Beneath the Dark

Vaughn Ely, a former star quarterback in Smithville, TX, leads a seemingly normal life as a local mortician. However, hidden beneath his charming exterior lies a dark secret that shapes the lives of those around him.

Ely's world shatters when he discovers that his wife Rosemary is cheating on him with David Moore, the husband of the local high school English teacher. Enraged by this betrayal, Ely murders Rosemary and hides her body in his home, dancing with it nightly in a twisted display of love.

Determined to silence her lover, Ely tracks down David Moore while he is jogging at night. In a chilling act of revenge, Ely buries David alive in Rosemary's empty grave, ensuring that the affair will never happen again.

Two years pass, and four high school kids—Travis, Danny, Brian, and Abby—believe they witness a ghostly figure through Ely's window. They think it’s simply a trick of the light but decide to investigate further, unaware of the horrors that lie within.

The teens sneak into Ely's house, only to encounter the terrifying truth. Ely discovers them intruding and chases them down, resulting in a brutal confrontation where he shoves Danny down the stairs in a fit of rage.

Following the attack on Danny, Travis desperately tries to report the incident to the police. Despite his clear evidence of Ely's insanity and violence, the authorities dismiss his claims and refuse to take action.

Determined to rescue their friend, Travis and Abby break into Ely's home a second time. However, their plan fails dramatically when Ely captures Abby and hides her in a casket buried in his backyard.

As Travis attempts to escape Ely's clutches, he suffers a gunshot wound. He is taken to the hospital where the doctor alerts the police, leaving Travis helpless and under guard while he plots his next move.

Travis devises a plan to escape from the hospital with Brian's help. The police, mistaking Brian for Travis, chase him down, allowing the real Travis to slip away unnoticed to confront Ely and rescue Abby.

Ely captures Travis and takes him to the cemetery where he intends to bury him alive. In a moment of ingenuity, Travis urges Abby to escape, but she courageously returns to confront Ely in a desperate bid to save them both.

Disguising herself in Rosemary's clothes, Abby confronts Ely, challenging his twisted sense of love. As Ely's mental stability unravels, Travis seizes the opportunity to attack him, leading to a frantic struggle.

After overpowering Ely, Travis and Abby take justice into their own hands and bury him alive in the grave prepared for them. This act symbolizes their reclaiming of power after being terrorized by Ely.

With Ely buried, Travis and Abby make their way back to town to notify the Sheriff about the horrors they have encountered. Their return marks the beginning of the end for Ely's reign of terror.

Ely is eventually dug up from the grave but finds himself institutionalized in an insane asylum. In a moment of madness, he declares that 'love sucks' while breaking the fourth wall, leaving the audience to ponder his twisted psyche.