The Devil Below 2021

As the mining crew departs the Shookum Hills Coal Mine, Schuttmann and his son Derek engage in a poignant conversation about their colleague’s reckless behavior, with Derek passionately urging his father to give the wayward worker another chance. But their heart-to-heart is abruptly disrupted by an unseen menace, which descends upon them like a dark specter. In a desperate bid to protect his son, Schuttmann springs into action, only to find himself felled by the creature’s vicious attack - his shoulder pierced and his movements rendered useless. As Derek lies battered and bloody, his anguished cries echo through the desolate landscape.

Years later, a team of intrepid scientists - Darren, Shawn, Terry, and Jaime - led by the fearless Arianne, embark on a perilous quest to uncover the secrets of Shookum Hills and its fabled coal mine. The once-thriving town has vanished from modern maps since the 1970s, leaving behind only whispers of its former existence. Rumors swirl that the disappearance is linked to an underground coal fire that has awakened ancient sinkholes, swallowing everything in their path. Darren, the team’s leader, is convinced that the fires were sparked by a rare and elusive mineral, but as they delve deeper into the mystery, it becomes clear that there are far more sinister forces at play.

As they stopped at the local store, Arianne (character) ventured inside to stock up on supplies and seek guidance to the fabled Shookum Hills. The proprietor’s puzzling response - a claim of never having heard of the place - only fueled her determination. Undeterred, she persisted, prompting him to advise her to retrace their steps. Outside, the storekeeper discreetly alerted an unknown party to potential trouble, as another vehicle began tailing them. Arianne’s quick thinking allowed them to shake off the pursuers, but they soon found themselves facing a dirt road barricaded by an electrical fence. The group broke through the barrier, revealing the abandoned Shookum Hills Mine, its discovery met with excitement tempered by puzzlement over the improvised electrified fence covering a sinkhole. As they lowered sensors into the hole to create a map of the tunnels beneath, Terry suddenly found himself dragged down into the abyss. Arianne and Jaime descended into the sinkhole in search of their missing companion, but he remained elusive. Meanwhile, Darren and Shawn encountered Dale, an irate local who demanded to know why they had disturbed the sinkhole’s cover. Frightened, they struck him unconscious, a decision that would prove costly.

As Arianne rejoined her companions, she revealed that monstrous creatures lurked in the tunnels. Panic set in as the group fled into the surrounding woods, leaving Shawn behind and claiming another victim - Dale, who had reported the sinkhole’s breach before succumbing to his injuries. Darren, Arianne, and Jaime found themselves rescued by a group of locals led by Schuttman, the former owner of the mines. He revealed that the true horror lay beneath their feet: monsters that had driven the town into extinction. The surviving townsfolk remained behind, determined to contain these beasts.

With this knowledge, Arianne volunteered to return with Ellroy and Shelby, two locals, to show them the sinkhole they had unleashed. Darren and Jaime chose to accompany her. As they ventured deeper into the tunnels, creatures ambushed them. Ellroy sacrificed himself to distract the monsters, allowing his companions to flee. Shelby also opted to draw attention away from Arianne and the two men, instructing them to make a hasty retreat. Jaime attempted to dispatch some of the creatures with a grenade, only for one to intercept him and knock the explosive out of his hand. His fate was sealed as it detonated, claiming another life.

As Darren’s exhausted and distraught demeanor gives way to a crushing admission, Arianne is left reeling as he reveals the true purpose of their expedition: to uncover the rare mineral coveted by a ruthless coal mining company. His betrayal shatters her trust, and she flees, vowing to return with reinforcements. However, her determination is short-lived, as one of the very creatures they’ve been exploring is lurking above ground, its paralyzing venom rendering her unconscious.

When Arianne awakens, she’s met with a grim reality: she’s on a makeshift raft, drifting towards an unknown fate alongside Shelby’s lifeless corpse. As they approach the lair of the monstrous beings, she’s reunited with Darren and Shawn, their spirits broken by the realization that these creatures are not just mindless beasts, but a colony-driven species that breeds and colonizes like ants or bees.

As Arianne is forced to witness the gruesome fate of her companions, she finds herself face-to-face with the queen creature: an imposing, immobile monstrosity that seems almost divine in its malevolent presence. The creatures’ attempt to feed her to this monstrous monarch is foiled when she recovers from the venom and unleashes a devastating grenade on the queen’s bloated form.

With Darren by her side, Arianne makes a desperate bid for freedom, but their escape is short-lived as one of the creatures intercepts them at the entrance. As Darren succumbs to the poison, he selflessly chooses to sever the rope rather than risk Arianne’s life, sacrificing his own in the process.

As the locals arrive on the scene, Arianne finds herself on the precipice of despair once more. However, Schuttmann intervenes, stopping the would-be executioner and helping her escape. The creatures are subsequently driven back into their tunnels by a hail of bullets and flames, but not before Arianne is left grappling with the weight of Darren’s sacrifice.

In the aftermath, as Schuttmann drives her back to the safety of the outside world, Arianne is confronted with the personal tragedy that has driven him to take on this monstrous threat. His son’s untimely passing has left an indelible mark, and he implores her to join him in his quest to keep these creatures from spilling into their world. Though hesitant at first, Arianne ultimately agrees to stand alongside Schuttmann against the monstrous hordes, driven by a mixture of guilt, compassion, and a determination to make amends for the horrors she’s witnessed.