Beneath 2013

Six high school seniors—Johnny, Zeke, Kitty, Deb, Matt, and Simon—head out to a secluded lake for a final day together, hoping to savor one last moment of freedom before life takes them in different directions. Johnny carries a quiet caution after a warning from Mr. Parks, a friend of his grandfather, who urges them to treat the water with respect. Despite the stern advice, the group’s mood stays charged with talk of adventures and light-hearted bravado as they drift farther from shore.

From the outset, the day carries a restless energy. The boat rocks with their laughter and careless jokes, and the lake seems to listen in, almost too quiet to be ignored. As the sun dips, an unsettling sensation settles beneath the surface—an unknown force brushing against them, a pressure that grows by degrees and hints at something larger lurking in the water. The chill in the air, the murmur of the wind, and the sudden ripples create a growing sense of unease that the friends try to shrug off.

When the threat becomes undeniable, the group scrambles to reach the safety of land. They lose an oar in the struggle and Deb reaches out to grab it, only to be pulled into a fatal moment as a giant fish bites down, leaving her bleeding in the water. The remaining oar proves useless, and their attempt to row to shore becomes a race against a creature that seems to stalk them below the surface. In a desperate bid to survive, they throw Deb’s body overboard as a distraction for the monstrous predator, but the tactic fails, and the group is left stranded with dwindling options and rising panic.

Tension erupts around a fragile trust. Kitty accuses Johnny of knowing more than he lets on, pointing to a necklace he had once offered as protection. The accusation sows suspicion, and old resentments flare. In the midst of the chaos, Zeke tries to rally the group to cast Johnny overboard, arguing that he’s been keeping dangerous secrets. Before the plan can take shape, Zeke leaps into the lake—and the monster follows, as if drawn by the drama and the GoPro filming his every moment.

Matt’s fury spills over in a violent eruption: he hurls Zeke over the rail, and the fish eagerly consumes him, with the GoPro catching every brutal moment. The spectacle of the struggle fades into a grim reality—the boat remains a fragile lifeboat in a vast, deadly lake. Johnny, who has managed to reach shore, decides to act. He mounts a motorboat and heads back to attempt a rescue, praying to keep the others safe. He tries to tow the stranded boat by threading a rope, but the creature shoves the boat, sending it spinning and tightening the rope around his neck. In a final, tragic moment, Kitty, Matt, and Simon watch as Johnny’s struggle ends with a fatal snap, the rope cutting through.

Desperation grows into calculated action as Kitty, Matt, and Simon toss Johnny’s body back into the lake to keep the threat at bay, yet the fish shows an eerie disinterest in him, not consuming him as expected. The remaining trio wrestles with fear and blame, debating Zeke’s earlier insinuations about Kitty. Matt’s anger boils over, and he throws Kitty into the water, denying her any chance at riding back to safety. Kitty struggles to swim toward the shore, but she is blocked by the frayed loyalties and the chaotic dynamics between the brothers.

The brothers’ quarrel devolves into a brutal clash that ends with both of them toppling into the water. Simon sustains a head injury, and blood trails into the lake, drawing the predator closer. Matt rushes to help his brother, only for Simon to inexplicably kick him in the path of the fish, leaving Matt to be swallowed while Simon makes a desperate sprint toward the shore.

On the overturned motorboat, Kitty watches as Johnny’s lifeless body drifts nearby. She pulls off the necklace that Johnny passed to her, convinced it will offer protection, and plunges back toward safety. But the lake’s cold reality catches up: a furious, unhinged Simon blocks her path and drowns her in the shallow water, despite her pleas for mercy.

Night settles over the lake, and Simon—bloodied and hollow-eyed—meets Mr. Parks by the shore. Mr. Parks asks about Johnny, and Simon, broken, mutters that everyone is dead. The elder figure expresses a quiet sorrow and insists that Simon return to the water. When Simon refuses, Mr. Parks reveals a gun, along with Zeke’s GoPro, and a grim calm settles over the scene. He insists on knowing what happened, and when Simon resists, he fires, sending Simon tumbling back toward the lake’s depths. The fish drag him under, and the lake’s surface settles once more as Johnny’s tooth necklace glints on the lake bed, a final, bloody relic of the day’s terrible events.