Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Underland

Play trailer 1:17 Poster for Underland Jun 2026 1h 19m Documentary Nature Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 28 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
We know so little of the world beneath our feet. To most it is a place only of fear and darkness, though to a brave few it is one of knowledge and wonder to be found nowhere else. Based on the bestselling book by Robert Macfarlane, from production companies Sandbox Films, Protozoa Pictures, Planet Octopus Studios and Spring Films, UNDERLAND is a cinematic documentary that voyages into worlds rarely glimpsed by human eyes. Beginning in the shallow soils beneath an old ash tree, we travel alongside several 'astronauts of the underworld' into ancient sacred caves, flooded storm drains, melting glaciers, underwater burial chambers and a deep underground laboratory built to solve the mysteries of the Universe. Narrated by Oscar-nominated Sandra Hüller, and with a uniquely poetic approach, UNDERLAND is a deep dive into the Earth that ultimately presents a groundbreaking vision for rethinking our lives on this fragile surface.

Critics Reviews

View More
Kimber Myers Crooked Marquee Jun 9
B
This quiet, beautiful nonfiction film isn’t quite as deep as it wants to be, but it’s still a thoughtful expedition into the dark. Go to Full Review
Manohla Dargis New York Times Jun 4
This is that rare movie that could do with a longer running time, which would, perhaps, give it greater depth. Go to Full Review
Philip De Semlyen Time Out Mar 26
3/5
The photography is spectacular. Petit and his crew have abseiled, crawled and waded through the darkness to chart the earth’s shadowy recesses. Go to Full Review
Mark Jackson Epoch Times Jun 13
4/5
Most religions identify caves as sacred interfaces between natural and supernatural, using them for meditation, ritual, burial, and spiritual enlightenment. Go to Full Review
Josh Goller Spectrum Culture Jun 11
3/5
Underland verges on too slight despite its profound contemplations, never dwelling on its subjects, instead allowing them to bubble to the surface before moving on. Go to Full Review
Christopher Campbell Nonfics (Substack) Jun 5
In addition to all that Underland makes viewers think about with its themes involving space, time, myth, mystery, memory, physical relics, and theoretical "ghosts," the film offers a magnificent visual and aural experience. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Les N @Vegas628 9h I wish I knew what they meant. See more Avindu G @RT86379654 4d A three-front mission to the place under the Earth's skin. The place where the breaths of history are archived in cold. It's where the trash from the top has slipped through cracks to rot unjudged. Underland is audibly scintillating and narrated well. Authentic with the substance and interviews, the tone of the story on all three fronts runs in parallel to one another. Passing murals through tight breaches and fleeing toxic traps, this earthly journey reminds how the ultimate force silently observes, bears the brunt but surely adapts a course that surface dwellers deserve. See more Edward S @EdSin 4d Really fascinating, gorgeous to look at, and the soundtrack creates an amazing atmosphere. See more Harris R @Harrisons_reviews 5d this was one of the most boring docufilms I have ever seen. It goes to show you how terrible directing, writing and editing can overshadow even great cinematography. It was just a convoluted mess bouncing between three different stores that were all boring and pointless, mixed in with some overly dramatic score and computer effects, then drowned out by a narrating voice that belongs at late night dating phone centers. Not sure what the critics saw, but this was all style and zero substance that felt as if I wasted 4+ hours watching it. A very generous 2/10 all towards the decent cinematography. See more Moody C @MoodyC Jun 10 I like docs because they are non fiction & so usually have more substance than fictional movies with a message but here, too much artsy fartsy visuals with boring flowery narrative & not much substance. I doubt I’ll ever go cave exploring anytime soon so I’m counting on this doc to give me an immersive experience of sights & sounds but nothing. I mean there is some footage but not much. Quite boring which is a shame because there is nothing like a fascinating doc that you can really get into while learning something in process. I learned nothing here. See more Chance Maurice N @Chance-Maurice Jun 9 Watching Underland felt like a quiet but powerful personal experience. For me, it took me beneath the surface of the Earth and, in a way, beneath my own thoughts, as I connected with the explorers discovering hidden worlds. I came away realizing that there is so much value in curiosity, patience, and respecting what we don’t fully understand, and my joyful takeaway is that life isn’t just about what we see on the surface, but about exploring deeper learning, protecting our environment, and appreciating the unseen beauty that supports everything around us. See more Read all reviews

Movie Info

Synopsis We know so little of the world beneath our feet. To most it is a place only of fear and darkness, though to a brave few it is one of knowledge and wonder to be found nowhere else. Based on the bestselling book by Robert Macfarlane, from production companies Sandbox Films, Protozoa Pictures, Planet Octopus Studios and Spring Films, UNDERLAND is a cinematic documentary that voyages into worlds rarely glimpsed by human eyes. Beginning in the shallow soils beneath an old ash tree, we travel alongside several 'astronauts of the underworld' into ancient sacred caves, flooded storm drains, melting glaciers, underwater burial chambers and a deep underground laboratory built to solve the mysteries of the Universe. Narrated by Oscar-nominated Sandra Hüller, and with a uniquely poetic approach, UNDERLAND is a deep dive into the Earth that ultimately presents a groundbreaking vision for rethinking our lives on this fragile surface.
Director
Robert Petit
Producer
Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel, Lauren Greenwood, Jessica Harrop
Screenwriter
Robert Macfarlane, Robert Petit
Distributor
Oscilloscope Laboratories
Production Co
Sandbox Films, Spring Films, Planet Octopus Studios, Protozoa Pictures
Genre
Documentary, Nature
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 4, 2026, Limited
Runtime
1h 19m