Director
Maziar Lahooti

Starring
Ryan Corr, Anthony LaPaglia and Alison Whyte

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if a film student tried to simultaneously rip off Fight Club and Guy Ritchie? Probs not…but if you did, you’d likely find your answer in Maziar Lahooti’s Below.

Set in a mildly futuristic Australia, where part of the country has been leased to other nations to house asylum-seeker detention centres, Below focusses on Dougie (Ryan Corr), an amped up darknet hacker who gets himself into hot water when trying to extort men he owes money to. In order to earn the cash to pay them back, his mothers boyfriend Terry (played by a bald and for some reason, Scottish, Anthony LaPaglia) gets him a job at the detention centre he works at. Once there, Dougie gets embroiled in the underground asylum-seeker fight club and sees an opportunity to bring the fighting ring to the masses in exchange for cyber currency. Through these exploits, Dougie becomes close to one of the refugees and his family, which seemingly allows him to grow a conscience.

This incredibly dark comedy serves very much as political commentary that certainly has some important things to say about the way in which the world, and Australia treats its asylum-seekers. Unfortunately the film is so jarringly uncomfortable on a number of levels that it prevents its audience from really being able to appreciate those messages. The over the top directing choices and frenetic acting are more of a distraction than a strength. There are many derivative styles that have failed in their execution by Lahooti.

Overall Below had some great ideas, but ultimately doesn’t reach the heights that it could have with just a little restraint.

Below is available to rent now.

1.5 Stars

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