THE ONES BELOW
UK, 2016, 87 minutes, Colour.
Clemence Poesy, David Morrisey, Stephen Campbell Moore, Laura Birn.
Directed by David Farr.
Can you have a horror film without what have become the conventions of horror films? The answer is ‘yes’ if you consider The Ones Below.
This is a film about pregnancy, birth, miscarriage, the desire of women and the desire of men to be parents.
This is a brief, small-budget British film. Kate and Justin (Clemence Poesy and Stephen Campbell Moore) are a couple in their 30s who met at university, decided not to have children for several years but now are happy with Kate being pregnant and everything going well. They move into a rental flat and establish their life there, she working at home on computer fashion designing, he at work in an editorial office.
They then see two pairs of shoes outside the door of the flat downstairs, shoes of the ones below. Theresa and Jon (Laura Birn and David Morrisey) have moved in, Theresa being pregnant and becoming friendly with Catherine, inviting her to swimming exercises, to a lunch with Jon, and to come downstairs to have a meal with them.
Theresa and John have been trying to have a child for several years and she is now pregnant.
Probably that is enough of the plot, occurring early in the film, but quite some complications arise, complications which might be exploited in a horror film but, the manner here in the screenplay is a sense of menace, suggestions, moments of fear, concerns about mental health.
There are some audiences and, especially, critics, who have an intense dislike of happy endings (except, one hopes, in real life), so there are elements in the ending of this film which should make them both sad and happy at the same time.
This is a menace film relying, effectively, on audience response to pregnancy and birth and identification with the characters.
1. The title, application, minutes, intimations of horror?
2. London, the suburbs, offices, the streets, the canal? The interiors of the flats? The garden? The contrast with the luxury home in Frankfurt? The musical score? The theme of pregnancy, motherhood, fatherhood? The miscarriage and accidents, the birth process, post-natal care?
3. Kate and Justin, having met at the University, 10 years together, the decision not to have a baby, change of heart, getting older, happy, the ultrasound scenes, care?
4. Justin and his editing work, the staff, Kate and her computer, designed?
5. The flat, moving in, feeling at home, the people downstairs, the shoes outside the door, meeting, the talk of Jon, becoming neighbours? Teresa and her pregnancy, going swimming, taking Kate, the bond between the two?
6. The meal, Jon abrupt and his questioning about their pregnancy, trying for seven years, divorced from his Chinese wife who could not become pregnant? Successful businessman, life in Germany? Teresa and her saying she would not drink, drinking? The genial atmosphere, and the change? The light bulb going, opening the door, the cat, falling, Jon moving her after advice not to, the angers?
7. The confrontation, the truth, Teresa denying she drank? The move to Germany?
8. Teresa and Jon and Kate at the restaurant, the issue of breastfeeding?
9. Kate giving birth, her family, her mother and her inability to respond, not being able to touch? Teresa and the return, making peace, apologies, offering to take care of the baby, in the garden, the photos? Kate going to her brother’s grave? Justin and his taunt about the mental attitudes of her family? Apology?
10. Kate going out, the audience seeing Teresa and the breastfeeding, the second time, Kate’s pretence, seeing the photos, seeing the breastfeeding, Kate going into the flat, not finding any photos, discovering Peter’s room, Jon entering, his anger?
11. Kate and the worries with the baby, going to the doctor, Justin and his care?
12. The finale, the audience thinking it was Kate throwing the baby into the canal, Jon and his false message on the computer, summoning Justin to the meeting, Kate’s apology indicating her suicide? Seeing Kate in the bath? Justin, the funeral, his grief, leaving?
13. The end, Germany, the luxury house, Arriving, Jon comfortable – and Teresa calling the baby Peter?
14. A film of menace with horror implications?
