Another Microhouse Films andย Terror Films Releasingย mash-up, Beliath is a found footage mystery that takes occult leanings and throws them at a news crew investigating local crimes. What they catch on camera, however, opens a whole new world of danger, debauchery, and demonic ties.
What begins as a routine crime report soon spirals into a descent through eerie folklore, buried cults, and unsettling discoveries that blur the line between journalism and obsession.
Beliath
We are thrown directly into the action when a local news crew discovers a body in the South Downs Forest. What they don’t realize is the body’s ties to witchy rituals spanning the past few decades. With an anchorwoman hellbent on getting the truth out and cameramen anxiously awaiting their doom, the crew investigate, unwittingly being investigated themselves. For in the shadows lies a secret that is too dark — too disturbing — to air on television.
I am a fan of found footage films, but I can see why some people don’t watch them. Beliath has the shaky camera with a 2001-era graininess over it, plus plenty of reasons to stop what they are doing immediately. Rachel (Caitlin Cameron), Martin (Charlie Murray), and Mark (Evan Emanuel) do pair well with each other, however Rachel’s incessant need to uncover the truth does much more harm than good. Mark is especially affected, growing more and more paranoid as their reporting goes on. His paranoia becomes their reality when shadowy figures are seen following them and interviewees become threatening. In the end, Rachel finds exactly what she was looking for.
While Beliath leans heavily toward typical found footage fare, I did like the addition of the cult aspect. Being set in rural England, having some of the townsfolk being in on it just seemed right, making the stakes higher for the crew as they slowly walk themselves into corners with every person they meet. Beliath excels at that aspect — providing a legitimate scare factor through the occult and killings — but I did get frustrated with Rachel’s insistence and Mark and Martin’s ease of giving in to her whims.
Found footage films are often slow burns, as is Beliath. While not lacking in scares, it does tone them down to more of a simmer rather than a loud bang; that’s not an issue though, as scares that grow with you often last longer. For those who have seen many other found footage films, this will fit right in. The ending is worth the wait.
Beliathย is streaming now on the Microhouse Films app. Download the app and learn more onย webย andย Instagram. Find out more about Beliath on web.
