Release: Below the Surface

 

Below the Surface

Genre: Drama

Director: Fran Kranz

Writer: Sammy-Jo Ellis

Cast: Jon Bernthal, Brooklynn Prince, Ian Bohen, Jordana Spiro, Reed Birney

Budget: $15,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $11,130,600

Foreign Box Office: $6,995,405

Total Profit: -$14,000,062

Reaction: Below the Surface did not manage to bring in much at the box office, but its modest budget at least kept the losses from spiraling too far.

"Below the Surface is an exceptionally understated drama that understands grief doesn't arrive through grand speeches or dramatic breakdowns, but through silence, routine, and the painful absence of everyday moments. Fran Kranz's restrained approach allows the emotional weight to build naturally, while Jon Bernthal is given one of the strongest roles of his career as a father struggling to navigate life after unimaginable loss. The film occasionally risks being too quiet for its own good, but its commitment to honesty never wavers." - Jonah Halberg - The Atlantic

"Below the Surface is a deeply restrained and emotionally devastating portrait of grief, anchored by outstanding work from Jon Bernthal. The film is patience - sometimes too patient - but carries some emotional punch to it." - Allen Bohl, Casper Star-Tribune

"Below the Surface confuses minimalism with meaning, mistaking a lack of dramatic momentum for understated filmmaking. Long stretches of silence and repetitive domestic routines feel dramatically shapeless, as though the film mistakes stillness for depth. The casting also raises problems: Brooklynn Prince is undeniably talented, but feels noticeably too old to convincingly play a ten-year-old, which weakens the film’s central father-daughter dynamic. Jon Bernthal does admirable work, but even he struggles to elevate the film." - Scott E. Kerr, Chicago Reader

Rated PG-13 for language and thematic material