Digging Up the Marrow
A self-reflexive horror documentary becomes an unsettling investigation into a hermit’s claim that real monsters live beneath the human world.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- playful
- self aware
- eerie
- late night horror marathon
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics generally recognized the film's ambitious self-reflexive premise and creature effects but found it uneven, overly self-conscious, and less frightening than intended.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Adam Green appears as himself while investigating William Dekker's claims, and the film repeatedly comments on horror filmmaking and genre fandom.
The filmmakers begin by documenting monster art before their interview with Dekker redirects the project toward alleged real monsters.
Dekker claims that monsters inhabit hidden underground tunnels, making the buried spaces central to the investigation and creature encounters.
The film adapts Alex Pardee's monster artistry into colorful, eye-catching practical and digital creature effects.
Films like Digging Up the Marrow, and why
The Blair Witch Project
self-reflexive found footage horror with filmmaker protagonists and genre in-jokes
The Last Exorcism
meta horror filmmaking, documentary framing, and playful engagement with genre conventions
Nightbreed
underground monsters, creature design, and philosophical questions about what makes a monster
What We Do in the Shadows
mockumentary approach to supernatural creatures with a mix of comedy and horror
Movie Details
- Director
- Adam Green
- Release Date
- 2015-02-20
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 5.4 / 10 (161)
Cast
- Ray Wise
- Adam Green
- Kane Hodder
- Mick Garris
- Rileah Vanderbilt
- Josh Ethier
- Tom Holland
- Sarah Elbert
- Alex Pardee
- Nic Henley
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Digging Up the Marrow about?
- A self-reflexive horror documentary becomes an unsettling investigation into a hermit’s claim that real monsters live beneath the human world.
- What is Digging Up the Marrow like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Digging Up the Marrow as slow, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Digging Up the Marrow violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Digging Up the Marrow as moderate.
- What did critics think of Digging Up the Marrow?
- Critics generally recognized the film's ambitious self-reflexive premise and creature effects but found it uneven, overly self-conscious, and less frightening than intended.
- Which films are like Digging Up the Marrow?
- Films with a similar feel include The Blair Witch Project, The Last Exorcism, Nightbreed, and What We Do in the Shadows.
- How long is Digging Up the Marrow?
- Digging Up the Marrow runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch Digging Up the Marrow?
- In United States, Digging Up the Marrow streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+.
