The Deep Dark (2023) Review

The year is 1856 and, deep underground in Northern France, a group of coal miners find themselves having to contend with a potentially dangerous pocket of gas which has already taken care of their canary. Worse still, something else is lurking in the shadows and the resulting mayhem causes a cave-in.

One hundred years later, Professor Berthier (Jean-Hughes Anglade) requests that the deeper recesses of the mine should be made accessible in order for him to take samples and measurements. Accompanying him is a crack team, led by the dependable, unflappable Roland (Samuel Le Bihan), and all is well until an unexpected rockfall leaves them trapped. They too must confront a similar dilemma and come face to face with whatever tore through those unfortunate men all those years ago…

From Meander writer/director Matthew Turi, The Deep Dark shares that movie’s sense of claustrophobia and certainly builds on it but the overall piece is a much richer, surer footed, more rounded affair than its predecessor, with plenty of gallows humour to soak up at least some of the buckets of blood. The presence of French cinema stalwarts Anglade and Le Bihan adds a touch of class, as does the evocative setting of the mine complex, both above and below ground.

Roland’s miners are a memorable bunch, comprising of eager rookie Amir (Amir El Kacem), demolition expert Miguel (Diego Martin), the horse loving Polo (Marc Riso), the genial Santini (Bruno Sanches) and the crafty Louis (Thomas Solivérès). In many ways, they’re an industrial version of Apone’s Space Marines, only with shovels, pick axes and a cache of explosives. Every paycheck is clearly not a fortune for these guys either, as evidence by the motivation of the extra four hundred francs they will receive as payment for accompanying the Professor on his mission.

As you’d expect, loyalties are subsequently tested in time-honoured fashion as both the level of danger and the possibility of discovering ancient, valuable artefacts increases. The increasingly frazzled comrades are constantly aided and abetted by the wily and weaselly Berthier, needing that vital expertise of the lower classes in an environment unfamiliar to him, but also exploiting that expertise for his ultimate gain. It has to be said that Anglade looks like he’s having a lot of fun here, playing the nerdy but scheming academic to a T, sparking off Le Bihan’s no nonsense, all action hero in amusing fashion.

There’s an attention to characterisation and an undercurrent of clashes between classes and races is always present in the keenly observed screenplay, but The Deep Dark never forgets that the amuse-bouches of social conscience are best washed down with a grand cru monster movie. And what a monster Turi has in store for us. A six-armed, bat-winged, fanged, Lovecraftian nightmare, created entirely of practical effects, it’s a pure joy to see it up close, ripping bits off its unfortunate victims with gusto.

The kills are brutal, often startlingly gory and the movie’s thoroughly unsentimental attitude to itsplayers meaning that the nice guys can die just as horribly as the awful ones. When you’re introduced to Cartouche, a gentle, obedient, blind work horse, you’re playing a guessing game with the film from then on as to whether the poor thing is going to be demon chow before the end credits.

The Deep Dark takes its time to develop its protagonists before dropping them into the most dreadful of situations, so it’s a while before the beast mode switch is thrown but when it does, it does not disappoint, leading to a wild final act which also hits hard in the feels and gets out at just the right point without any kind of baggy epilogue to lessen the impact. The claustrophobia of those subterranean spaces adds to the tension throughout and amps up the expectation of a sudden meeting with the Big Bad right around the next corner.

Delivering on character beats, thrills and downright dirty men versus monster action, this harks back to classic creature features while still managing to put its own, very modern spin on the tale, smartly played by a cast which overly worthy and wordy dramas would envy. Horror is where it’s at, and it’s a triumph for Turi.

Movie Rating:

The Deep Dark trailer