In the Earth (2021)

I welcome you all to a brand new weekend. So I checked out this movie titled In the Earth, and to be honest it was kind of a crazy ride.

The Plot

As the world searches for a cure to a disastrous virus, a scientist and a park scout venture deep in the forest for a routine equipment run. I believe the story took place in the time of COVID, but it doesn't really focus on that.

It's kind of the impetus for the story and why things are a bit isolated. But once the story begins, that portion really gets left behind. We have four main characters, but two of which we meet at the start.

Joel Fry and Elra Torchia play Martin and Alma, and they are a perfect choice for the roles. They're a great balance of wit, sarcasm, empathy, and mistrust. As they go on their short journey, there is a definite sense of isolation as the duo hikes through the mountainous terrain. We learn a bit about the characters too as their hike continues, which then gives us insight into who they really are.

My Take on the Movie

I like that the isolation creates a sense of unease, but as events unfold, that unease, it grows into something even more. There's an event that happens that puts our characters at a disadvantage when it comes to the elements, but their immediate actions and choices really just felt dumb to me because there were some very obvious, quick solutions that they didn't utilize, which then puts them at a further disadvantage.

There are two other characters that our main players come into contact with, and they work to provide some anxiety and oddness, each in their own ways. This movie creates a very unsettling atmosphere that continually increases as the minutes progress. In addition to the isolation, the sound design and visuals really work to keep us off kilter.

For the sound, you have the grandeur of the forest with all kinds of squawking birds, and then that contrasts with times of absolute silence. There are other times where the sound is overwhelming. It's discombobulating and disorienting, and that's exactly what it's meant to do.

We're transported right into the situations that the characters are in, and we get to experience that disorientation that they're feeling. Visuals are jacked up and trippy, too. There are also several portions where the lighting is used to really confuse our senses and increase the anxiety and tension of the scenes. You probably aren't going to want to be under the influence of anything as you watch, or it may really tweak you out. If you see this in the theater, I can only imagine the overall effect that the sound and lights are going to have on you.

They were crazy enough just watching at home. I like the infusion of folklore through the story. The lore allows for the story to be based in the realm of possibility, making it way more unsettling than some zombie or ghost flick.

I really liked all the characters in this story. Each have different aspects that cause confusion or tension, maybe a bit of levity at moments, and then there are other times of outright craziness. And while the two leads are wonderful, Reese Shearsmith, who portrays Zack, is a standout for me.

He plays the character with such a sense of grounded enthusiasm. Zack is bizarre and more than a little off, but he's endearing in a very messed up kind of way.

I do think that one of the arcs was a little predictable in the story, but it wasn't outright obvious. It was more like, I think this is going to happen, but I'm not totally sure. Then later on down the road, it does end up happening.

It wasn't enough to ruin the story for me, but in hindsight, it was a little obvious. I do like that the story doesn't really let up on the oppressiveness. It gives some brief moments of reprieve, but they're really short and I never felt like I could let down my guard as the scenes ramped up.

The pace of the story is patient, but it is consistent. And the overall story did feel a tiny bit long, though, even though it's only an hour and 40 minutes. It's not like the pace dragged, but maybe more than just a few of the scenes just went on longer than they needed to.

The ending of the story is going to require that I watch this again. There were some elements that went weird, and I want to be able to examine it further to just really comprehend what the message was. And this being a horror, they're not just atmospheric elements to make you feel uncomfortable.

But what can I say, the acting is very enjoyable, and the atmosphere really sets a creepy tone. And that's enhanced so well by the sound design and the lighting. I'm giving In the Earth three and a half out of five stars.

Images from IMDb

Thanks for reading!