edited and directed by Steven C. Miller with a supposedly troubled teen Neal Hausman (Jonny Weston) comes back to his family after staying away for 2 years living with his grandparents. We find out later that he is the older brother who once tried to get rid of the thing that's been terrorizing both him and his younger brother, Paulie (Gattlin Griffith) "Under the Bed" hence the title and attempted to get rid of it by setting it on fire. And upon coming back his dad and his new so-called wife still do not believe him. Plays like an RL Stiine horror novel.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Just awful, poor acting.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
02/02/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I watch mostly independent horror films, because when it comes to this genre, Hollywood is just too afraid to try anything different. When you see a horror film in theaters, it seems like all you get is either a slasher film with a ton of blood, a serial killer movie with lots of gore, or a supernatural thriller with nothing but jump scares. Real horror is supposed to be scary and is supposed to be something that sticks with you, but it's rare that a film can do that anymore, and Under The Bed is no exception. I can sum up this film by simply saying it's an hour of goosebumps, ten minutes of ridiculously over the top gore, and a whole five minutes of stranger things, thrown in at the end, for an attempt at originality. Not only was this a horror movie that I would call boring, but the cast was just plain annoying and written to be beyond stupid. If not for the writers love of the F word, combined with the last fifteen minutes of the film, Under The Bed could literally have been a Goosebump. Jonny Weston stars, and the future Project Almanac star, really was the only bright spot. This was one of his first films, but he at least has a clue as to how to live in the moment and build up the intensity. Weston's character had an interesting background and even a couple of funny one-liners, aside from that, this film has absolutely nothing. For those of us who love independent films, we are always taking a risk, knowing that a lot of times we're seeing newcomers. A lot of these films are something different, new, and refreshing, but other times they reek of inexperience and are completely lacking in originality. Under The Bed is yet another example of the latter.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
02/17/23
Full Review
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