WFG RATING: B

Phil Herman presents in association with IkuZo Productions, Cheevies Film Productions, Devokees Productions, and Lonewolf Studios Uruguay. Directed by Derek Braasch, Will Devokees, Marcelo Fabani, Janes Panetta, and Phil Herman. Written and produced by Derek Braasch, Nina Trader, Will Devokees, Marcelo Fabani, Janes Panetta, and Phil Herman. 

Stars Christopher Kahler, Samantha Hupp, Phil Herman, Debbie D, Will Devokees, Kristina Santiago, Joseph DiGristine, Joseph Martin Jauch, Marcelo Fabani, Penelope Bogado, and Rudy Ledbetter. 

This horror anthology looks at four various tales from producer Phil Herman, who also appears in the final story of the anthology.

The film opens with a mysterious man digging up the grave of his beloved. He finds a book upon opening her casket and takes it back to his home. There, he introduces us to four tales of unsolved mysteries. The first is an abduction case involving a detective who learns the case may be closer to him than he ever expected. The second is a tale of a man returning home after three days only to inform his family he was abducted by aliens. The third tale tells the story of a woman whose house is haunted and needs help from a local exorcist. The final tale is one of a woman whose life may be turned upside down by a mysterious killer. 

This is quite an intriguing anthology from the minds of Phil Herman and crew. Taking four short stories based on possibly unresolved cases of murder, kidnapping, alien abduction, and hauntings, it is fascinating to see a variety of stories that bring something different not just in themes but in terms of the tones of each tale. 

For instance, the first story “The Ties That Bind”, the story of a detective involved in a kidnapping case, is the tamest of the bunch in terms of tone. There are no graphically violent scenes, no nudity, no predictability. Just a story that has some pretty good plot twists and turns as we learn the connection between the case and the detective’s horrid past. The second story, “Look Towards the Sky”, the story of alien abduction, is more of a psychological scare with brief nudity in it. The third tale, “Clean House”, an Exorcist-like tale of a young woman who encounters strange things in her home and relies on a local priest, has quite the insane scares involved with a shocking ending. 

The final story, “Highway Rivalry”, is the most graphic of the four. There are some pretty gruesome deaths, a very insane shower scene involving horror queen Debbie D, and Phil Herman himself playing the Highwayman, a notorious serial killer returning to his old grounds as a means to challenge the police. However, the twists this story takes are quite jaw-dropping. 

All in all, Phil Herman’s Unearthed is quite a fun anthology that tackles various themes and tones with its stories. My favorites are the bookend tales, both “The Ties That Bind” and “Highway Rivalry”. Definitely one to look out for!