elicopperman In 2016, a British thriller entitled The Ones Below was released, though it originally first screened at the Toronto Film Festival the previous year. While it did sweep under the radar, there is a good chance that this film will go on to be a cult classic in the near future. As for what I think, while it did leave me horrified the first time watching it, I will admit that it isn't without its flaws. That being said, what does make the film intriguing to watch is how it tackles the frustrating anxieties of early motherhood, and subverts these themes with paranoia.The film revolves around a married couple named Kate and Justin who have recently had a baby. However, when new neighbors named Theresa and Jon have moved into the flat beneath theirs, tensions begin to rise with their friendship regarding said newborn. Writer/director David Farr succeeds very well at showcasing the hormones and emotions of a mother during a time like this. Although if you may be ecstatic that you've made a human being of your own, it doesn't necessarily mean you automatically know what you're doing in a situation where your life could be at risk. In addition, given Kate and Theresa's friendship, Farr manages to make even the simplest conversations feel innocent albeit awkward and unsettling.With two suspicious neighbors comes idiosyncratic character traits, and compared to the more seemingly light hearted Theresa, Jon is more abrupt, making Kate and Justin's interactions with them become all the more disturbing. In fact, after the baby Billy is born, odd occurrences and disturbing noises keep on arising, which nearly drive the couple nuts: from car honks, to muffled baby monitor sounds, to even a cat slinking underfoot. With tense moments like these, there are definite comparisons to be made with Rosemary's Baby, let alone by the subject matter and the lean and brisk tone. Not to mention, it's great to see a horror movie nowadays without a single jump scare, or even gore for that matter; nice change in age.In terms of negatives, while the twist is very well structured and horrifying, the climax does drag on at points to get there, and after a while it does become a little too obvious what the outcome will be. Also, even during the film's second act, Theresa and Jon's intent becomes pretty obvious if not inevitable, and even with all the stakes that occur, the narrative really starts to reveal how straightforward it really is. Nonetheless, I still recommend The Ones Below for its unsettling atmosphere, subversive mix of parenthood and paranoia, and its traumatic twist that will give you trust issues for the rest of your life. The truth is that there are plenty of people out there who will end up causing you suffering for the sickest of reasons, and this film understands just how risky raising a child can really be.

Martin Bradley "The Ones Below" is a decent enough little chamber piece on the perils of parenting, particularly if you suspect the neighbors downstairs covet your new-born baby. It marks the directorial debut of writer David Farr, (he wrote "The Night Manager" for television), and it's nicely done but in the end it's just too unpleasant to be entertaining. Basically a four-hander and well played by Clemence Poesy as the new mother convinced her neighbors are up to no good and by David Morrissey and Laura Birn as the neighbors, (personally I would have moved out five minutes after they moved in). It's let down only by Stephen Campbell Moore as Poesy's partner. Considering his outing in a similar role in the nasty little horror picture "The Children" some years back I would suggest Mr Campbell Moore get the snip sooner rather than later.

thelastblogontheleft I think my biggest praise for this movie — definitely more of a psychological thriller than a horror — is how damn uncomfortable you feel during THE ENTIRE THING. From the first couple scenes, including ones where soon-to-be parents Kate (Clémence Poésy) and Justin (Stephen Campbell Moore) are excited about their new baby, you just KNOW something is afoot. The director, David Farr, did a great job of using very subtle hints here and there without making it too overpowering. It's eerie and unsettling throughout.Their new downstairs neighbors move in and while everything seems picture perfect at first, you very soon start to see some very disturbing cracks in their too-good-to- be-true facade. It goes from simply awkward to downright terrifying pretty quickly, but so many lines are blurred in this movie that you really have a hard time being sure of anything: are Theresa (Laura Birn) and Jon (the excellent David Morrissey) as truly ruthless as we think, or is Kate just suffering from paranoid, sleep-deprived delusions? As we watch her sink deeper into her conviction that something is seriously wrong, you feel both compassion and cringing, which is impressive.Each character in this movie has their own distinct and brilliantly acted personality. Theresa is a bit over eager but ultimately very vulnerable and earnest. Jon is brusque and conservative. Kate is attempting to pull together a confident demeanor while feeling around in the darkness that is new motherhood, and she's instantly likable. And Justin is just trying to keep things together between work and Kate's increasing paranoia and erratic behavior — you can feel how thinly he is stretched by it all.The ending is heart-wrenching to say the least… so well done that I sat with my hands clasped over my mouth as I gasped. Just awesome from top to bottom.

ikeybabe I did not know what to expect with this film and was pleasantly surprised. The "ones" below were super creepy neighbors. The whole film had a moody kind of vibe to it. The story unfolded just right - the main character was just a little bit off. Her husband was just a bit too distant and the husband below (The Governor from "The Walking Dead") was a slow-boil to major eruption kind of guy and the trophy wife was just that - a pretty and obedient spouse, who was just too friendly to be true. I was seriously disturbed by the extra feedings (trying not to include any spoilers here), but in the end I did guess what would happen next. Overall, a good movie with some terrific acting and an intriguing script. Well done.