Dig Two Graves (2014) User Reviews (33)

Very good mid-Western noir with supernatural undertones

[Red-Barracuda · 7/10 · 25 April 2017]

A teenage girl makes a Faustian pact with a trio of gypsies who promise that they can use the occult to bring back her recently dead brother in return for the life of an innocent person of their choosing.

Dig Two Graves is a film which I definitely hope is picked up and given a proper distribution. It would be a criminal waste otherwise, as this is a very well-made supernatural tinged thriller. It brought me to mind of Winter's Bone (2010) in which it shared both the derelict and battered location (both films were shot on either side of the same river seemingly), as well as a story of a teenage girl in the middle of a dangerous situation created by the past actions of the adults who surround her, the upshot being that this youngster comes across as the most level-headed character in her neighbourhood. While this one doesn't measure up to the quality of Winter's Bone as such, it remains a very good effort indeed and one that deserves a wide distribution, as I truly expect that this one will connect with many people. The story is set in 1977 but there are several flashbacks to 1947, it seems that there was a very bad event in the past that has informed the present, with ghosts from the past returning to the surface demanding closure in one way or another.

Director Hunter Adams has done a very good job here, putting together an interesting dark story and ensuring that it looks great throughout. Like a lot of regional films, the southern Illinois setting is a character in itself, with the run-down locales contrasting with the beautiful natural scenery – it's a great location for a mysterious thriller. Setting it in the 70's is a bonus, as it ensures that modern technology does not get in the way of the story, while benefiting the supernatural angle that underpins it; the period detail additionally adds appealing visual flavour to proceedings also. Another plus point is the acting, with Ted Levine given a very rare lead role. He is most well-known to genre fans for his highly creepy turn as Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), in this one he is a conflicted lawman with dark and troubling secrets and his talents bring a lot to the table here. Even better is newcomer Samantha Isler who puts in a very good performance as the young girl at the centre of the narrative. She is thoroughly convincing and sympathetic here. In summary, this is a beautifully photographed and well-acted dramatic thriller, with an intriguing story and great location. Hopefully it will find its way to a wider audience.

Atmospheric and engaging little move

[aldiboronti · 6/10 · 28 March 2017]

I don't know what film the reviewer who slammed this saw but it bears no relation to the one I watched.

An incident takes place in 1947. Two people die and the two men involved in those deaths and those they love are revisited by them some 30 years later. The small town which is the setting for the unfolding drama is peopled by an assortment of characters, from seemingly everyday folks to those living on the periphery of society, gypsies and cultists of the serpent. Their lives intertwine as a 30-year old wrong finally takes its toll on the town.

I loved the film. Ted Levine is as always excellent and the young actress Samantha Isler is a real revelation. The movie is worth watching for those two performances alone. I predict a great career ahead for Hunter Adams who both wrote and directed.

At least it tried to be different

[Wizard-8 · 5/10 · 7 July 2018]

I will give the makers of "Dig Two Graves" some credit where credit is due. First of all, despite having a real low budget, the movie does look very decent; the movie looks technically sound, and has some striking images every so often. Second, while you may think you're able to guess how the movie plays out from its plot description, the movie does surprise by going down a much different path. Unfortunately, in the end I probably would have preferred had the movie gone down the most expected path, even though there have been many movies before it that have gone down the same path. Although the movie only runs 84 minutes long, it plays out in an extremely slow manner, and for the first two-thirds constantly spins its wheels with very little to nothing of consequence happening. Another problem is that there are some head-scratching plot points that are ultimately not answered in a satisfactory manner, or simply not given any effort in answering at all. In the end, the movie is too unsatisfying to recommend, despite it being obvious that the filmmakers were trying for something different than usual. Maybe next time...

A Hidden Gem

[trnjamesbond · 7/10 · 14 April 2017]

Dig Two Graves is a throwback to an era when films were still good, was this a horror? Was it a drama? Or was it a little in between?

This film feels like a lot of films, such as Pumpkinhead, Pet Cemetery, also Thinner. As we go on this journey of revenge, we will see hints of the titles mentioned. I find that the performances in this film were far beyond great, and a lot of the times it felt like I was watching a good old western, waiting for the Sheriff to take out the bad guy.

I must say, this film is underrated and deserves more attention. I give it 7 out of 10 stars due to the fact it looks fantastic, due to the stellar acting, and the great cinematography. It was well directed and the cast was awesome. Too bad this type of film doesn't hit mainstream cinemas, with all the garbage being sold these days this would of been of been a breath of fresh air.

Dig Two Graves review

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 21 April 2020]

Three strange brothers offer a grieving teenage girl the opportunity to bring her recently deceased brother back to life. A movie that fails to deliver on its early promise is salvaged to a degree by the performances of Ted Levine and young Samantha Isler. It doesn't really seem to know what kind of movie it wants to be and subsequently lacks consistency. Can't for the life of me figure out why the brothers were dressed like 1880s moonshiners, or whether they really had the power to deliver on their offer or whether it was all a scam in order to get their revenge. A shame - it could have been a real success had a little more thought (and care) been put into it.

Dig Two Graves: Let's Cut that Sum in Half, Shall we?

[jtncsmistad · 4/10 · 18 March 2017]

I thought this movie would actually be pretty cool from it's moderately intriguing description. I thought wrong.

"Dig Two Graves" is senselessly silly from conception to execution. Nary a moment of the 85-minute running time can be taken remotely seriously even in terms of a low-budget, satanic cult-infused horror flick.

If there is any good that may be cultivated here, it is represented by the performances we get from two actors-one a veteran, the other a relative newcomer. Ted Levine ("Buffalo Bill" from "Silence of The Lambs") and promising young talent Samantha Isler (whom you may recognize from this year's mostly under the radar and surprise Oscar-nominated indie "Captain Fantastic") each deliver quite admirably in their respective roles in this otherwise much less than commendable crudfest.

How about digging just one grave? And then dumping this stinker in it.

two entirely different movies, awkwardly joined (disappointed!)

[paradux · 7/10 · 27 March 2017]

Extraordinarily uneven and disappointing (but oddly promising!) effort from Hunter Adams.

Two entirely different movies, really.

The first half hour has a distinctive STRANGER THINGS vibe (referencing the breakout quirky hit TV show from 2016). The characters are interesting and hold the attention, the script is sharp as a knife, Isler's performance is hypnotic, and the direction is deft and riveting.

Even the high school scenes (really hard to do) ring true.

I kid you not -- if you are a film junkie, by the 30 minute mark you are on social media telling your friends you think you found a hidden gem.

Then, suddenly and without warning, everything changes. It is as if the budget and the creative drive both ran dry at the same time.

The last hour is a mishmash of flashbacks and cult clichés, both usually the last refuge of desperate film-makers.

Ugh! And, while we are being honest, even the title looks like it was slapped on at the last minute by someone who had not even read the script.

"Dig two graves" is a reference to an old adage about the problem with seeking revenge -- if you go down that road, you should prepare by digging two graves. One for your target and one for yourself.

Problem is, this story has almost nothing to do with revenge!

Cheeserella

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 22 July 2017]

The film opens with the sheriff and his deputy tossing two bodies into a quarry. Years later Jake (Samantha Isler) and her brother are at the same spot. They were going to jump in together, Jake balks and her brother is never found. Jake is approached by three strangers who claim they can bring her brother back, but someone has to take his place, like the bullied William (Gabriel Cain) who no one would miss.

The film takes its title from Chinese proverb: "When you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves." During the film we get flashbacks to the original incident. The film was more thriller than horror with just a slight touch of the supernatural. It was well made, but the story didn't grab me as I kept waiting for something I didn't expect to unfold.

Winner 2015 Beaufort International Film Festival Best Feature, actor, and director. Filmed in Marion, Illinois Guide: F-word. Brief sex and nudity (Sauda Namir)

Enjoyable

[gustheaffen · 7/10 · 26 July 2018]

I was expecting a different type of movie. This was well cast and the story was interesting. It was a reasonable length and had some twists and details you wouldn't have expected. One of the better made movies of this type today.

Great cinematography, not so great direction.

[NekatsiEmanresuSiht · 3/10 · 19 September 2017]

Oh, I did not like this one.

It started well, I loved the aesthetics, camera work was great, and the actors were doing a great job. Nice story too! However, I'd say the director made some pretty dubious decisions here as the whole thing started looking quite amateurish quite soon. The editing, for instance, felt just plain wrong a lot of the time. Also, some important parts of the story felt rushed, and some totally unnecessary scenes were kind of forced in. It just felt like a good story poorly translated into cinema, and I couldn't shake that feeling until the end.

This movie has rather big ratings among the film critics - and from what I can see here, the common mortals loved it, too. I have no idea why. Oh well... you can't always agree with everyone. 3 stars from me because (although it was great in many regards) it flunked in the most important aspect. Cheers!

Horror Worth Watching

[parsonm2 · 9/10 · 30 March 2017]

I gave myself a day to process this movie before commenting on it. A little girl is haunted by the death of her older brother and is offered a bargain by a strange trio of gypsies to bring him back, at a price. Bottom line, I wish all horror films were this good. This movie really has just about everything I want in a horror movie: childhood nostalgia and tragedy, a cult, mysterious gypsies, people haunted by dark secrets of their past, magic, etc... and it's all tied together with a very satisfying ending. I would have liked to have seen one more thing happen in the movie that never quite did but I think that's why the movie resolves so well. Well-filmed and acted.

Yep

[scottmh-00401 · 7/10 · 7 April 2018]

Interesting story that keeps pulling you in as the movie goes on. Starts out a psycho horror movie and ends up a tragedy

cinematography is great

[bryttniallen · 4/10 · 5 May 2018]

Acting is okay. I dislike the direction of the movie. This isn't a horror movie; misleading title and description.

Alright Movie, not what I expected

[SpookyJackie · 6/10 · 1 August 2017]

I was going through Netflix finding a horror movie to watch (In the horror section), and I stumbled upon a thumbnail of a young girl and what looks like a promising movie.

From reading the description and because of the genre section it was in, I was expecting a lot more of something that falls into the supernatural realm - but that's where I was wrong. Honestly, this movie wasn't half bad, but it falls within drama more than any other genre.

It wasn't a low budget movie, and the atmosphere of this film was great. It fell short of my expectations because I thought it would be something more intense or creepy, but it turned out to be more of a mystery-drama.

I can see many people enjoying the film, but the people I watched it with had mix feelings. Half of them thought it was "alright," and the other half found it pretty boring.

Worth a watch? Not really, but if you have spare time, it's not bad to check it out.

beautiful and boring

[phenomynouss · 6/10 · 28 October 2017]

this is such an amazingly crafted film, with a very low-key subtle style that is genuinely compelling, and Ted Levine makes his character an absolute joy to watch and listen to.

the problem with the movie is despite how stylish and well-crafted it is, it's boring. I can't think of any genuine knock on the film other than perhaps its pacing, but that alone isn't enough to explain why it's just so boring

Ok movie nice cinematography

[desertship-78246 · 5/10 · 28 October 2018]

At times the movie drags on, stretching a simple story of revenge with a hint of supernatural undertones; a tad too long. The flashbacks tied in nicely to the story telling, to a satisfying ending.

I give it a 6 for mystique, effort, and Ted Levine, but it falls flat.

[keelhaul-80856 · 6/10 · 23 October 2017]

Me and the wife were really intrigued to see this film, which we both decided on after looking up lists about little-known horror films of late.

The setting is spooky and surreal, and the scene where the girl is approached by the 3 gypsy men is very unsettling. They set the stage nicely with this.....and then....it is pretty much a letdown from there. I was expecting SO MUCH MORE!!! After seeing all the awards and hype about this smaller film, I had envisioned some dark and original stuff.

The setting is nice, and it boasts some creepy characters, veteran actors, and a Chinese proverbial title, but even with all that as a great foundation, this film just left me feeling bored and misled by the end.

It would have been so much better if the creepy gypsies assaulted the girl(which is what they led you to believe in the trailer and leading up to the meeting), or if she had some weird plans with them to exact revenge. Maybe she did, as I was drinking and lost interest, but the way they did the part of her being asked to sacrifice her friend for her brother just seemed disjointed and lame. The flashbacks got lamer, and I felt Ted Levine's talent was wasted on this project.

Some snake cult people, gypsies being raped in flashbacks, and some shotgun action-- that was about the extent of the movie. It had all the atmosphere and decent actors, but the whole thing feels like a weird dream you had on drugs, but that doesn't really pay off with anything memorable. When I don't recall anything spectacular or original in a horror/suspense flick, you failed to impress. Such a waste of a good premise, with disjointed nonsense that felt like it was jammed together on the cutting room floor by different writers/editors/directors on different planets. I was kind of disillusioned and lost by the end.

Interesting and kept my attention

[km_staple · 5/10 · 1 July 2018]

I know movies with multiple stories going on can annoy a lot of people. I found it captivating. Not perfect but not a bad way to spend 2 hours on a Saturday.

Good use of cinematography while the rest is cliché

[n-24312 · 26 June 2017]

Cinematically Dig Two Graves is a decent movie, the mysterious noir aesthetics is just right, most scenes are breath-takingly crafted. What it really lacks is a more authentic and fluent way of storytelling to go with it. From a pop culture fanatic's point of view, elements found in Dig Two Grave rings more than just a few bells. 80s, young teenagers, quarry accidents...I know what you're thinking, stranger things came afterwards, but I can't help but to reminiscent of Let Me In during the bully scene. Wait, Three criminal Gypsy brothers? You know its about to get "Peaky". Even the costumes look a bit redundant, don't know if they're purposely making one of the guys look like Lincoln. The audience is meant to be curious of what happens next, yet the plants they've used in this movie are so obvious they almost take away the excitement of occasionally being able to recognize them. 15 minutes in You feel like you're back in high school proof reading your friend's English essay packed with attention drawing, awkwardly artificial metaphoric objects. It bores down the whole inquiring process when you're literally getting bombarded by raw information every two minutes as the characters are busy trying to keep you updated through their clunky cigars and dialogue. Everything is the opposite of what a seamless story telling should look like. At one point a question is raised, then it gets answered too quickly. Rather than a gradual build up of suspense, Dig Two Graves exudes short spurts of energy that come across as adrift of its genre. Dear film makers, at least try to make your audience feel stupid, that's what good film making is all about. We like it better that way.

Excellent visuals, good acting, poor story.

[OscillatingGravel · 6/10 · 28 April 2019]

I was put on to this film by the director's late father who was a personal friend. I had high hopes going in.

I loved almost everything about this film from creative standpoint. It was shot well, with some very clever 'back in time' scenes. Mr. Adams is without question skilled. The landscape was great, the acting was at a high level, the dramatic scenes deliver and are exciting, you understand the characters and why they are doing what they do. Very cohesive and overall extreamly well put together.

My hang up for not giving it a higher rating is simply put the story, you don't really connect with anyone or care to much about what happens to them. It's filled with tragedy and pain. While it's intended to be dark, the overall narative for me was a letdown.

I really was rooting for this film, I wanted to love it. While it's certainly worth a watch, I can't say I came away enjoying it.

Yes, it was actually quite good.

[paulclaassen · 5/10 · 20 June 2018]

What lengths would you go to to see deceased loved ones again? What would you sacrifice to right what has been wronged? The film is essentially about the consequences of two corrupt police officers. This is pure evil, done perfectly from an innocent child's perspective. Well acted with very good visuals. It is even more disturbing to see what a teenager is prepared to sacrifice to overcome her sorrow and suffering. Samantha Isler was exceptionally good in this role.

Very good, albeit a bit weird at times. The film is labelled a 'gothic thriller', though.

A gem in hiding

[the_raven67 · 8/10 · 2 September 2018]

I avoided watching this movies for a while but I wish I'd watched it sooner. it's one of those movies you get a feel for straightaway and has you guessing most of the way through only to switch back and make you wonder.. Brilliant flashbacks and the ends are tied up so you know you just watched something good. Thoroughly recommend it.

Dig Two Graves

[marinaant-36217 · 7/10 · 6 November 2021]

This was a beautiful film I really found myself enjoying it a lot and it has a deep meaning even though it was kinda slow paced it had the mystery and suspense to make me wanna keep watching it, I didn't like that the ending was so sudden though I expected it to show more.

Twas alright

[Howling_at_the_Moon_Reviews · 4/10 · 19 December 2021]

Interesting plot but it was a tad drawn out and got a bit slow at the beginning of the second half. Great performances by the young girl and her grandfather. Would recommend but not adamantly.

Well, this was a cool surprise.

[matthewssilverhammer · 8/10 · 6 February 2018]

A unique and provocative thriller about rising above the sins of the past, it's slightly heightened yet familiar, like a surreal nightmare. Imagine the otherworldly evil of The Witch thrown into the realistic American heart of It, but without any of the blatant horror of either. Even with the unwieldy storytelling, it's a beautifully gothic and creepy indie, hiding within the bowels of Netflix like a deep dark secret in a family tree.