From Plaion Pictures and writer/director Howard J. Ford comes Bone Keeper, an ancient being writhing beneath the Earth’s surface. Part creature feature and part claustrophobic caving adventure, Bone Keeper puts local folklore to the test when a group of friends searches for those gone missing decades before.
Six young friends investigate missing persons cases in a remote cave system, unaware they’re being stalked by an ancient creature lurking in the depths.
Bone Keeper, IMDB
Take The Descent‘s confined spaces, mix it with the alien force of Cloverfield, add in the transformative, unhinged power of Annihilation, and you have Bone Keeper. A mix of scared townsfolk and a caving disaster waiting to happen, this film leaves no space to feel safe, not even above ground. We start off strong with a fireball flying towards the Earth, setting the scene for the danger now hidden underground. In present day, friends discuss the disappearances of one’s family members as they were doing scientific research in a Welsh cave system. Wanting to solve the mystery and get some answers, they take on the challenge — against the warnings from the locals. With the help of a renowned professor and a travel vlogger, they meet with a being unlike anything humans have seen before. It spells nothing but trouble in this action-packed thrill ride of a monster movie.
And that monster is definitely the star of the show. Bone Keeper‘s resident alien is an enormous, octopus-like creature that has the ability to stalk and capture its prey, dissolving and reassembling them into something unrecognizable. The agony the hunted feels when caught looks absolutely excruciating. If you’re able to get away with huge gashes and PTSD, consider yourself lucky. Though I much prefer practical effects, Bone Keeper‘s alien was a rather good computer animation; for example, we see close-ups of the human-alien transition clawing its way through the caves — honestly, my favorite parts. Even the asteroid crash at the start was fascinating and a very apropos mood-setter. But don’t fret about the lack of realism, the film was actually shot in a real cave, so there’s that.
Storywise, Bone Keeper is a simple “find the missing mom” plot. Our main girl is obvious and we know most, if not all, of the friends are fodder for the horrors that happen in the caves. While not exactly necessary, the addition of Super 8 film snippets set the scene and provide some background. Bone Keeper primes you for 90 minutes of nonstop fright.
Bone Keeper is what I would call a Modern B-Movie, heavily focusing on the creature and not as much on the story or getting to know the characters. And while some might find that irritating, I would say that’s how it should be. I came here for a monster — and that’s what I got!
Bone Keeper had its worldwide premiere at FrightFest Glasgow on March 6th. The film will be available for digital download (UK) on April 6th. For more, visit writer/director Howard J. Ford on Instagram.
