Brendan Muldowney's TheCellar is an atmospheric horror with an intriguing twist that something truly scary: Math.
In almost all horror films, it’s never a good idea to go into the basement. Things seem to always take a turn for the worst when someone takes the ominous walk down the creaky steps. The same rules apply in Brendan Muldowney’s The Cellar, except in this basement, it’s a stairway to hell that’s littered with complex mathematical equations.
Muldowney’s clever camerawork establishes a spiritual presence in the cellar as the camera slowly climbs up each step as Ellie struggles to open the door. Just before the camera reaches the top of the stairs, Brian finally gets the door open, avoiding the demonic spirit for now. The atmospheric horror is set, and only bad things will happen from here on out.
With her mother on the phone and a candle in her hand, a terrified Ellie counts each step aloud as she slowly makes her way down to the bottom. Keira encourages her to continue, despite Ellie’s hesitancy. It’s a costly decision as Ellie disappears at the tenth step, and a treacherous voice continues to count past ten, which horrifies Keira on the other line.