In true abysmal fashion, while wallowing at home in the middle of the day, I dedicated an afternoon to David Amit and Michael Laicini's "Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made" as I hoped it would stir up some excitement among the mundane day to day of the past few weeks.

"Antrum..." follows a teenage girl and her brother who, to save their dog's soul, dig a hole to hell. By removing layer after layer of earth, the horrors that emerge into the woods don't stop on screen. "Antrum...," in its complete form is presented as a cursed, lost film from the 70s. Hence "...Deadliest Film Ever Made."

Whether it was the notice of life harming potential that the Amazon Prime Video feature included, or the fact that I had some emails to send, I intentionally kept my vision divided when the film started. Just as a precaution. But not one that lasted. It quickly transformed from a background playthrough to my only focus.

"Antrum..." is presented as a partial documentary. One that is assembled with the "Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made" movie in the middle of two documentary segments. The beginning and end of the film present information regarding the film's eeriness, given such a striking title. The history that follows the film's creation is a daunting one filled with theater fires, deaths of critics, and more! These are especially interesting when paired with convincing interviews in each section. They start to support the notion that maybe it isn't all a gimmick.

Thankfully, that decision can rest with the viewers as there is never a hint of the arguments being fallacious. However, rather than spend the time wondering whether or not they are fact, it's a more valuable experience to decide what you thought of the film, and why.

Based on the film's setting and prop devices, it's easy to guess that the production budget was low. The same can be argued for the film nailing the style of 70s filmmaking. The way the two main characters interacted and spoke to each other felt more realistic than characters in modern-day horror. The footage was raw, and no camera tricks were necessary to enhance the scares on screen. In dabbling with demonic lore, the film's terror is a lot of what's seen in others like "Hereditary," or "Insidious," were most often the evil doesn't have to be seen but it's felt by the audience in the music, in the acting, in the framework.

The best takeaway after watching "Antrum..." has to be the compact yet excellent story shown in between all the documentary work. While it's understandable that a movie about a lost, cursed film would make for some excellent marketing, this standout element has little to do with how it's held in memory. Instead what is left to look back on is the fantastic story shown as simple as possible, two kids digging a hole to hell, and what they find.