Superterranean

Good story, well made. Nice landscapes. The acting is a little stilted in pacing sometimes and it's a bit of a talk fest but for good reasons in the story.

The story, the history, the landscape and use of the cultural aspects was impressive. There's some blood and special effects but nothing too disturbing.

But what was really impressive was that it was written, shot, directed, produced and starred all just one guy. His brother helped out but this is pretty much a shining example of solo film making, Just like the main character going solo climbing.

I've a sneaking suspicion this was a covid project not that it matters.

I went into this film expecting the usual "3* maximum" rubbish that Amazon & Netflix keep pumping out, but I was very pleasantly surprised!

It's DEFINITELY a slow burn, which can at times feel a bit too drawn out, but ultimately the pacing seems to reflect the protagonist's predicament- he's trapped in a bothy, in reality it wouldn't be overly exciting!

The bulk of the film is carried by one character's storytelling. The narrative comes across to me as a proud celebration of Scottish heritage and social culture (bothy culture in particular) through history. It feels companionable but is tinged with unease, which builds towards the end.

The acting can be a little stilted at times (too long pauses, slightly stumbling over a line, lacking urgency or confusion in scenes where it would be needed...) but overall it feels believable for a stoic character.

The gore effects are pretty bad I'm afraid, it looks like bubble gum was used to stand in for flesh! But it's not a big deal as it only plays a very small part in the film.

There are some distracting details, such as the protagonist's fly being weirdly open in the first few scenes, a knife coming clean out of a bloody wound, occasionally wobbly camerawork and one of the main cameras in particular seemingly having a very dusty lense. However, there are also some really beautiful, atmospheric shots which highlight the wildness of the setting, the vastness of nature and vulnerability of the protagonist.

The ending is on the predictable side but still managed to throw in a twist that took me by surprise (normally I'm pretty good at figuring them out!)

I don't want to spoil anything but will say that one of the final scenes is pretty horrific! Definitely one of the most obviously "horror" aspects of the film.

It's left open to interpretation, which I would normally call lazy storytelling (it's so overused) but in this case it works really well, there are plenty of threads in the plot for you to follow to your own conclusion and it keeps you thinking about the film after it has ended.

One thing I wish had been delved into more was WHY did things happen the way they did - no particular reasoning seemed to be given from what I could tell so I was left feeling a bit confused on that front.

I have a sort of system when it comes to assigning stars to a film. All films, in my view, start with five stars. If I find it vaguely entertaining I might add a star. If it's quite enjoyable it might go to seven stars. Likewise, if a film is not so good the rating may go down to four or three. The truly awful get two or even one. For me, five stars equals "meh".

Superterranean has it's good points. The bleak Scottish landscape is beautiful but unsettling to look at and is well shot and the fact that this is all done by one man is impressive. However it's all kind of dull and not a lot really happens. There's some stuff about Cairns and faeries and cabin fever, I can't really remember. I doubt I'll remember anything at all about it by tomorrow.

Not bad enough to turn off but not good enough to be entertaining. Can I recommend it? Maybe, if you like rocks you'll get a real kick out it.

So many Hollywood / large budget films leave me checking my watch within half an hour, but I was completely captivated and invested in this film throughout. The cinematography is extraordinary given the resource limitations and despite some criticisms from others, I thought that the dialogue was clever and very tight with no words wasted whatsoever. Ian Gordon is clearly a man of many talents and I will keep an eye out for future works from him. Personally, I like a few more ambiguous things to be tied up at the end of a film, so am not awarding 10 for that reason, but can find few criticisms beyond that.

*If you don't enjoy thought provoking films - don't watch*.

The Cairngorm scenery is fantastic, the filming atmospheric and the story very dark. I'd really like to spend the night in a bothy and discuss this film over some drams!! Remarkable to think Ian Gordon produced and starred in this alone (with a wee bit of help I believe) most definitely deserves the awards it received. This kept me guessing until the very end - which is so refreshing nowadays.

Some of the reviewers on here have completely failed to understand this film. I'm so glad I ignored their comments.

I highly recommend. Watch in a dark room with no interruption Enjoy!