Horror Movie Review: Devil Beneath (2023)

Combining Australian aboriginal mythology with modern family problems and sprinkling eco-centric touches throughout, Devil Beneath comes from writer/director Luke Sparke.

It was actually released as Red Billabong in 2016 but has since been edited down (around 20-odd minutes cut) and given a fresh score. Things that actually work in its favour as even as an hour and half, Devil Beneath has its slow moments.

Two brothers; Tristan (Tim Pocock) and Nick (Dan Ewing) have reunited at their late grandfather’s farm following the arrival of an important letter. One that needs to be discussed in person apparently. You see, after the death of their grandfather and walkout of their stepfather, Nick left for the big city and Tristan stayed to look after the farm. That has made him bitter towards Nick, especially as their grandfather had wanted them to return the land to the local aboriginals.

Now, Tristan has received a big money offer from a developer and needs Nick to agree to sell it. Something he isn’t sure is a good idea, which causes even more conflict between them. Then, along comes some of Tristan’s friends to party. A group that includes a local drug dealer and massive douche called BJ (Ben Chisholm) and Nick’s ex-girlfriend Anya (Sophie Don). All to cause even more problems but also set off a chain of events that will reveal the existence of mythical monster and the unscrupulous plans of the developer who wants the land.

Heavily focused on the drama between the brothers, the exes, and the local aboriginals, as a monster movie, Devil Beneath struggles to find its footing. Even with its trimmed down time, there’s still a lot of character stuff to wade through. Which wouldn’t be a problem if it was anything particularly interesting, and it’s not. It’s actually cliché heavy, with a lot of easy to predict beats, and some iffy acting here and there.

The two brothers have a believable dynamic and some chemistry but they speak in ways that don’t always feel very natural. Something that is made worse when the additional characters come along. The scenes with Nick and Anya are some of the worst in the entire movie and it’s so boringly predictable that they would find their spark again once their lives are put in danger.

Speaking of which, the monster in this movie is imaginative but has abilities that can be a bit confusing. The CGI isn’t always the best, but for the most part, it holds up nicely.

Near the end there are some strong action sequences that does get the heart racing nicely. The problem with it, is that it’s not the focal point of the movie for most of its runtime and when it does become it, the story starts to really feel disjointed.

The overall end result is something that neither thrills or chills. It’s not a terrible monster movie but it’s not a great one either.