Under the Bed is a 2012 Canadian-American horror film directed by Steven C. Miller (Automaton Transfusion; Scream of the Banshee; Silent Night) from a screenplay by Eric Stolze (Late Phases). Also known as Scary: Under the Bed
The movie stars Jonny Weston (John Dies at the End), Gattlin Griffith, Peter Holden (Child of Darkness, Child of Light; Alien Abduction), Musetta Vander (Monster Night; Transylmania; Mansquito), Kelcie Stranahan, Bryan Rasmussen, Nikki Griffin, Tyler Steelman and Sam Kindseth.
Plot:
Neal has been living with his aunt following the death of his mother, and it is implied that he attempted to burn their house down. He has just returned to live with his father and new stepmother Angela, and younger brother Paulie; although everyone seems to welcome him back, his father is very hostile, and the neighbourhood kids believe that Neal is crazy.
Neal speaks to Paulie about the true cause of their mother’s death, revealed to be a monster that lives under their bed and is only repelled by light. The monster has begun to torment Paulie as it did to Neal, and the brothers must formulate a plan to destroy it once and for all…
Reviews:
“The climax is fast-paced gory fun but it doesn’t really fit with the measured, atmospheric setup that got us there. Either the low-key cerebral approach could have been followed through to the end or some of the crazier fantasy elements could have been introduced earlier. As it stands, Miller wants to have his immaculate cake and eat it as messily as possible. It’s a worthwhile thought but the execution doesn’t quite hold up.” DVD Talk
“The filmmakers call the film a “suburban nightmare” and that is a succinctly accurate description. Unfortunately, it’s a little too heavy on the “suburban” without enough “nightmare” until it is almost too late. The beginning two-thirds plays entirely too close to Saturday afternoon movie-of-week fare … Thankfully, Jonny Weston and Gattlin Griffith as the two leads are extraordinary and make for realistic, believable siblings.” HNN
“With some more care at the script stage, this could have been an instant classic. As it stands, though, Under the Bed is just too loosely put together to be truly great; and the tonal (and content) shift will likely leave many scratching their heads — but monster movie aficionados, especially those who grew up with the kind of fare which Miller’s film idolises, will eat it up.” Dread Central
“Under the Bed isn’t effective enough for any kind of hidden greatness, but it works well enough to be a surprise. Its greatest asset is a fun and interesting sibling team, exasperated by a refreshing lack of angst. But there’s a lot of goofiness to get over, as well as a firm DTV aura the film never quite overcomes.” Birth. Movies. Death.
“The more the movie progresses, the more the demons are revealed. At first, they seem sort of cheesy and could have been done better, but once they begin to truly attack, an entertaining finale ensues with brief, yet unexpected, gore from a movie that you thought was going to be based on scares alone.” Horror-Movies.ca
YouTube reviews:
Trailer:
Cast and characters:
Jonny Weston … Neal Hausman
Gattlin Griffith … Paulie Hausman
Peter Holden … Terry Hausman
Musetta Vander … Angela Hausman
Kelcie Stranahan … Cara Evans
Bryan Rasmussen … Mr Evans
Nikki Griffin … Maggie
Tyler Steelman … Richard Evans
Sam Kindseth … Robert Evans
Ivan Djurovic … The Creature
Ron Roggé … Principal Sanders
Garrett Jones … Garrett
Walter Miranda … Walter
Griff Kohout … Jim
Kris Holmes … Neighbour
