Man Underground

Man Underground caught my eye from the synopsis in the FrightFest movie guide. After much gore and nonsense for several days, I was after a film that would really engage me and bring me on board with true empathy for the characters.

Man Underground was the film I'd hoped it would be.

Our main character, Willem, is a paranoid ex-government employee who, we are led to believe, has some inside knowledge on highly classified projects, which he is eager to expose to the public. Not an easy guy to be around, two people have faith in him enough to help him tell an account of his life in order to do just that.

Unlike most alien conspiracy movies, Man Underground does not rush to throw the standard Area 51 dummies at you or shove tubes where they don't belong. Instead we have a great script which teeters on the edge of science fiction but at its core concerns itself with friendship, trust, loyalty and aspiration which always make for good viewing if told correctly.

This was one of few films I saw at the festival to really bring depth to its characters, have some fantastic acting performances throughout and finish the story perfectly.

I look forward eagerly to future projects from the directorial duo behind this one.

Fantasia 2016: 'MAN UNDERGROUND': Four Stars (Out of Five)

Another entry in this year's 'Fantasia International Film Festival', is this indie comedy-drama flick; written, produced and directed by first time feature filmmakers Michael Borowiec and Sam Marine. It's about an awkward conspiracy theorist, that enlists his friend, and a waitress he just met, to help him make a movie about his past encounters with aliens; while he was working for the government. The film stars George Basil, Pamela Fila, Andy Rocco and Felix Hagen. For a low-budget indie flick, that I had previously never heard of, the film is quite a treat!

Willem Koda (Basil) is a retired geologist, that lives in a small New York town. He's constantly trying to spread his stories, about alien encounters while working for the US government, to as large an audience as he can find. His friend, Todd (Rocco), helps him post YouTube videos, about his experiences. Todd also suggests that Willem make a movie, telling viewers his life story. After Willem meets Flossie (Fila), a new waitress at the local restaurant that he frequently dines at, he feels inspired to make the film. Flossie has always wanted to be an actress, and Todd is talented with video producing skills. The three decide to make the low-budget film together.

The movie is awkward, funny and emotionally involving. The three lead characters are all very lovable misfits, that are both likable and relatable. The actors portraying them all give decent performances as well (Felix Hagen is really good too, as Flossie's jerk boyfriend). The flick is definitely a slow-paced character study, and you're never really sure of where it might be going; but it's always fascinating, and oddly involving as well. The filmmakers definitely show off some talent here, with very little money.

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A reclusive conspiracy theorist (George Basil) enlists people from his small town to help him make a low-budget movie about his experience encountering aliens while working as a geologist for the federal government.

Let's cut to the chase: "Man Underground", which premiered July 22 at the Fantasia Film Festival, is among the best films screening in Montreal this year. Whether you think it is top three or top ten will vary on personal preference, but there is no doubt that everyone who attends the screening will be very happy that they did. This is the sort of film that encompasses the full range from humorous to sad to terrifying, and never feels forced.

None of the cast or crew involved are what you might call big names. Based on their combined credits, this film seems to have had its genesis in a group of people who were working for CollegeHumor. Interestingly, this is not really a comedy, but rather more a tragedy with morsels of horror and science fiction. Even more interesting, perhaps, is that for both writer-directors (Michael Borowiec and Sam Marine), this is their first feature length film. If they continue making features, we should be looking forward to years of great movies in the future.

The three main actors (George Basil, Pamela Fila and Andy Rocco) work great together and their characters provide an incredible balance, making the three of them equal parts to a greater whole. As much as Willem (Basil) is serious, he is counteracted by Todd (Rocco)'s humor and Flossie (Fila)'s sweetness and caring. The fourth character that stood out was Shack, played by Alex Watt. Shack has a great interaction with Willem, and it is within their exchanges that we appreciate how intelligent Willem is. Shack believes in conspiracy theories and aliens, but he believes them out of ignorance. Willem, on the other hand, is not a conspiracy nut – he isn't raving about moon hoaxes or the JFK assassination – but is only trying to present what he personally knows to be the truth to a world that is teeming with skeptics.

One has to appreciate the development of Willem as brilliant and sympathetic, though rough around the edges. He is abrasive and can be a jerk, but we understand why Todd and Flossie are still drawn to him. Viewers are left to wonder if he's crazy, especially if the viewer is a skeptic, but we are given enough reason to think his story just might be true. We know at least some of it is verifiable, and this doubt makes Willem's ultimate fate all the more mysterious for the viewer. (Obviously I can't reveal such a spoiler here!)

"Man Underground" is such a richly-constructed film. The premise sounds silly (friends making a home movie), but don't be discouraged by that. This is not some cheesy found footage horror flick. Heck, it is barely even a science fiction film. This is a really meat-and-potatoes friendship story revolving around three disparate but equally interesting main characters. If you didn't get the chance to see the film at Fantasia, keep your eyes out for it… if the film doesn't get a wide theatrical release, that means somebody dropped the ball.