Under the Bed (2013)
 
Steven C. Miller's "Under the Bed" is a horror film of two sides. On the one hand, the picture—about two brothers, the troubled teenage Neal (Jonny Weston) and younger Paulie (Gattlin Griffith), terrorized by a creature hailing from an otherworldly portal under their beds—has some seriously scary moments, the very, very rare kind that not only make a person jump, but also audibly scream like a little girl. In between the frights, however, is an underdeveloped script full of half-formed side characters and heightened familial conflict that makes little to no sense. Director Miller knows how to orchestrate a jolt, and the blessedly practical creature effects are top-of-the-line, but "Under the Bed" never congeals as a satisfying whole. Don't be surprised if, with the end credits, you are asking, "Is that all there is?"
B+/B+
XLrator's high-definition release of "Under the Bed" offers far fewer reasons to nitpick. For a low-budget picture shot digitally, the image is often dimensional (especially in the daytime scenes) and full of the kind of inky blacks (in the darker scenes) all the better for nightmarish things to come popping out. There is a little unresolved grain that pops up on occasion, but it doesn't last long and is unobtrusive. In the sound department, the 5.1 HD-Master Audio proves best when the music score is working overtime and providing sudden enveloping stingers. Dialogue is consistently clear.
There are no special features included.
The lack of special features is a disappointment on the Blu-ray release of "Under the Bed," so whether or not the film is worth seeking out comes down to how big of a genre buff you are. For fans of the film or anyone who makes a point of checking out every half-worthy horror release out there, "Under the Bed" delivers a few good chills and a solid high-def visual/audio presentation. For everyone else, it's not a must-see disc.
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