USA
2019 95 mins OV English
The shackles of grief are overwhelming in the harrowing DIY supernatural thriller THE DEEPER YOU DIG. In the aftermath of a roadside accident, the line between the living and the dead collapses for a mother, a daughter and a stranger. A family affair, the movie was written, directed and produced by John Adams, Toby Poser, and their daughter, Zelda. They also star, shoot and compose the music for the film. A stunning portrait of resourcefulness, the family filmmaking team capitalizes on their life in the Catskill Mountains to create a unique icy tone. The skeletal forest invokes the atmosphere of dreams and as the film delves into the realm of the avant-garde, its blue-toned cinematography draws us into the sea of the subconscious.
Stripped down to its barest essentials, the film maintains a baroque style and uniquely American attitude towards its treatment of dreams and hallucinations. The intimacy of the production is felt in the immediacy of the performances and the depth of ideas. The weight of silence enhances the experience as we are drawn deeper into an encroaching sense of dread. In a mainstream film landscape where things get bigger and louder, THE DEEPER YOU DIG is a powerful antidote. A movie that embodies in spirit and ideas the sensibilities of underground cinema, THE DEEPER YOU DIG defies all expectations and won’t soon be forgotten. Hauntingly personal, this journey into the underworld will get under your skin as it draws you into your deepest and darkest nightmare. – Justine Smith
