Dead Above Ground

Set in a small town, Dead Above Ground follows the life of Jeff Lucas, a high school student struggling to find his place in the world. Despite his best efforts, Jeff has always been an outcast, often finding himself on the receiving end of ridicule and harassment from his classmates. He desperately tries to fit in, but his awkwardness and eccentricities always seem to set him apart. For his class project, Jeff's film teacher assigns a group to create a documentary about the local cemetery, where several tragic events have taken place in the town's history. However, Jeff has other ideas. As the group's de facto leader, he decides to abandon the documentary idea and creates a low-budget horror film instead. Titled "The Crypt Keeper's Revenge," Jeff's film is a campy, low-budget affair, complete with cheesy special effects and melodramatic acting. The other members of the group are skeptical of Jeff's vision, feeling that his film will not meet their teacher's expectations. Predictably, the group's doubts prove to be prophetic. When the teacher screens the film in front of the entire class, Jeff's classmates mock and ridicule him mercilessly. The film's amateurish production values, atrocious makeup, and ham-fisted acting make it a laughingstock. The ridicule Jeff suffers at the hands of his classmates soon turns to outright abuse. Fueled by their contempt for his failed film project, their harassment becomes a recurring theme throughout the story. Jeff finds himself constantly on edge, walking through the school corridors with his head down, anticipating another cruel remark or snide comment. One of the students in Jeff's class, a seemingly popular and confident girl named Laura, decides to take it upon herself to torment him mercilessly. She ridicules him in front of his peers, spreading rumors about his alleged "weirdness." As the story progresses, Laura becomes increasingly obsessed with breaking Jeff's spirit, and her bullying tactics escalate to new levels of intensity. Jeff's family becomes a source of comfort, particularly his grandmother, who shares her own experiences of being ostracized and belittled during her own high school days. Her stories offer Jeff valuable insight into the true nature of bullying – that it's not just a phase of adolescence, but a deep-rooted and pervasive social phenomenon. As Jeff navigates the dark waters of his own high school experience, he finds solace in his own creative pursuits – writing and filmmaking. He begins to see the value in creating something from scratch, and his passion for the arts ultimately helps him to cope with the harsh realities of his school environment. However, when Jeff discovers Laura's personal secrets, he realizes that her bullying behavior is not merely a product of her own insecurities but also driven by darker motivations. Her family has been affected by a traumatic event in their past, and Laura's cruelty towards Jeff is, in part, a misguided attempt to distract herself from her own pain. Throughout the film, director Albert Pyun weaves together a complex narrative that delves into themes of bullying, social exclusion, and the enduring power of creativity. Jeff's filmmaking project, initially intended as a source of embarrassment, ultimately serves as a platform for self-expression and personal growth. Despite its unassuming origins, Dead Above Ground tells a compelling and thought-provoking story about the importance of staying true to oneself and the transformative power of art. By exploring the complex emotional landscapes of its characters, the film shows us that, even in the darkest of times, there is always hope – and that, with determination and perseverance, we can overcome even the most significant obstacles.