In the Earth

As a deadly virus spreads across the world, scientist Dr. Martin Lowery sets out for a research station deep in a forest, where a colleague is studying the relationship between fungi and plant life. A park scout named Alma guides him on the two-day walk, but a nighttime attack leaves the pair injured and without their shoes or means of communication. They accept help from Zach, a man who lives apart from society in the woods, though his motives are not what they first appear to be. As the journey continues, the distinction between scientific explanation and older beliefs about the natural world becomes harder to maintain.

Ben Wheatley directed and wrote the film, which followed Rebecca in his filmography and was released in April 2021. Joel Fry plays Martin, Ellora Torchia plays Alma, Hayley Squires plays Dr. Olivia Wendle and Reece Shearsmith plays Zach Whitehead. Andrew Starke produced the British-American production, made by Protagonist Pictures, NEON and Rook Films, with 61 crew members credited.

Critics rated the film 6.7 out of 10 across 174 reviews, while audiences were less positive: it holds a rating of 5.1 out of 10 on IMDb from around 13,000 votes and 5.6 out of 10 on TMDB from just over 400 votes. The gap between the two suggests that reviewers found more in the film than general viewers did.