Underneath

UNDERNEATH Trailer from mike lenzini on Vimeo.

FILM INFO:
On a seemingly average morning Eric Linton awakens to a plea from his wife to sign the divorce papers and allow her to move on with her life.

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Underneath

Underneath
( 2015 )
Written by: Mike Lenzini | Directed By: Mike Lenzini | Genre: Thriller | Length: 78 minutes.

You know what? This was a really good film. I'm finding more and more that with independent, low budget productions, you get one of two things. A really good one. Or a pretty bad one. That middle ground is slowly vanishing, as the quality level of indie film continues to be pushed higher and higher by the viewer. A few short years ago, I would have rated "Underneath" as a five. No question. Times are a-changing however. Today quality standards are going up and up. Not that four out of five is bad in any way. It's still exceptional for a lower budget film. I'm simply stating that my expectations continue to rise. On the flip side, a film I would have scored a two and a half stars a few years ago... would now get a one and a half. "Underneath" by writer, director Mike Lenzini, starts off horrifying enough. A home invasion. Maybe not the scariest thing to "see" now days, since we see it so often in film and on television; but the reality is so much different. Anyone who has ever been in a situation like this will tell you... the fear... is nothing you could understand unless you've lived it. Mike Lenzini seems to know this - and at it's heart, "Underneath" plays on these fears we all know exist. Plays on the fact we all know that "living" something is different than hearing about it on the news. It plays on our ideals. Both the good and bad. People can change. People never change. Once a crook, always a crook. In the film, our protagonist Eric stands in his living room - with a gun pointed at his head. His training, as a cop, is in full effect as he attempts to remain calm. Eric is no normal cop however, not your everyday victim and definitely not mentally stable, due to circumstances in his past. In a quick turn of events, the victim becomes the captor and that's when "Underneath" truly kicks into gear. We slowly learn that the "crook" in the film is clearly not the only one unbalanced. Mixing what I can only call bits of PTSD, and an extended, old school mental breakdown, we learn that even the people we are trained since childhood to trust, can quickly become just as damaged as the worst society has to offer. This is a film about coping, the possibility of redemption, and what happens if neither factor into the end result of a persons personality. Some scary shit awaits the viewer here. Maybe not in the "shocking horror" style of things, rather in the way this film plays on the "what-if" scenario.
Technically, this was another impressive micro movie, feeling much larger than I'm sure it actually was. Equally impressive is that this film has very few physical locations, and even fewer cast members, yet still manages to feel like such a large movie. The camera work felt spot on. Showcased by a slick video edit that captured the tense feel the film presents with. "Underneath" is clearly not an action flick, so the post production process was an important element, that they had to get right. Creating a tense film was the only way to go, and this was accomplished in spades.
As for the acting itself... I really have nothing bad to write. Blake Farris and Mark D. Matthews perform excellently as our two leads. Bouncing off one and other felt natural. Although in the third act some of the performances felt a little over dramatic. These instances were minimal however, and never to the point of feeling corny. Truth be told, keeping a feature film interesting with only two main characters is tough. Not something any Joe-Shmo can pull off without some true talent. Perhaps their best trick is to make us, the viewers, feel some empathy for both characters... and maybe even expect an outcome different than the one presented.
When the credits began to roll I had a few conflicting emotions. Without going into details, in my humble opinion, both of these conflicts of the mind were valid. At some point in the film I had hoped... maybe even expected things to turn out differently than where the film was taking me. Maybe some dramatic realization just before the end... that didn't occur. "Underneath" is scary because it shows the true nature of hurt... and what that hurt can do to a person. Any person. From an entertainment stand point, Mike Lenzini and his cast and crew manage to deliver a tense, entertaining movie. Just as promised on the tin. Not much else to write beyond what has already been written. Great job! A rock solid four out of five stars.