Skip to content
NorthFactsFacts first, Canada's reference desk
Entertainment

What Lies Below

What is what lies below?

· James MacDonald

Key facts

Title What Lies Below[1]
Year 2020[1]
Director Braden R. Duemmler[1]
Writer Braden R. Duemmler[1]
Runtime 1h 27m[3]
Cast Ema Horvath, Mena Suvari, Trey Tucker[1]

What Lies Below is a 2020 American horror film written and directed by Braden R. Duemmler. It follows a 16-year-old girl who returns from camp and discovers her mother has a new boyfriend she intends to marry; the boyfriend may not be human. It is often confused with What Lies Beneath, a different film from 2000.

Context

What Lies Below is a 2020 American horror film written and directed by Braden R. Duemmler [1]. It follows a 16-year-old girl who returns from camp and discovers that her mother has a new boyfriend she intends to marry; the boyfriend may not be human [3]. The film has a runtime of 1 hour and 27 minutes [3]. Rotten Tomatoes classifies it as a Mystery & Thriller [5], while Common Sense Media calls it horror [2]. It is commonly confused with What Lies Beneath (2000), a different film directed by Robert Zemeckis [5].

Documented claims

  • The film is classified as a Mystery & Thriller by Rotten Tomatoes. [5]
  • Common Sense Media classifies it as a horror film. [2]
  • IMDb gives it a TV-MA rating. [3]

Questions and answers

What happens in the end of What Lies Below?

The ending reveals that the boyfriend is not human, and the film concludes with the 16-year-old girl in a perilous situation, though the exact outcome is left ambiguous [3].

Is What Lies Below worth watching?

Reviews are mixed; some critics find it a dire coming-of-age horror with a fishy twist, while others appreciate its thriller elements [4]. It may appeal to fans of low-budget horror [2].

What happens to Libby in What Lies Below?

Libby, the 16-year-old protagonist, returns from camp and becomes suspicious of her mother's new boyfriend, eventually discovering his true non-human nature [3].

Sources

  1. What Lies Below (2020) — imdb.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. What Lies Below Movie Review — commonsensemedia.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. What Lies Below Ending Explained — screenrant.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. What Lies Below review – a dire coming-of-age horror with a fishy twist — theguardian.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  5. What Lies Below (2020) — rottentomatoes.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Entertainment