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Every parent knows that the months before and after the birth of your first child are exciting and delightful and exhausting and stressful (often all at the same time). And in his debut thriller, The Ones Below, writer/director David Farr takes all of the joys and anxieties of those early days of parenthood and magnifies them.
The Ones Below tells the story of Kate and Justin (Clémence Poésy and Stephen Campbell Moore), who are anxiously awaiting the birth of their first child. When Theresa and Jon (Laura Birn and David Morrissey) move into the vacant flat downstairs, Kate is thrilled to discover that her quirky new neighbor is pregnant, too; they’re just a few weeks apart. But as they spend more time together, Kate senses that something about their new friends just isn’t right. And when disaster strikes, their budding relationship turns to suspicion and discomfort.
This eerie British thriller is all about the atmosphere. From the beginning, Farr (who also wrote the screenplay for Joe Wright’s Hanna) makes the film feel just slightly uncomfortable. Nothing here is easy or relaxed. Theresa is friendly—but maybe a little too friendly. Jon is distant and cold and quite possibly calculating and manipulative, too. Even Kate and Justin are uneasy in their situation—and what initially seems like a stable relationship is tested when more is revealed about their past and their tentative decision to become parents.
It’s a quiet, unhurried film—but one that’s filled with possibilities and anticipation, gradually adding creepy characters and disturbing prospects. Unfortunately, though, it’s also filled with missed opportunities. There are so many hints and suggestions here—so many different paths that the story can take. Yet some (like Kate’s troubling family history) aren’t explored in enough detail, while others (like the strange relationship between Theresa and Jon) are developed and unceremoniously dropped. For that reason, as the story continues its slow burn, it feels like it should have a little more to offer. The possibilities should be more terrifying, the psychological aspects more chilling. If nothing else, it should all build up to a dark and shocking conclusion. But while the conclusion is definitely haunting, the payoff simply isn’t as satisfying as it could be.
The Ones Below is certainly an eerie thriller—especially for viewers who have young children of their own. But it doesn’t live up to its potential to be a slow-burning thriller with a big, bold, and unforgettable ending.
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