After he and girlfriend Gwen (Karlee Eldridge) have an argument, police officer Danny Moritz (Joseph Almani) finds himself spending Thanksgiving alone with his Uncle Bill (Michael Paré) at his home in the middle of the desert. Danny and Bill are hanging out in the garage, drinking beers and fixing up an old car when an earthquake hits. Unbeknownst to them, the quake opened up a hole in the ground, allowing some strange nematodes to crawl out. A typical creature like this would be microscopic, but these worms are several inches long and are growing at an alarming rate. They also have large stingers containing a possibly-lethal toxin. As the tremors continue, even more of these worms find their way to the surface. Danny also now finds himself trapped, in an extremely claustrophobic situation, and soon realizes that he’s not alone. As Danny comes under attack from these giant creatures, he desperately searches for a way to escape. But he’s all alone, his movement is restricted, his resources are limited, and he doesn’t have a way to contact help. Will he find a way to fend off these deadly worms and survive the night?!

The best way I can describe They Crawl Beneath would be Tremors-meets-127 Hours, though the worms aren’t that big. Much of the film takes place in a single cramped location, and the creatures are slowly revealed to the viewer—at first we are just given hints and quick glimpses of the worms, but hear them softly growling and chittering in the darkness, and sometimes even get their POV as they suss out a target. Both of these help to build the tension and claustrophobia of the situation, and make the threat feel real. When we do see the creatures, they feel very natural and deadly, and not like some bad CGI or cheap puppet. That said, the film’s tone can be a bit mixed and confusing at times, making you wonder if they are going for a more serious horror movie, or more of a campy creature feature. There was solid tension-building and some genuine scares, but also some humorous moments, as well as some really over-the-top melodrama. It was these scenes where I wasn’t sure if they were going for B-movie laughs or if it was just poor writing. Danny will sometimes seem way too concerned with addressing personal and relationship issues rather than with the immediate danger at hand. For example, when instead of telling he manages to contact to call an ambulance or the police, he first brings up decades-old family issues, and then he asks the person on the line to have someone else call him, instead of just telling the person he has managed to talk to what’s going on. And this kind of thing happens multiple times, where even with limited time, Danny seems to want to focus on very impertinent data. There’s this whole emotional journey for his character that feels a bit forced and unnecessary in a film like this—at times Danny is less concerned about survival and stopping these creatures, and it becomes more about his inner journey to reflect on his life and become a better person.

Well Go’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great. Despite there being a lot of dark scenes, the picture remains clean and detailed throughout. The creature effects are also well done. I’m assuming practical effects were used, but the worms look very realistic and properly menacing and deadly. Even when characters wrestle with or try to fend off the worms, it doesn’t feel campy, but rather a real threat. The audio track utilizes the surround and stereo channels to provide an immersive experience, such as when a wild storm hits. The track also provides a nice tension and ambiance throughout as we hear the soft growling from the creatures coming in various directions.

The Blu-ray release is pretty much barebones, only including the film’s trailer, along with some previews for three other Well Go releases. The disc comes packed in a locking HD keepcase, and doesn’t include a digital copy. Our review copy did not include a slipcover.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:27:24)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English DTS-HDMA 5.1, English Stereo
• Subtitles: English

Extras:
All remaining trailers play back-to-back after starting playback for one item.

• Trailer (1:59)
• Previews
  • Death Knot (2:10)
  • Unwelcome (2:19)
  • Emergency Declaration (1:38)

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I quite enjoyed They Crawl Beneath. It cam be a bit campy and melodramatic at times, but at the core is a solid, tense thriller about one man desperately trying to find a way to survive and fend off deadly creatures while stuck in a dark, cramped space. Well Go’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, but doesn’t include any bonus material. It;s worth a look for horror fans looking for a new creature feature to watch during the scary movie Halloween season.