If you're interested in the natural world and our place within it then Robert Macfarlane is an author worth seeking out. He has a rare gift with words and a keen eye for noticing the subtle ways in which reality is knitted together. So I was quite looking forward to Underland which is based on the book of the same name.

Here director Rob Petit takes three of the themes covered by Macfarlane and artfully weaves them together. The first follows Fátima Tec Pool descending into the caves of Yucatán, in the claustrophobic footsteps of her ancestors, while the third transports us to a dark matter detector deep under Canada. Linking the past and the future we enter the storm drains of Las Vegas with urban explorer Bradley Garrett.

These are very different spaces but all share the common experience of separating the individual from teeming humanity. Underground, shadows tremble and time slows. You sense that the subterranean world is almost as alien and hostile to humans as the space beyond our atmosphere - and yet as a species we are drawn to these sacred places.

Still Underland is no ordinary documentary. We hear from our explorers, as they go about their business, but the film leaves the audience to draw their own conclusions. The pleasing thing about this approach is that it leaves you plenty of time to appreciate the impressive cinematography and haunting musical score by Hannah Peel. Both of these enhance your sense of being taken on a journey.

That said there are so many other wonderful aspects to Macfarlane's book which did not make it onto the screen and that's a little disappointing. Obviously Petit had to make some serious choices on where to focus his attention but I think that I'd have picked glacial ice over a particle counter but that's just me.

The adventure genre features exciting journeys, quests, or expeditions undertaken by characters who often face challenges, obstacles, and risks in pursuit of a goal. Adventures can take place in a wide range of settings, from exotic and fantastical locations to historical or even everyday environments.

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

The history genre features recounting and analyzing past events, societies, cultures, and historical figures. This genre aims to provide insights into the development of civilizations, the causes and consequences of historical events, and the impact of individuals and ideas on the course of history.

The mystery genre features the investigation and solving of a puzzle, typically a crime or an enigmatic event. Mysteries are known for their suspenseful narratives, intricate plots, and the challenge they present to readers or viewers to piece together clues and solve the central mystery alongside the characters.

Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Chinatown (1974)

A cinematic voyage beneath the surface of the earth into worlds rarely glimpsed by human eyes to explore the unknown below our feet.

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Underland

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