Fear is one of the most common traits amongst humans. Whether it be murderers lurking at every dark corner, a doctor pulling down his mask to reveal clown makeup or simply reaching for the toilet paper only to discover it’s all gone, we all have fears. In our younger years, one of the fears shared the most is the belief that some terrible thing is residing under the bed, just waiting for its chance to snatch a leg that’s swinging too close to the floor and pull us down into its dark abyss for eternity. The fact that director Stephen C. Miller’s Under The Bed would be tapping into that childhood fear had me very intrigued. Unfortunately, it ended up being the proverbial empty roll.
Under The Bed centers on Neal Hausman (Johnny Weston), his little brother Paulie (Gattlin Griffith) and the fact that they both believe there is a creature living under their beds waiting to maim and dismember them as soon as possible. The film opens with Neal’s return to the family home after something terrible and traumatic happened years before, something that was Neal’s fault, causing him to go live with relatives for a bit. It’s kind of hinted at that whatever happened was not only Neal’s fault, but may have also been the cause of his mom’s demise. Yikes.
Neal’s return home is about as awkward as any teen could hope for, complete with a welcome home surprise party filled with seeming strangers who either thinks he’s mentally deranged or dangerous; most likely both. Add in a disheveled father (Peter Holden) that only operates by screaming at anyone that crosses his line of sight and a new stepmother (Musetta Vander) that’s trying her best to keep the peace and be a mom to the two brothers, much to their chagrin, and you’ve got a recipe for chest-tightening success. Oh wait, there’s that murderous bed monster, too.
Most of the film, despite some lackluster performances from the cast, manages to be tense and, at times, moderately entertaining. Director Miller has what seems to be a great sense of atmosphere and the ability to build dread. It’s not until the final act when Under The Bed goes off the rails, changing instantly from a stark and slightly haunting atmosphere to a visceral bloodbath, which sadly isn’t as awesome as it sounds. The jarring switch to full on gore (most notably a scene that recalls a particularly grisly death in the first Hatchet film) strikes a tonal change that doesn’t match up with what has preceded it in any way. It honestly feels like someone else came in and tacked on their own final act. This leads to a revelation and resolution that are nothing but groan-worthy and even further betray the film and the audience.
High Def Presentation
While the film itself is ultimately a bit lackluster, it’s visual presentation is quite nice. Under The Bed was shot digitally and the disc’s MPEG-4 AVC encode showcases it well. Clear picture and fine detail are present throughout. Blacks are deep and natural. Most of the film is awash in a bluish tint which lends itself to a darker color palette but still manages to pop here and there. A strong transfer, for sure.
Equally as impressive is the audio side of things. Featuring a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track, Under The Bed has quite the impressive soundscape. Surrounds fill with all sorts of creepy sounds and ambient noise which really adds to the tension of many of the film’s scenes. Dialogue is always clear and centered and the score tends to shine throughout.
Beyond The Feature
Under The Bed comes to Blu-ray with one single extra; the film’s trailer (HD, 2 min). That’s it. Despite my feelings on the film, I would have loved to hear what inspired the creatives to tell this tale. It’s a shame.
All in all, Under the Bed isn’t completely terrible. The first two-thirds manage to be moderately compelling and would honestly be quite strong with some better actors handling the material. Between the go nowhere subplots, the jarring tonal change of the last act and eye-rolling resolution leaves the viewer questioning why they took the journey in the first place. For the tech heads, the Blu-ray offers very solid PQ and AQ presentations but then adds on one sole trailer as a special feature. A rental at best.
Shop for Under The Bed on Blu-ray for a discounted price at Amazon.com (July 30, 2013 release date).
