Review of "Below" (2002) DVD

“I’m telling you, there’s some bad hoodoo on this boat.”           

Who dropped the ball on this one? I sometimes wonder about Dimension studios. When things like “Dracula 2000” are giving a wide theatrical release and you do not see one trailer for “Below”, you've got to question their actions. This movie was tense, engrossing, and thoroughly entertaining.

“Below” is a ghost story that takes place in a real situation upon a submarine during WWII. I say real situation because much of the movie could be mistaken for a regular war movie, like U-571. But a few creepy moments are allowed to sneak up on you because you're not ready for them. You think you're watching a war epic and forget what's buried under it: a horror movie. I'm not going to compare it to “Ghost Ship” because that is unfair to both films. They both might be about haunted ships out to sea, but that's about all they have in common. I think they are both good flicks in their own right.

Third-time director David Twohy (“Pitch Black”) has impressed me again. Hopefully, his next film will get the royal treatment. None of the actors are names you automatically recognize and that's a good thing. The entire cast was excellent and you might notice “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels” alumni Jason Flemyng and Dexter Fletcher. Also doing their part to make the film believable are Bruce Greenwood, Holt McCallany, Matthew Davis, Olivia Williams, Scott Foley, and Nick Chinlund.  Much like “Pitch Black”, the cast seemed to be filled with actors who are ready to break out.

Just make sure you watch it twice because you will definitely miss some things. Don't let “Below” get swept away by accident with the rest of the straight-to-video fodder. Go rent it. In closing I would just like to say Dimension, shame on you.

The DVD looks phenomenal and features include a making-of featurette, deleted/extended scenes, a trailer gallery, and a very informative commentary track with director Twohy.