The Deep Dark

The Deep Dark (Gueules Noires) (2023)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: Mathieu Turi

Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Amir El Kacem, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Thomas Soliveres, Diego Martin

From: MANY different French companies

Why not watch a French creature feature set in 1956 at a mine? I noticed it on Prime awhile back but reading a positive review on a Discord server was enough a push for me to check this out.

A Moroccan named Amir is recruited in his home country to work at a mine in France... unbeknownst to him, the most dangerous mine in the country. If the profession, the prejudice, and a scientist's demands to dig dangerously deep weren't bad enough, they discover a creature. Parts of My Bloody Valentine are set in a mine-so is The Boogens-but it was a thrill for a horror pic where the crux of the action is set in subterranean areas featuring a crew of miners. As people presumably more knowledgeable than me about the topic have proclaimed, expect Lovecraftian horror.

After the prologue-set in 1856-it is a long while before any part of the creature is seen again. That was fine under these circumstances; time is spent getting to know Amir, establish the mining setting, meet his fellow miners, show the camaraderie with them, and show that the lead miner (Roland) is an authoritative but fair boss. Once the big bad is shown in full... it is an impressive, distinctive-looking creature, and the effects were practical instead of CG. This is when it becomes exciting, them running away or attempting to avoid detection. For those that enjoy gory, gross moments, this has a few of those.

As I always belly-ache about with the movies I don't like-especially those made in the 21st century-it's the plot and characters which make it or break it for me. Thank heavens that The Deep Dark had a fine story w/ characters I did care about... even the ending I felt was magnifique for the story they were telling. The movie is not a must-see but IMO it's better than the majority of the “modern popular horror” of recent years that just don't work for me.