★★★ out of ★★★★★
Written and Directed by Clayton Scott
In 2008, 12 year old Susie Potter stepped out of her house to get her bible from the family car and vanished without a trace. A decade later journalist David Freemont (Davis DeRock) is covering the anniversary of her disappearance for the local paper, the Daily Forum, a welcome change from coverage of tractor pulls and doldrums of rural life. Reporter Lisa Johnson (Sarah McGuire), new to the paper but not to David, joins him on the quest for answers.
The phrase “below the fold” refers to the stories in newspapers thought less important than the headline makers because they would not be seen when the paper was placed on the newsstand and as the the pair dig deeper the effort made finding this missing girl years ago echoes that sentiment, so when the story is taken from one of them, they continue to investigate. They uncover a disturbing murder that occurred prior to Susie’s disappearance involving a young girl, a possible connection to the local church’s youth leader and others who may know more than they have let on for years. Following the evidence, Lisa struggles to remain objective while David goes cold and the pair has to avoid becoming drawn into the darkness of the sleepy town
Below the Fold is a solid and well crafted film with good performances however it never even dips its toe into horror. It is a slow, slow burn mystery so if you’re looking for action, look somewhere else. Those who prefer films like Zodiac or Winter’s Bone will find more to like here than the gore hounds.
Below the Fold is making it’s debut April 15th at Panic Fest 2021 for those lucky enough to be attending in person. Keep your eyes on The Scariest Things for updates on other opportunities to catch this film.