In 2017, during FrightFest’s annual Halloween event, Mathieu Turi made his feature debut with Hostile. The film was an elegant musing on grief, love, and loss, set within the structure of a post apocalypse society. Since then, Turi has remained in the world of genre cinema, and his latest entry, The Deep Dark, has just screened at FrightFest Glasgow.
Set in the year 1956, the plot finds a group of men trapped underground after a landslide. Because that simply would not be enough horror for the characters to contend with, Turi adds in a monstrous and ancient presence that begins hunting those that survived the collapse. The Deep Dark has an easy premise that helps to hook in the audience very quickly. A prologue set 100 years before in 1856 whets the audience’s appetite, giving the briefest of glimpses at the horror lurking down below. The problem however, is that after this initial flurry of action, the pace reverts to become very slow and steady. In fact, it takes a significant chunk of time for the characters to venture underground, and longer still before they become trapped. This follows a similar pattern to Turi’s Hostile, but doesn’t quite pull it off as effectively.
Prior to going on their subterranean mission, the band of men are introduced. Time is spent building up lead character Amir (Amir El Kacem), a new recruit for the tunnel exploration, hired only for his ability to translate for the fancy professor who is bankrolling the job. His novice skills of mining make Amir the perfect entry point into the story for the viewer as they happily tag alongside him to decipher the strange world. Frustratingly, there is little information about the rest of the men, and once covered in dust and blood, it can be hard to work out exactly who everyone is. This though doesn’t matter for long as the body count soon begins to skyrocket.
Whilst exploring, some of the men discover a crypt and, in classic horror movie fashion, open it without first reading the warning etched into it. Their careless behaviour has far-reaching consequences and it is at this point that The Deep Dark shifts from slow drama to frantic b-movie gorefest. The creature, played by Carl Laforêt, is the MVP of The Deep Dark. Its aggression is brutally ferocious and paves the way for a slew of blood-filled and gruesome murders. Men are ripped limb from limb with the red stuff raining down, making The Deep Dark a must see for gore fans.
The Deep Dark is also a film made for those who appreciate practical effects. Given the budget constraints, Turi has worked hard to find the right team of people to bring his vision to life and the result is absolutely nightmarish. The creature borrows from several existing genre properties, namely H.R Giger, Alien Resurrection’s Newborn, and Pumpkinhead, but still manages to be its own fearsome beast. The imposing figure has six arms (all the better for limbs ripping), bat wings, and a heavily armoured exoskeleton, making it near indestructible. And, it has all been achieved practically. That there really is a creature on screen, and not just pixels, adds depth and pushes the audience that little bit closer to the characters. One sequence involving a horse is next level insanity; kudos to the creative team for pulling that off.
When thrown next to such an incredible monster, plot details get a little hazy, but Turi still makes commentary about the class and educational divide. The professor is pig-headed and posh, whereas Amir is poor but pragmatic. The creature does detract from some of the quieter moments, with audiences hungry to see the beast again, but there is enough flesh to keep the story moving forward. Overall, The Deep Dark shows that Turi is keen to develop his range and whilst it doesn’t quite match the emotional clout of Hostile, it still remains a thoroughly fun ride.
The Deep Dark
Summary
The Deep Dark is a must-watch for fans of practical effects and nightmarish monsters as the creature is a stunningly realised bloodthirsty beast.
The Deep Dark was reviewed at FrightFest Glasgow 2024.
