The Overlook: The Ones Below

(imdb.com)

Neighbors can be a lot to deal with. From noise to the secretive, on-looking ways of intersecting lives, sharing spaces - even those blocked by locked doors, can prove to be a challenge. Add a few pregnancies on top of that and some darker, sinister intentions and the concept of neighbors becomes all the more unsettling. This is essentially the plot of The Ones Below. Following the lives of a couple expecting their first child and their new, suspiciously creepy downstairs neighbors who are also expecting a child, The Ones Below is a slow-burning and unsettling film.

The Ones Below hosts a beautifully stunning cast who do terrific in their respective roles. In the upstairs flat, Clémence Poésy (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and Stephen Campbell Moore (The History Boyd) play Kate and Justin, the aforementioned young couple who are expecting Their new neighbors, played by David Morrissey (The Walking Dead) and Laura Birn (A Walk Among the Tombstones), are also expecting a child and for Birn's foreigner, Theresa,, the struggles of pregnancy seem to have her head in a strange place. The One Below places everything on the shoulders of these four proficient actors and the movie greatly benefits because of it. 

 

There's a lot of disturbing moments in The One Below. From the off-color comments made by Morrissey's character to the greatly uncomfortable confrontations between the two couples, this film knows how to dole out goose bumps. But, even worse than these moments are the more subtle ones- conversations unveiling the troubled relationship of Kate and Justin and the strange, startling eyes of the off-center Theresa, all culminate into a nerve-wracking experience.

The Ones Below is beautifully shot; sleek and elegant, but deeply dark and brooding. It is the type of movie that even on the brightest day, could make an audience feel like it's raining out. The Ones Below hosts a collection of perfectly curated pieces of furniture, wall hangings and knick-knacks, it is undeniably easy on the eyes, and completely wills you to yearn for these characters' tastes. Even when things become seedy and the smooth surfaces of the film's plot begin to ripple, viewers will still want in on the lifestyles lived.

While not a proper, conventional horror film, The Ones Below most definitely is one. It is a troubling, brooding movie that makes for a scarily good time. It is the type of revelation that showcases that you never truly know your neighbors. The Ones Below feeds into the discomfort of acquaintanceship and is honestly a must-see, cringe-worthy adventure. Oh, it's currently streaming on Netflix, so no excuses.