In The Earth

Even though some sections feel rushed and it falls apart at the end, every part of it is memorable.

Does "In the Earth" run off the rails into addled sensationalism in the end? Yes. But while it's steaming ahead at full power, Wheatley's magic mushroom trip is a grueling yet exhilarating ride.

In The Earth feeds the indiscriminate appetites of gorehounds and bong-rippers alike. Everyone else may find it as ghastly boring as the violence is just plain ghastly.

Sinister and hilarious, psychedelic yet grounded, absurdist while still gripping, In the Earth will take root in you.

The film rattles apart as it goes along...

Wheatley crafts a plague film that isn't necessarily about a plague, but that captures the anxiety and fear of invisible forces beyond our control impelling us, unknowingly, into danger.

Some aspects are tasty in the moment, but the aftertaste is nothing too special.

It's smart and well-crafted, but "In the Earth" is an uneasy and awkward blend of art house horror and grisly midnight movie schlock.

In the Earth is like COVID on an acid trip with only Ben Wheatley as your guide, which means that all you can do is clench your seat and wait for the effects to wear off. Whether you like it or not, sh*t is about to get weird.

Wheatley definitely bites off more than ten mouths could chew, but his wild-eyed chomping around on everything within reach for just a taste of meaning sure feels relatable at this moment in time.