Review of What Lies Beneath (2000) by Dawdlingpoet — 22 Nov 2021

This is quite a spooky thriller, although it is quite slow to start, the atmosphere builds up.

There are a few scenes which should make you jump, its more spooky or creepy than violently scary though. If you've seen many similar movies then you may laugh at first, as it did seem a bit obvious and perhaps even over the top, when the ghost first made itself known, although after about an hour into it, it does become quite enthralling and you (or I, anyway) become more taken by the story and more interested in the outcome.

If your looking for some cheap scares, then I'm not sure this is really the movie for you, its more about the relationships and stories behind people involved and what has happened in the past, than it is (really) about lots of gory scenes, although thats not to say that there aren't some creepy and atmospheric scenes that may send a chill down your spine all the same, its more of a ghost story, than a full blown horror movie.

Be aware that there are some scenes where Harrison and Michelle get a bit, intimate, which may be a bit off putting for young viewers, if I may say so, he wasn't so young even when this movie was made, some 8 years ago! (makes me wonder about this new Indiana Jones movie?!) haha not for the faint hearted perhaps, if I may be so cheeky as to say that(?!), though right enough im sure he has fans all the same and I can't fault his acting really.

Michelle Pfeiffer also played her role well I thought, you can see the fear and desperation on her face. Its quite easy to feel sorry for her character, with a busy husband she's often on her own, in a large, spooky house with peculiar things going on, trying to make sense of it all.

In the end, there's quite a twist, which is pretty chilling and it does get, if only fairly briefly, a bit more bloodier. I think it really is more of an atmospheric, dramatic ghost story than anything else though and as that, its not too bad.

As a spooky ghost story/drama/thriller, this isn't too bad.

Its certainly fairly atmospheric at times and you can get pretty absorbed in the story, hoping Claire finds out what has become of the neighbour and what is causing all the spooky things that appear to be going on. If your looking for an all out gory and overly violent horror movie, then this probably isn't going to fit the bill entirely but, as I say, its not too bad as a spooky thriller, with a pretty exciting climax. The acting is good and its just spooky enough to pull you in, though you may need a little convincing to start with but it is worth sticking with.

This is possibly not the greatest movie of its type ever made but equally its not the worst and so I think if it sounds interesting to you then you should check it out.