10 Underrated War Horror Movies
4. Below
Helmed by the almost-director of Alien 3, David Twohy, Below follows a WWII submarine commander, Brice (Bruce Greenwood), who's tasked with retrieving soldiers from a sunken ship. The survivors act deranged, which Brice assumes is due to oxygen deprivation or shellshock, but after a series of unexplainable malfunctions and mysterious deaths occur, Brice begins to believe a paranormal entity is among them.
Much like Twohy's previous work, Pitch Black, Below implements the antagonist sparingly and instead emphasises atmosphere, claustrophobia, and conflict between the inner ranks. The ghost rarely appears, to the point where it's difficult to make out what it looks like, amplifying the tension exponentially.
When the supernatural elements are introduced, Below feels like it might turn into a schlocky thriller. But after revelations surrounding the spooky visitor are uncovered, it becomes evident the story is more complex than it initially seemed. There's also a clever twist that's so unexpected that it encourages viewers to watch Below again, now they have all the facts.
Even though Below sank to the bottom of the box office upon its release, this psychological drama deserves to rise to the top.