Below (film)

Lore & Background

The film originated as a historical sci-fi thriller titled Proteus, with Darren Aronofsky attached to direct after his success with Pi. Miramax signed Aronofsky to a pay-or-play deal in June 1998. After David Twohy's success with Pitch Black, he was hired in May 2000 to direct and rewrite the script, dropping the sci-fi elements and reworking it as a ghost story. Exteriors were shot on Lake Michigan using the retired WWII-era USS Silversides, a Gato-class submarine now a museum ship in Muskegon, Michigan; interiors were filmed at Pinewood Studios. Note: The film's fictional submarine is the USS Maelstrom, a United States Navy vessel.

Reader's Guide

Below received mixed reviews, with a 66% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 70 reviews, and a Metacritic score of 55 out of 100, indicating mixed reviews. The film was given a limited theatrical release with little advertising after Twohy refused to re-edit for a PG-13 rating, earning only $605,562 in North America. Its significance lies in its transition from a planned sci-fi thriller to a supernatural horror, and its use of a real WWII submarine for exteriors. The plot's moral ambiguity—centered on a wartime mistake and a cover-up—adds depth to the ghost story, though some critics found the dialogue anachronistic and the premise silly.

Did You Know?

• The film was originally titled Proteus and was conceived as a historical sci-fi thriller about an alien monster attacking a submarine.
• Exteriors were filmed on Lake Michigan using the retired WWII submarine USS Silversides, now a museum ship.
• David Twohy refused to re-edit the film for a PG-13 rating, leading to a limited release and poor box office performance.
• The film's plot involves the crew picking up survivors from a sunken British hospital ship and then being haunted.