Six best friends hit the lake to party, get drunk, and have lots of sex.
What's fishy about that? Nothing. What's fishy about a mysterious sea monster that terrorizes those six best friends? Nothing. It's an American movie made on American soil about relevant American issues. God bless it.
In all seriousness, what's really fishy are the relationships of those six best friends. That's what makes Beneath, the new teen horror flick, enjoyable to watch.
Yes, there's a fish-thingy out there with a great white overbite that wants to rip them down one by one, but that's just the surface level drama. That's why it's easy to dismiss it as just another horror B-movie or Jaws for kids. Beneath is about looking deeper. Not into the water but into the souls of those you call friends.
The scenes of suspense, though done effectively, will shock and scare those who are less desensitized to horror. What shocked me the most was the stance that these characters take on each other when certain lives are on the line. Griffin Newman's character (Zeke) shines in a scene that illustrates this. He probably gives the best performance in the whole film.
Since the movie is small and contained, its problems are also small and contained. Questions may arise on the relevance and actions of certain characters. It may bring some confusion into the plot or mission of the movie. Beyond that and some weak acting, the rest is mostly clear.
If you think some character introspection means this movie has profound statements on the state of friendships today, think again. It's a teen horror soap-fest at heart. Mmm-mmm. Fishy!
