Douglas Schulze’s The Dark Below set to premiere at Fantasia

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

One of the most intriguing films to be making its debut at the upcoming Fantasia International Film Festival is the experimental thriller THE DARK BELOW, which is

set mostly beneath a frozen lake as a diver tries to stay alive while a killer lurks above.

Beyond the fact that the movie was shot on an actual frozen lake in subzero temperatures, what makes THE DARK BELOW especially interesting is that the story plays out with close to no dialogue. Apparently there are only three lines spoken during the entire running time. Other than that, it's a wordless struggle for survival.

Directed by Douglas Schulze (MIMESIS) from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan D'Ambrosio, the film stars Lauren Mae Shafer, David G.B. Brown, and Veronica Cartwright.

The Fantasia festival will be held in Montreal from July 14 to August 4, and while I won't be attending myself, THE DARK BELOW has definitely captured my attention. I'll be following what happens with this one so I can give it a viewing at the first opportunity.

Lauren Mae Shafer