Photo by Thibault Penin on Unsplash
Sci-Fi thriller “What Lies Below” tanking views or staying afloat?
By Dakota Hornak, Staff Writer
Spoilers below:
Released in late 2020, “What Lies Below” attempts to hook viewers in with the story of 16-year-old Libby coming back from science camp and meeting her overbearing mother’s newest boyfriend. Though all seems well at the start of the film, it quickly turns sour as the audience begins to learn that John may not be what Libby and her mom expected.
As the movie continues, Libby spends more time with John and his behavior gets weirder by the minute. One of the creepiest scenes is when the pair are on the lake at their house as John collects fish for experiments for his job. While they are there, Libby starts her period and John instantly reaches for her crotch. He excuses it, and it seems to go ignored, until he is outside of her shower smelling the blood on her clothes.
This film is best described as a sci-fi thriller with odd twists and turns that, in the beginning, seem promising. As the film continues, however, the plotline begins to fall apart. By the end of the film, it’s revealed that John is an aquatic creature attempting to make versions of himself that can survive in both salt and freshwater.
How exactly did the movie get there? I honestly couldn’t tell you.
The start of the movie is well written and structured, and introduces the characters and hints at John’s identity in an engaging yet clear way. After the first third of the film, “What Lies Below” starts to add in details and scenes that seem to be there just to promote an uneasy feeling. Although these scenes are thrilling and well done, they feel meaningless to the storyline and muddy up any clarity the audience has on such a confusing concept.
Despite the confusing plot, which inhibits the ability to understand much of anything that happens in the ending, there are a few upsides to the film that may make it worth a watch. To start, the effects are well done, especially in scenes meant to show John’s creature form peeking through.
Along with this, the lighting and cinematography make up for a lot of what is lacking in the story. Each set design and lighting color choice elevated the emotions of the scene. The lab where most of the ending plays out is also an amazing set for the audience to admire. General imagery of the film also includes a lot of nature shots that add to the tone the writers are trying to convey. For example, in the scene where Libby is unsure of John, and she gets bitten by a bug, the nature around them is closed in and compacted. This adds to a suspenseful feeling for the viewers because of the visual impact the barren background gives.
Though this film can be hard to follow, and may not be the most well written film of 2020, some of the visual and production aspects may make “What Lies Below” a fun movie to watch and review yourself. Especially for fiction and thriller fans, it may be worth it to see if this film is a catch or a sinker for you.
