‘Below the Fold’ VOD Review
Stars: Davis DeRock, Sarah McGuire, Jamie Addison, Daniel Compo | Written and Directed by Clayton Scott
The story isn’t a new one with Below The Fold, as a couple of local newspaper reporters delve into a ten-year-old case about a missing girl. The deeper they go into the story, the more questions and suspects there seems to be.
As I said, you might feel like you’ve seen it all before, Below The Fold doesn’t throw up any real surprises but what it does do, it does pretty damn well. First time writer and director Clayton Scott does a great job at creating this world (set in Northwest Missouri) that you believe this could all happen in. Often drab and abandoned buildings are shown, and although it is often shot beautifully it’s clear that this is a run-down place that people generally want to leave.
It does indeed look really good though and there’s some great cinematography, despite being a very basic film in many ways, I think it is best seen on a big screen to take it all in.
The pace does slow in that middle third but I expected that and in this kind of story it was always going to be that way, I can’t say I ever lost interest. I didn’t think I’d see any big reveal or surprise and there isn’t. We are almost left with as many questions as we started with when the credits roll but a more definitive ending is hinted at the viewer will no doubt make their own mind up.
Pretty much every member of the cast put in a good performance. Every interaction and line of dialogue feels very natural. Obviously, the writing plays a big part in this but the actors can take plenty of credit too. The leads are played by Davis DeRock (as David) and Sarah McGuire (as Lisa). There is a romantic backstory to the two, which does give the characters some history but isn’t really needed and wouldn’t be missed if it wasn’t there. The pair are interesting on screen together though and it’s not a typical ex-lovers type of interaction. Like the film as a whole, it’s much more subtle.
The filmmakers do a great job of making Below The Fold much more atmospheric than most crime thrillers. There are tense-filled scenes, including heated discussions with the locals and a slightly generic but tense scene where Lisa breaks into a suspect’s home. I think the atmosphere is often created because this is a very quiet movie. Many times the characters seem to be talking in whispers, so when someone does raise their voices it surprises the viewer and at least seems important. There’s a score that isn’t used a whole lot but when it is it’s the creepiest part of the movie, lingering in the background.
There are certain film fans who absolutely love this small-town crime thriller sub-genre and they will no doubt lap up Below The Fold. It offers plenty for other films fans though and first time director Clayton Scott is one I’ll be keeping an eye on.
*** 3/5
Below the Fold is available on VOD now.
