A Disappointing Continuation

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

I watch mostly independent horror films, because when it comes to this genre, Hollywood is just too afraid to try anything different. When you see a horror film in theaters, it seems like all you get is either a slasher film with a ton of blood, a serial killer movie with lots of gore, or a supernatural thriller with nothing but jump scares. Real horror is supposed to be scary and is supposed to be something that sticks with you, but it's rare that a film can do that anymore, and Under The Bed is no exception. I can sum up this film by simply saying it's an hour of goosebumps, ten minutes of ridiculously over the top gore, and a whole five minutes of stranger things, thrown in at the end, for an attempt at originality. Not only was this a horror movie that I would call boring, but the cast was just plain annoying and written to be beyond stupid. If not for the writers love of the F word, combined with the last fifteen minutes of the film, Under The Bed could literally have been a Goosebump. Jonny Weston stars, and the future Project Almanac star, really was the only bright spot. This was one of his first films, but he at least has a clue as to how to live in the moment and build up the intensity. Weston's character had an interesting background and even a couple of funny one-liners, aside from that, this film has absolutely nothing. For those of us who love independent films, we are always taking a risk, knowing that a lot of times we're seeing newcomers. A lot of these films are something different, new, and refreshing, but other times they reek of inexperience and are completely lacking in originality. Under The Bed is yet another example of the latter.

It is my admiration and fascination with the horror genre that drove me to pick up "Under the Bed" and sit down to watch it, especially since I didn't know what the movie was about or who starred in it. All that I had seen was the movie cover, and it was more than enough to get my attention.It turned out that "Under the Bed" had a rather interesting and entertaining storyline. I had initially thought that given the title of the movie that it could be a cheesy horror movie, but I was glad to be proved wrong. The storyline here was rather good, and director Steven C. Miller and writer Eric Stolze had managed to put together a clever storyline and one that kept the audience in the dark - literally.The movie was actually genuinely creepy, and director Steven C. Miller did a great job in building up the suspense and the dread throughout the course of the movie. And the climax when the creature was finally revealed was actually quite satisfactory."Under the Bed" had some good acting performances, and Jonny Weston (playing Neal) and Gattlin Griffith (playing Paulie) actually carried the movie quite nicely.The creature in this movie was rather interesting, and it was of good design and concept idea. It was a creature that was somewhat frightening and pitiful at the same time. Sure, it was not a creature design that revolutionized the horror genre in any way.I found "Under the Bed" to be an entertaining movie and it was a good addition to the horror genre.

This film was alright truth be told, if you have read other reviews on IMDb then you'll see a lot of criticism towards plot holes, continuity issues and a sometimes jumbled jumping story. Two brothers who are menaced by a monster under the bed during the night and have to endure their constantly angry dad during the day. Unable to prove the monsters existence everyone doubts them as crazies until the two worlds meet. This wasn't a spectacular movie by any accounts but it was okay, you did get a sense of something lurking in the shadows constantly but you also got the feel good 'us VS the world' feel as you follow the two brothers throughout their plight. All the action came in the last half an hour of the film. The monster manages to escape and wreak havoc and boys have fight it. While the acting is a bit wooden at times (not all the time, don't get me wrong) I liked that there was no CGI in this film, just old-school effects and man in monster suit. Give it a go but expect a slow burner which feels creepy at times. It's not 100% original but does offer some nice twists to keep it from being the same old boring 'monster under the bed' story as other titles.

"Under The Bed" is Steven C. Miller's continued vision of of modern horror that is heavily influenced by classic cult genres. Not technically a throwback film, "Under The Bed" does seem to bring back a lot of the nostalgia and romanticizing that 80's young adult, creature-feature films utilized to hold an audience to the film. The story focuses on two brothers dealing with that ultimate childhood evil- the thing under the bed! Starring Jonny Weston, Gattlin Griffith, Peter Holden, Musetta Vander and one hell of a creature from the other-world, "Under The Bed" is a bit more grown up than those 80's teen PG horror films that played it a bit safer or comical. This film is a somber, macabre tale that stays well in the shadows of the mythic fear allowing for a darker film. The story plays on basic fears of growing up with uncertainty, tragedy and change that drive childhood imaginations and insecurities. The film ads the element of a supernatural evil that plagues the brothers thoughts, stalks them, and lives –according to the adults in the kids lives-totally within their own imagination. This theme flows in an almost mournful melancholic way throw the first half of the film, pushing forward mostly on the melodrama and strained emotional dynamics between the characters. Almost as if trying to play with the notion that maybe it is in the kids imagination and the true monster lies closer in more realistic fashion. The film plays out in a mostly surrealistic style which does seem to carry on a bit too long. I was begging for some real horror or action and instead received standard trickery and fake- out scares for no reason. Then the second half of this film kicks in and oh boy does it kick in hard. "Under The Bed, mid-way through- gives us the goodies with actual scares coming from the monster and an intensity to the drama the brings you out of the daze of anticipation, right in to the chills of these boys nightmare. The acting is well enough with just enough dialog and emotion coming from the characters to make them relatable but not too much so that you tire of them. As far as the "teen" actors in the film-like most movies with kids- I never really connect or connected to them other than fearing for them in the film. I haven't connected with kids in movies for a long time. Everything about them seems a mystery to me-I am just too old to relate. However these kids in this film were super actors and the story or screen never seemed to over power their abilities as actors. This film for me personally, is one of the better creature features to come out recently and the film's aesthetic quality is top notch. It maintains a eerie – not quite right – air about it through the entire film. The special effects and the monster itself were pretty awesome, and the whole little mythic element to its existence was memorable. Much like the world of Wes Craven's "They". I would have loved to hear more about that otherworld and the creature under the bed. But hey – live is abound with mystery and not all things reward with explanation. Anyway back to "Under The Bed". This film is a refreshing new modernized spin on an old childhood fear and worth watching at least once, for me personally a few more times. The gore and graphic violence, though pretty much nil until the last act, was gory and I loved it. Steven C. Miller is a true talent, offering an almost romantic love of surreal horror that ends in an epic high intensity bloodshed. That quality to today's horror is greatly lacking-I think. Very few directors express the more Gothic love affair with horror that played through 80's horror. I really enjoyed this film.