10FT DOWN (2024)

3 stars

Miracle Media. Digital. 13th April

This is apparently a sequel to director Alan Williams 2022 film 8000 Ft Up which featured Bryn Booth and Austin Buchanan as the same characters as they play here. How it is connected I couldn’t tell you as I haven’t seen it but 10FT DOWN does open with the a title screen saying Chapter 2. This time out Williams is working from a script he penned.

Lawrence ‘The Hitcher’ Foster has been arrested for something, as he sits at a desk in his orange prison jumpsuit. Detective Trojan (Bradford Trojan) comes in to question him about a missing man whose bank accounts have been emptied. He clearly knows the man in question, but denies it. Also a Mormon preacher with a history of rape and incest was found shot dead. Hair found in his pocket was from the missing man plus a woman was also found murdered on the preacher’s property. How is Foster associated with these? Are they connected?

Cut to Holly (Bryn Booth) walking alone at night. She is being followed by Lawrence as she goes into a bar. He approaches her and they chat and flirt. She knows he has been following her but unexpectedly she still takes him to her house … as she has drugged him!

Later he finds himself trapped inside some kind of box. Holly speaks to him through the gaps in the lid. She has found the drug he was going to use on her. Alone, he cries for help. But no one can hear him from the basement.

Then we meet Holly’s twin sister Willow (also played by Booth) and they argue as to what is going on – and that they are to stick to the plan… whatever that is.

What is their intention for Foster? Will he be able to escape – especially as Willow seems to feel sorry for him. How does this connect to the start of the film?

A psychological thriller, this is narratively drawn out. However, it does have often atmospheric cinematography by Avai D’Amico. It works, for the most part, due to the believable performances and has an effective and unsettling music score. It falls down with the ending which feels frustratingly confused and inconclusive.

Steve Kirkham