THE DEEPER YOU DIG (2019)
Label: Arrow Video
Rating: Unrated
Region Code:
Duration: 92 Minutes
Audio: English PCM 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Directors: Toby Poser, John Adams
Cast: John Adams, Toby Poser, Zelda Adams
Indie haunter The Deeper You Dig (2019) is a chilling and personal bit of ghostly business, it in teen-goth Echo (Zelda Adams, The Hatred) is close-knit with her single mom Ivy (Toby Poser), a former spiritualist turned for-profit tarot card reader. While ill-advisedly sledding in the dark of night next to a rural unlit road her daughter Echo is accidentally killed by a drunk passerby named Kurt (John Adams, The Hatred), a guy who lives just down the road where he is flipping a dilapidated old house. Rather than accept the consequences of what was a terrible accident he chooses to hide the body. He gets seems to get away with it too, the authorities briefly investigate the disappearance but write it off as yet another teen runaway, which Ivy instinctively knows this is not the case.
Kurt however does not get off scott-free, the guilt of what he has done begins to chip away at his psyche, and what at first seems to be a manifestation of that inner-guilt turns out to be an actual haunting of the killer by the headstrong teen who is dead-set on driving her killer over-the-edge. Additionally her mother's formerly waning spiritual powers get a recharge as she begins to hunt for her daughter's killer on her own, slowly picking up on the vibes that her daughter's spirit is giving off.
It's a very personal bite-sized bit of of ghostly drama that has a homemade vibe about it that I absolutely loved. As a father the story of the loss of a child gets right under my skin, it's themes certainly lingered with me long after I watched it. I loved Zelda Adams as the head-strong, blue-haired goth teen, and was pleased that her death early on in the film did not mean that she was gone from the film. Some of my favorite stuff was the way that Kurt struggled with his guilt and how initially he had to delay disposing of the body because the ground was frozen solid in the winter, managing to bury the corpse in the woods in the spring, but then having to displace the remains when wild animals get to the shallow grave threatening to reveal his crimes, until finally having to disposing of the remains in rather gruesome fashion. As he continues to be haunted by the determined teen he starts breaking down both mentally and physically, seemingly acquiring some of the teens character traits, like an appreciation of a depression era novelty song "Ain't We Got Fun" that starts creeping it's way into Kurt's daily life, and then befriending the grieving mother, their blooming relationship threatening to expose his crime.
When I first saw The Deeper You Dig (2019) earlier this year on DVD from Dark Sky Films on DVD I lamented that there was not a Blu-ray with some in-depth extras, it having been made by a mother, father and daughter indie filmmaking team, it was a haunting tale with a unique voice and I wanted to know more about them. Now Arrow have gone and released the film in a cool 2-disc Blu-ray release that gives me all the behind-the scenes tidbits I was so curious about the first time I watched it. The extras are very cool and this family is awesome, not only are they intriguing filmmakers but also a talented musical family, we get five video on the disc from their bands Hellbender and Kid Kalifornia, plus their earlier film The Hatred (2018), it's a fantastic set.
Special Features:
- Exclusive two-disc set containing The Deeper You Dig (2019) and The Hatred (2018)
- Reversible sleeve featuring two exclusive choices of artwork
- Double-sided fold-out poster
- Limited edition illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by Neil Mitchell
Special Features:
- Exclusive two-disc set containing The Deeper You Dig (2019) and The Hatred (2018)
- Reversible sleeve featuring two exclusive choices of artwork
- Double-sided fold-out poster
- Limited edition illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by Neil Mitchell
Disc One: The Deeper You Dig (2019)
- Audio commentary by writers/directors/stars Toby Poser and John Adams
- At Home with the Adams Family, an exclusive, in-depth interview with the trio of filmmakers responsible for The Deeper You Dig (50 min)
- It's in the Blood: The Family in the Horror Genre, an exclusive visual essay by critic Anton Bitel exploring the theme of family in The Deeper You Dig and the Adams Family's broader filmography (26 min)
- Special Effects Breakdown with Audio Commentary by Trey Lindsay (12 min)
- FrightFest TV interview with the Adams Family (8 min)
- Hellbender Music Videos: Black Sky (2 min), Falling In Love (2 min)
-Theatrical Trailer (2 min)
- Image Gallery (1 min)
Disc Two: The Hatred (2018) (60 min)
- Three Kid Kalifornia Music Videos (8 min)
- Audio commentary by writers/directors/stars Toby Poser and John Adams
- At Home with the Adams Family, an exclusive, in-depth interview with the trio of filmmakers responsible for The Deeper You Dig (50 min)
- It's in the Blood: The Family in the Horror Genre, an exclusive visual essay by critic Anton Bitel exploring the theme of family in The Deeper You Dig and the Adams Family's broader filmography (26 min)
- Special Effects Breakdown with Audio Commentary by Trey Lindsay (12 min)
- FrightFest TV interview with the Adams Family (8 min)
- Hellbender Music Videos: Black Sky (2 min), Falling In Love (2 min)
-Theatrical Trailer (2 min)
- Image Gallery (1 min)
Disc Two: The Hatred (2018) (60 min)
- Three Kid Kalifornia Music Videos (8 min)
The Deeper You Dig (2019) is an affecting indie haunter that feels like nothing else I have seen recently, the deeply personal tale has a great forested backdrop, a fine three-person cast, and some wonderful ghostly happenings that kept me rapt for the the duration of the film, this is a solid ghost-tale, recommended. It's great to see it get such a lavish 2-disc edition from Arrow with a wealth of insightful extras that will only make you appreciate the family unit that made it that much more.
