Arrow, Blu-ray Limited Edition, out now

 ‘Are we going hunting this weekend?’

For the makers of this low-budget indie movie, keeping it in the family has a whole other meaning. Because the Adams Family from upstate New York are people who live and breathe horror films, at home and at work. The Deeper You Dig was co-written, co-directed by and stars real life couple John Adams and Toby Poser (she also handles the producing duties), with their daughter Zelda in a starring role, as well as being assistant director and co-cinematographer with her dad.

Fourteen-year-old Echo (Zelda Adams) and her mum Ivy (Poser) live up in the remote snowbound Catskills, and are more like best mates than anything. Ivy scratches a living doing fake tarot readings for old ladies desperate for contact with their dead husbands, and the pair like to go out hunting deer in their spare time. One unfortunate night, however, when Echo sneaks out to go sledding, she’s struck by new neighbour Kurt (John Adams) in his truck as he’s driving home drunk from a bar.

He takes the body back with him to the run-down house he’s renovating, finishing Echo off when it looks like she might still be alive. Frantic, Ivy enlists the help of the local police (misguided detectives played by Bob Lane and Izzy Figueredo) and puts out missing person flyers – all to no avail. When she receives a ‘message’ from Echo from beyond, Ivy realises her daughter is dead so it then becomes a case of who’s responsible and what to do about it. Meanwhile, after burying the body, Kurt’s being plagued by the ghost of Echo via the radio, whisperings and various sightings (‘You’re just in my head!’ ‘Not yet…’). Will Ivy and Echo end up with the justice they deserve?

Delivering an effective chiller on a shoestring is no mean feat, but the Adams Family make it look easy here. Assisted by an unsettling score, the film takes its time to build up the tension and unease. The direction and acting is spot on (heightened by the fact the cast all know each other so well), making you believe in what’s happening and I loved the idea of the mysterious Seven Circles. Ivy’s ‘visions’ are both creative and terrifying, giving Lynch a run for his money in the surreal stakes, and the finale wrongfoots the viewer at every turn – throwing in some well-placed gore for horror fans.

This limited edition also presents an earlier film by John Adams (as John Law): The Hatred. A period piece set during the Civil War in 1869, it nevertheless tackles similar themes of revenge and the supernatural. This time a hanged man (which incidentally was one of the cards from Deeper) is used by a young girl (Zelda again) as a means of avenging her murdered family (including real life sibling Lulu Adams).

Other extras include: reversible sleeve featuring two exclusive choices of artwork; double-sided fold-out poster; limited edition illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Neil Mitchell; audio commentary by Poser and John Adams; ‘At Home with the Adams Family’, an in-depth interview with the filmmakers; ‘It’s in the Blood: The Family in the Horror Genre’, an exclusive visual essay by critic Anton Bitel exploring the theme of family in Deeper and the Adams Family’s wider filmography; special effects breakdown with commentary by Trey Lindsay; a FrightFest TV interview with the Adams Family; Hellbender music videos; Theatrical trailer; Image gallery; and Kid Kalifornia music videos.

Verdict: If you want to see where the future of horror filmmaking is heading, check this release out. ‘Ain’t we got fun!’ 8/10

Paul Kane  

Watch for an interview with the Adams Family coming to Sci-Fi Bulletin soon