The Underneath

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The Underneath

R

Released Apr 28, 1995

1h 39m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

63%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

39%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Gambling addict Michael Chambers (Peter Gallagher) returns to Texas for the wedding of his mother and soon becomes engulfed in the wreckage of his past. He has an affair with his ex-wife, Rachel (Alison Elliott), who is now seeing thug Tommy Dundee (William Fichtner). When Dundee discovers the two lovers together, Chambers finds himself at the center of an armored car heist involving an old flame (Elisabeth Shue) and his new stepfather (Paul Dooley).

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Proceeding gracefully and without difficulty through three or four time frames at once, The Underneath alternates between an armored-car robbery carried out by the hero as an inside job and various stages in his past leading up to it.

Jun 7, 2022

Full Review

Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Pulp Fiction fresh.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 16, 2017

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: A-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Rob Lowing

The Sun-Herald (Australia)

Gallagher excels at the kind of fleshily self-deluding loser who is likable, despicable and understandable all at once.

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 17, 2024

Full Review

Mal Vincent

The Virginian-Pilot

This relatively simple narrative is hidden amid multiple flashbacks that are meant to keep the viewer guessing. They're more likely to keep them irritated.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 29, 2022

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

A solid, but unremarkable neo-noir.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 27, 2021

Full Review

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Bill T

Not a bad remake of the Charlton Heston Noir "Criss Cross", while Peter Gallagher is certainly no Heston, he does have his quirks and pangs as an actor to somewhat pull this off. This remake is somewhat faithful to the story, with a less than satisfying ending (the ending to the original is brutally raw, this one feels just a wee bit desperate in it's twists). Somewhat bizarrely casted.. Watch for Elizabeth Shue and Shelley Duvall in completely blink and you'll miss it parts.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/06/23

Full Review

Georgan G

An ok film noir but nothing that will be remembered. The acting is fine, but the plot is written so as to confuse rather than add twists. Ended as it should have with the bad guys getting screwed.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The plot is a bit silly and trashy, but as usual I had a lot of fun with Soderbergh's fuckery. The non-linearity, the split-focus diopters, the extreme colour-coding, the ten-minute segment shot entirely from the perspective of a hospital bed, it's all a lot of fun to watch. The ending is really great and really terrible at the same time, and I think I loved it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

a.l.jude p

Predictable but a good start by Soderbergh.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fantastic Film. One of Soderbergh's Best along with The Limey, Traffic and Side Effects.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A chaotic film noir that offered an unengaged and plodding dialog. 17/9/2013

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

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Steven Soderbergh

Director

Peter Gallagher

Michael Chambers

Alison Elliott

Rachel

William Fichtner

Tommy Dundee

Adam Trese

David Chambers

Joe Don Baker

Clay Hinkle

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Synopsis

Gambling addict Michael Chambers (Peter Gallagher) returns to Texas for the wedding of his mother and soon becomes engulfed in the wreckage of his past. He has an affair with his ex-wife, Rachel (Alison Elliott), who is now seeing thug Tommy Dundee (William Fichtner). When Dundee discovers the two lovers together, Chambers finds himself at the center of an armored car heist involving an old flame (Elisabeth Shue) and his new stepfather (Paul Dooley).

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Producer: John Hardy
Screenwriter: Steven Soderbergh, Don Tracy, Daniel Fuchs
Distributor: MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 28, 1995, Original
Release Date (DVD): Jan 6, 2004
Box Office (Gross USA): $386.9K
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo