PRESS
“The NAPOLEON DYNAMITE of alien conspiracy movies… Borowiec and Marine are able to pump so much vibrancy into this picture through lovingly staged shots and an infectious soundtrack… I left [MAN UNDERGROUND] feeling upbeat and inspired.”
— The Scream Cast
“Initially humorous but ultimately unsettling… the daring storytelling decision is what makes MAN UNDERGROUND such a bold, memorable film... One of the most impressive not-quite-sci-fi movies in recent memory.”
— Cinema Slasher
“The latest gem to emerge from the loose U.S. wave of personal indie genre visions of recent years... MAN UNDERGROUND is a very special and uncomfortable film. A sometimes funny, sometimes frightening work of intense paranoid drama with chilling elements of sci-fi and an incredible lead performance from FLAKED’s George Basil. MAN UNDERGROUND also spikes as a cautionary tale about emotionally fragile filmmakers making cripplingly personal works... A very special film that instantly announces its co-writing/directing team of Michael Borowiec and Sam Marine as major new talents to watch. In fact, you won’t be able to look away.”
— Mitch Davis, Fantasia Film Festival
"The best of the four [Fantasia films reviewed here] is a close call but I’ll go with Michael Borowiec and Sam Marine’s heartbreaking MAN UNDERGROUND... carried by truly genuine, lived-in performances from a trio of actors who are very careful not to mock the people they’re playing—those living on the fringe of society, and possibly sanity."
— RogerEbert.com
“The film mixes a slow, quiet dread of the initial moments with Macon Blair in BLUE RUIN with an almost broad silliness of Will Forte’s role in LAST MAN ON EARTH… It creates its own little world that’s coherent and captivating, finding both the power and the pathos of this tragic character who at least for himself believes in his narrative… As a love letter to the thrills of conspiracy along with reveling in the lunacy that is indie filmmaking, MAN UNDERGROUND is a fine work indeed.”
— Screen Anarchy
“We’re sharing [I ADORE DOLORES] with Adult Swim for their 3 a.m. programming block. It’s as good as anything on the network: dark, hilarious, and clinically detailed. Watch all 20 minutes and be part of a consciousness you never knew existed.”
— Vulture
“Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure for the Adult Swim generation… the most bizarre & unexpected concept out there. [I ADORE DOLORES is] a candy-palette vision on acid, from a wildly irresistible trio of talented ladies.”
— Gabriele Capolino, The Gotham TV Series Lab
“The kind of comedy that could air on a normal tv channel without anyone suspecting it wasn’t made by a professional company… an inspired piece of work, packed full of demented ideas yet also very funny lines and jokes… The cast are all superb, and it contains an impressive mix of different styles of humour, all of which makes [I ADORE DOLORES] a one of a kind comedy that I’d love to watch new episodes of each and every week.”
— Comedy To Watch
“We can promise you’ll be thoroughly blown away by it’s unique effort to tell a truly dysfunctional, yet heartwarming “phoenixing” story… If you like content that’s part Pee Wee’s Playhouse, Strangers with Candy, Too Many Cooks, and a disturbing dab of Happytime Murders, then [I ADORE DOLORES] is the show for you!”
— Comedy Cake
“An anything-goes pilot episode of a TV comedy series the world needs. Sitcom parodies are a dime a dozen, but few this uproarious, an I-can’t-believe-they-made-it masterpiece of beautifully realized absurdity… I ADORE DOLORES goes where it wants to go, left turns all the way, an instant classic of inspired buffoonery.”
— Kentucker Audley, NoBudge 2020
“Teeming with awkward exchanges and richly funny character detail, [MAGGIE SO LOW] is carried by its terrific ensemble cast, led by the painfully convincing lead performance of Becky Chicoine. The Borowiec filmmaking duo was part of the creative team behind I ADORE DOLORES, a bonkers TV pilot episode that we featured last year, and which made our 2020 Films of the Year list.”
— Kentucker Audley, NoBudge 2021
“The cast and producer additions [to SURGAT] add extra weight to a title which is shaping up as one of the highest-profile titles at this year’s Frontières Market.”
— Variety
“Amusing, big-hearted, and decidedly offbeat.”
— That’s Not Current
“As sweetly funny as it’s emotionally tragic.”
— The Film Stage
“A special little film that knows exactly what it’s doing… one of the highlights of this year.”
— UK Horror Scene
“It’s heartbreaking. It’s exciting. It’s realistic... The emotional depth of this intimate indie is impressive… MAN UNDERGROUND is a tense character study with a terrifying central mystery. The sparse cast is solid and the central characters are deep and well-fleshed out.”
— No Real Danger
"About as entertaining a film as you are going to find. I was blown away by the writing and direction from Michael Borowiec and Sam Marine."
— VideoViews.com
“Basil is wonderful as Willem... A movie that feels truly independent, free of studio restraints and agendas, MAN UNDERGROUND, much like its lead, is a film that wears its heart on its sleeve. An interesting feature debut for directing duo Sam Marine and Michael Borowiec.”
— The Hollywood News
DIRECTORS Q&A
“Basil carries the film with his natural delivery and absolute dedication to his odd and troubled character, and the well-written secondary characters round out the dialogue with catch-you-off-guard charm that saw [MAN UNDERGROUND] emerge with the New Flesh Award for Best First Feature at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival.”
— Spectacular Optical