Under the Mountain

Under the Mountain follows scrappy twins Rachel (Sophie McBride) and Theo (Thomas Cameron) as they’re shipped off to their aunt and uncles’ place after their mother dies suddenly, with the movie subsequently detailing the adventures that ensue as the siblings slowly but surely realize that there’s something not quite right about the creepy house across the lake. Though it often seems to have emerged directly from a teen-friendly fantasy-movie template, Under the Mountain is initially far more entertaining and engaging than one might’ve anticipated – with the striking, picturesque visuals and personable performances going a long way towards sustaining the viewer’s interest. Director Jonathan King’s decision to scale back the dialogue and essentially allow the visuals to tell the story proves instrumental to the film’s early success, with the heavy, sporadically impossible-to-understand New Zealand accents generally not impeding one’s enjoyment as a result. There’s little doubt, however, that the narrative does hit a lull as it approaches its third act, as screenwriters King and Matthew Grainger – presumably in an effort to fill time before the final confrontation – offer up a series of sequences in which the various characters bicker and stumble around in the dark. And although Sam Neill, cast as a mysterious stranger, appreciatively receives plenty of screentime during this stretch, Under the Mountain is simply unable to recapture the unexpectedly engaging atmosphere of its opening 45 minutes (which effectively dulls the impact of its special-effects-heavy climax).

** out of ****