It’s no secret that horror films can make for the best social commentaries, something proven once again with John C. Lyons and Dorota Swies’ Unearth, a genre film that shines a light on the catastrophic effects of fracking, the horrifying repercussions sown by short-sighted decisions, and what our children reap from our actions.
Helmed by Lyons and Swies, the film focuses on two neighbouring farm families whose relationships are strained when one of them agrees to relinquish their land to an oil and gas company. In the midst of growing tension, the land is drilled, and a long dormant killer pathogen, deep beneath the earth’s surface is released, resulting in terrifying consequences.
With Unearth available on DVD and Digital HD from today, June 28th, SCREAM sat down with the films key cast members, Marc Blucas (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, Brawl in Cell Block 99), Allison McAtee (Iron Man, We Summon the Darkness), Monica Wyche (“The Path, “The Defenders”) and P.J. Marshall (“Mindhunter”, “American Horror Story”) who explained why they felt compelled to help shine a light on this terrifying slice of the times and just how close to home these issues lie.
Words: Howard Gorman