Beneath the Dark 2010

Vaughn Ely, a cherished figure in the quaint town of Smithville, TX, carries the weight of a shocking secret beneath his friendly exterior. Once celebrated as the high school’s top quarterback, he has since taken on the somber role of the local mortician. However, his seemingly calm life takes a harrowing turn when he uncovers that his lovely wife, Rosemary, is entangled in an affair with none other than David Moore, the husband of the English teacher. Overwhelmed by jealousy and rage, Vaughn decides to take matters into his own hands, firmly ensuring that their love affair comes to a grim end. In a shocking act of betrayal, he murders Rosemary but conceals her body within the confines of their home. Night after night, he dances with her corpse, clinging onto the remnants of their past as if she were still alive.

Taking his revenge further, Vaughn tracks down David while he’s out jogging at night, decisively burying him alive in Rosemary’s forsaken grave. Fast forward two years, an eerie series of events unfold when four high school students—Travis, Danny, Brian, and Abby—believe they witness a ghostly figure in Ely’s window as they spot him moving with his deceased wife. Convinced that Vaughn is not home due to his absence with his van, they tiptoe inside, only to discover a reality more chilling than they could have imagined. As Vaughn confronts them, he becomes a terrifying figure, grabbing Danny and shoving him mercilessly down the stairs. As Ely taunts Travis, the horror escalates, leaving the police to dismiss the teenage claims as mere fabrications.

Not willing to let the truth slip away, Travis and Abby embark on a mission to uncover the reality of Ely’s madness and to prove their claims regarding Danny’s tragic fate. Their daring first break-in leads to Abby’s capture, where Vaughn stashes her away in a casket buried within his backyard. During a frantic escape, Vaughn shoots at Travis, injuring him while ensuring that the boundaries of sanity continue to blur. With the medical team notifying law enforcement about his condition, Travis finds himself under their watchful eye. However, with determination fueling their friendship, Travis enlists Brian’s help to orchestrate an escape, triggering a chaotic sequence of misidentifications.

Upon his return to confront Ely and rescue Abby, the situation escalates perilously. Travis is soon captured, and Vaughn plans to bury the two of them alive, echoing the fate he dealt out before. In a moment of great bravery, as Travis digs his grave, Abby breaks free, displaying her fierce spirit as she runs for her life only to return, mask on and courage unyielding. Dressed in Rosemary’s attire, Abby confronts Ely, berating him for his heinous acts while pushing his already fragile psyche to the brink. This climactic encounter culminates in a battle of wills, with Team Abby launching a counterattack ultimately leading to their adversary’s downfall.

After burying Vaughn alive in a twist reminiscent of his own barbaric methods, Travis and Abby reclaim their freedom, making their way back to town to report Ely’s misdeeds to the Sheriff. The narrative closes in a dramatic fashion, showcasing Vaughn’s rescue from his grave, only to end up in an insane asylum—a perfect reflection of his shattered mind. Within the sterile confines of his cell, he breaks the fourth wall with a disenchanted declaration: “Love sucks.” This chilling summary reveals the darkly humorous yet deeply disturbing effects of love and obsession, and serves as a stark reminder of the lengths one can go when driven by heartbreak.