Xavier Palud, one half of the directing team that brought us the excellent thriller ILS (THEM) and the sub par remake THE EYE appears to be branching out on his own with BENEATH THE SURFACE, a sci-fi thriller that brings to mind an old “X-Files” episode. I don’t have one in mind specifically, but look at the synopsis and you’ll know what I mean.
The thriller is about a group of scientists and a military escort who are sent to a secluded South Pacific island to investigate the disappearance of a research team that had been testing designed to keep a person awake and functional for indefinite periods. The team finds itself in the grip of a mysterious illness, and others are haunted by visions. They try to avoid the same fate that befell the researchers.
BENEATH THE SURFACE is being produced by Ambush Entertainment, which recently scored big with James Gunn’s SUPER. That said, the same team brought us the woeful DEAD AND BREAKFAST and UNEARTHED, so let’s remain cautious for now. Pre-production begins in Puerto Rico in February.