This week in the crypt we take a look at UNDERGODS the debut feature from Chino Moya.

Premiering in select theaters and video on demand this Friday, May 7th UNDERGODS is sure to take viewers to a dystopian nightmare they have never experienced.

Starring Kate Dickie (The Witch, Game of Thrones), Ned Dennehy (Mandy, Peaky Blinders), Geza Rohrig (Resistance, Son of Saul), Burn Gorman (Pacific Rim, Enola Holmes) and Tanya Reynolds (Emma., Sex Education) and written and directed Chino Moya. Viewers are treated to a slow burn that at times can make the 92 minutes feel longer.

UNDERGODS is produced by the UK’s Z56FILM in co-production with Velvet Films (Belgium), Homeless Bob Production (Estonia), Media Plus (Serbia), Filmgate Films (Sweden) and Scott Free Productions, producers of ALIEN COVENANT and THE MARTIAN.

UNDERGODS follows K (Johann Myers) and Z (Rohrig) as they travel through tales highlighting ill fated characters.

Through out the tales there is dark humor and a bleak setting of Europe on the brink of decline. The tales can feel like metaphors for not knowing your family and friends, capitalism, and more. They also leave things open to interpretation which can be a nice thing when it comes to tales like these.

What works for the film is it’s well written, well shot, and well acted. The muted colors and use of gray suit the feeling of this film and gives the viewer an experience of dread and misery. The soundtrack also builds anxiety in certain scenes.

The only thing that didn’t work for me was the pacing. At times it felt slow and like it was just there to fill time, but that wouldn’t stop me from viewing this again.