The Deep Dark (Gueules Noir)

It is 1856 and with canaries in a coal mine the scene is set for an explosion and cave in which duly happens as well as providing a glimpse something else present in the mine.

Move forward to 1956 Morocco and French mining contractors are on the search for fit and cheap labour for their mines in France. Amir (Amir El Kacem) is chosen and carted off to France. There he’s forced to join a multi-national team headed by Roland (Samuel Le Bihan) heading into the ‘Devils Island’ of mines. To add to that they are forced to take down academic Professor Berthier (Jean-Hugues Anglade) who has insisted on a 1,000 metre shaft being sunk.

Reaching the bottom of the shaft, it becomes clear that Berthier has his own agenda when instructing where the explosives are to be placed. The area blown up opens some ancient galleries with writing on the wall and long dead bodies lying around.

The bodies get the team recalling the fate of the St Louis miners who were buried and never found. That fate seems sure to befall them when they suffer a cave-in. Cut off they soon realise they are not alone.
Mine based films can sometimes be as frustrating for the viewer as for a good percentage of the time they are as in the dark as the protagonists. Writer and director Mathieu Turi doesn’t try too hard to resolve that relying on the miners’ helmet torches for light and some curious lighting once the creature starts to make its presence felt and the cast begin to get whittled down.

Much of what happens is almost inevitable. The team’s bond begins to disintegrate once the possibility of a fortune in jewels is found. As is the perfidy of Berthier who is forced to confess his true motivation and what they are up against.

However Turi does develop quite a bit of tension within the tunnels with just enough glimpses of the creature to maintain dread until its revealed. And it is impressive too, befitting the wordy exposition of the lore behind it.

This does however affect the final act of the film as the ante is upped, matters become more desperate leading to chases around the tunnels losing some of the initial terror of the dark.

The Deep Dark received its UK premiere at Glasgow FrightFest 2024.