Digging Up the Marrow(2015)
2015 · Adam Green · 88 min
A documentary filmmaker turns his lens on an enigmatic conspiracy theorist who claims he's found the entrance to a vast underground city populated entirely by monsters.
Horror
5.4160 votes
TMDB score
2/5
Intensity
1/5
Gore
2/5
Stays with you
How Digging Up the Marrow scares
It feels more like watching an odd, slow-moving documentary than a traditional horror movie for most of its runtime, with talky scenes and interviews building curiosity rather than fear. The mockumentary style keeps things grounded and low-key, leaning on mystery and slow reveals instead of jump scares, though a few creature glimpses near the end try to deliver a jolt. There's barely any blood or violence shown, and the scares lean more toward eerie curiosity than real dread or gore. It's a good pick for fans of practical creature design and found-footage style who don't mind a slow, chatty build-up before things get strange.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Digging Up the Marrow rates psychological 3/5, visceral 2/5, gore 1/5, lingering effect 2/5, and overall intensity 2/5.
- Psychological: 3 of 5
- Visceral: 2 of 5
- Gore: 1 of 5
- Lingering: 2 of 5
- Intensity: 2 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 30 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 30 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 30 of 100 — leans Fun-scary
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow, talky mockumentary buildup that stays curious and low-key before a short, sharp burst of chaos near the very end.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 4.
How scary is Digging Up the Marrow?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Digging Up the Marrow rates 2/5 — moderately scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be restrained with gore and fun-first. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
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