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Underland: Documentary on subterranean adventuring fails to scratch the surface

  • Apr 19
  • 2 min read


‘Underland’ shows three adventures beneath the earth’s surface to dig deeper into humankind’s supposed fascination with what lies beneath. 


An archaeologist ventures into a complex cave system to map it for the first time and learn more about its spiritual significance. A hobbyist photographer tours a series of drain systems as well as an abandoned mine with nuclear deposits. And a physicist conducts experiments on dark matter several miles underground in a high-tech lab. 


If these three stories seem disconnected other than the fact they all occur under land, that’s because they are. The film attempts to stitch them together by drawing on extracts from a best-selling book on the theme, but, though mystical, this results in a largely abstract narrative that becomes frustratingly vague as the film goes on. A man photographing trolleys in a Las Vegas sewer probably can coexist in a film with a scientist trying to understand the origins of the universe - but it’s a challenge. 


‘Underland’ feels short of ideas visually too, relying on a languid style that at times feels more like an advert than a narrative with a point to make. Indeed, the trailer was superb and clearly worked given the packed screening I attended on a Monday night, but the full film itself offered few ideas beyond it.


Each of the individual stories was, however, unique and thought provoking: what is an urban explorer? How does it feel to map an ancient cave system? What the hell is ‘dark matter’? It was a shame none of them was given the breathing room for the viewer to truly understand more, instead it felt we were unfortunately left in the dark.



3/10

 
 
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