ABOVE GROUND

Cinemavixion Review

Thomas Rennier's 2017 crime thriller, "Above Ground," plunges viewers into a tangled web of deceit and desperation, anchored by a compelling performance from Clayne Crawford as Thad Sitter. Sitter, a man trying to navigate a precarious moonlighting gig as a go-between for his weight-loss clinic boss, Gayle Benson (Heather Roop), and illegal diet pill suppliers, finds himself in an increasingly dangerous situation. When the suppliers escalate their demands, Benson's violent response forces Sitter to become entangled in a cover-up, pursued by both his ruthless employer and the law. The narrative gains complexity with the re-entry of Sitter's ex-wife, Julie (M.J. Brackin), who enlists a private investigator (Ken Hudson Campbell) to unravel the mystery. Adding another layer of tension is Sheriff Crane (Robert Leeshock), Julie's ex-partner and a man driven by jealousy, who sees an opportunity to implicate Sitter. "Above Ground" excels in its depiction of a character trapped by circumstance, with Crawford skillfully portraying Sitter's struggle for survival. The film, while perhaps not reaching blockbuster status with its IMDb rating of 4.0/10, offers a tightly plotted thriller that keeps audiences guessing until the final moments.