Jan Bijvoet Archives - Sean Kelly On Movies

Take a journey through Europe in decline in Undergods. Street scavengers K (Johann Myers) and Z (Géza Röhrig) load dead bodies into their truck in a plague-ridden city and tell each other stories about their routines. This includes Ron (Michael Gould) and Ruth (Hayley Carmichael), a couple in a loveless marriage who enters into a twisted game with their neighbor Harry (Ned Dennehy). In another tale, Hans (Eric Godon) double crosses a mysterious foreigner (Jan Bijvoet), resulting in the kidnapping of his daughter Maria (Tanya Reynolds). Finally, Sam (Sam Louwyck) returns home after 15 years imprisonment to find his wife Rachel (Kate Dickie) remarried to disillusioned factory executive Dominic (Adrian Rawlins). Undergods is a futuristic Twilight Zone-like anthology film from writer/director Chino Moya. Taking place primarily in a crumbling European city, the film consists of many loosely connected tales featuring a cast that includes Johann Myers (Snatch), Kate Dickie (The Witch), and Jan Bijvoet (Borgman). While Undergods undoubtedly has a great futuristic look to it, I ultimately wasn't really able to fully connect with the stories and they relate to this Europe in decline. Undergods screens again at the 2020 Fantasia Film Festival on September 2, 2020, at 5:00 PM