Reviewed by Jesse Miller, MoreHorror.com
Shape-shifting entities hiding under the bed clamouring for your flesh and soul have been the stuff of nightmares for kids all around the world for years now and it makes me curious that there hasn’t been that many boogeyman-type flicks out there, other than the Boogeyman series itself and a few films from the 80’s, that explore the mind-numbing fear from your childhood.
Under the Bed wanted to capture that exact mind-numbing fear and mix it with psychological horror, as it’s story sees tormented teen Neal (Jonny Weston) return home after spending two years away in Florida with his Aunt as he recuperates from his nervous breakdown due to his torture at the hands of the entity under the bed, the recent death of his mother and a traumatic fire.
But you see, Neal soon discovers his younger brother Paulie (Gattlin Griffith) is tormented by the exact same creature still lurking about and causing trouble and now it’s up to him to confront this horror, not only for his younger brother but for his own peace of mind.
So there are plenty of intriguing ideas at work in Under the Bed that tap into these childhood fears and it wonderfully plays with this notion of finding that strength within yourself to keep fear at bay, which is made much more effective by a strong focus on family.
The production of Under the Bed is nicely polished, showcasing some stylish cinematography that wonderfully sets the mood, a terrific moody musical score by Ryan Dodson that accentuates the horror on screen, lavish set design – the family house is big and beautiful to look at, in case you were wondering – and I was both impressed and satisfied by the gore effects – which comes in startling bucket loads – and great creature effects, which just might make you draw back at because you have no idea what to make of the startling thing you’re looking at.
The cast here are all quite solid – they might deliver a cheesy line – hey, it comes with the genre – but they all do it with a straight face and really, they play their part wonderfully and I thought they were great, specifically the chemistry and the performances of Jonny Weston and Gattlin Griffith, who play the two brothers.
Despite all this, Under the Bed’s one major flaw for me was in it’s storytelling that came off starting and feeling really strong and effective but ultimately it winded up feeling underdeveloped and underwhelming by the time the credits were rolling.
For example, the central relationships between Neal and the people around him –his brother Paulie, his father and stepmother and the adorable girl-next-door and possible love interest – all exist for great character beats and drama – and there certainly are great little character beats there throughout these interactions – but I personally would’ve liked to have seen something a little meatier established that propels these relationships throughout the horror to come with greater intensity.
Other times, I found the story to be a little incoherent and ideas that are initially developed as a springboard for the horror and drama to start the film off leave lingering questions and holes by the time the film ends.
Granted, no more holes than a Friday the 13th feature, or nearly any other horror film, but when the film takes such an effort to sketch out characters and start to explore them, I wanted to see more and learn more of the world around these people.
But throw these issues aside and you’ve got yourself a goofy little horror film with a great spirit – it’s energetic and lively, it doesn’t outstay it’s welcome and ultimately, it’s just a fun and harmless little feature that’s similar in vein to 80’s horror films like Gremlins and Poltergeist.