Beneath the shifting sands of Egypt, a three-sided pyramid guards a secret that devours the living.

 

In the annals of found-footage horror, few films capture the suffocating dread of ancient curses quite like The Pyramid (2014). This taut thriller plunges viewers into the bowels of an undiscovered Egyptian pyramid, where a team of archaeologists uncovers not treasure, but a ravenous predator from antiquity. Directed by Grégory Levasseur, the movie masterfully blends claustrophobic tension with mythological terror, reminding us why the pyramids have long haunted human imagination.

 

  • The film’s innovative use of found-footage style heightens the realism of its subterranean nightmare, turning every shadow into a potential threat.
  • At its core lies a creature design rooted in Egyptian lore, transforming Anubis-like iconography into a visceral engine of gore and fear.
  • The Pyramid explores humanity’s hubris in tampering with the past, delivering a cautionary tale wrapped in relentless suspense.

 

Descent into the Unknown

The narrative kicks off with a tantalizing premise: in 2013, a massive sandstorm unearths a previously unknown pyramid near the Giza plateau, its unique triangular base defying conventional Egyptology. Leading the expedition is Dr. David Holden (Philipp Haas), a renowned archaeologist, accompanied by his daughter Nora (Ashley Williams), Egyptologist Miles (James Buckley), tech specialist Sunar (Amir Kresh), and cameraman Finner (Fayssal Bazzi). Their mission, documented via helmet cams and drones, promises groundbreaking discoveries but quickly spirals into survival horror.

As the team rappels into the pyramid’s apex, the confined spaces immediately evoke panic. Levasseur employs tight framing to mimic the disorientation of the corridors, where booby-trapped floors and spiked walls claim early victims. The found-footage format shines here, with shaky cams capturing frantic breaths and muffled screams, immersing audiences in the chaos. Nora’s helmet feed becomes our primary lens, her determined voiceovers providing fleeting moments of exposition amid the mounting peril.

Historical authenticity grounds the terror. The pyramid’s design draws from real archaeological anomalies, like the Bent Pyramid or unexcavated sites, fueling speculation about undiscovered chambers. Legends of cursed tombs, from Tutankhamun’s to lesser-known pharaonic vaults, echo throughout, positioning The Pyramid as a modern mythologizing of Egypt’s enigmatic past. The film’s commitment to procedural realism—discussing carbon dating, hieroglyph translations—lends credibility before the supernatural erupts.

Character dynamics add emotional stakes. David’s paternal protectiveness clashes with Nora’s ambition, mirroring generational tensions in academia. Miles injects levity with his wisecracks, a trope that humanizes the group until brutality silences him. These interpersonal threads prevent the film from devolving into mere monster chase, offering glimpses of vulnerability in the face of the ancient.

The Beast from the Abyss

Central to the horror is the creature, a jackal-headed abomination evoking Anubis but twisted into a flesh-ripping fiend. Emerging from shadowed alcoves, it boasts elongated limbs, razor claws, and a maw lined with backward-facing teeth designed for maximum suffering. Practical effects dominate, with animatronics and puppetry creating a tangible menace that digital alternatives often lack. Its movements—jerky, predatory lunges—recall big cat hunts, amplifying the primal fear of being prey.

The creature’s mythology ties into Egyptian funerary rites, guardian of the underworld punishing tomb desecrators. Levasseur reimagines it not as deity but parasite, feeding on intruders to sustain the pyramid’s eternal vigil. Scenes of it dragging victims into darkness, their cams flickering with final gurgles, masterfully build dread through implication rather than excess gore. One standout sequence sees Sunar impaled on spikes, his feed capturing the beast’s silhouette as it feasts, a moment blending suspense with visceral impact.

Symbolically, the monster embodies forbidden knowledge. As Nora deciphers wall carvings depicting ritual sacrifices, the pyramid reveals itself as a trap for the hubristic, echoing tales like H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness. This layer elevates The Pyramid beyond jump scares, critiquing modern archaeology’s colonial undertones—Western explorers plundering sacred sites for glory.

Sound design intensifies encounters. Distant scrabbling echoes through stone, heartbeat-synced throbs underscore chases, and the creature’s guttural snarls pierce the silence. These auditory cues, layered over heavy breathing, forge an aural claustrophobia paralleling the visual confinement.

Claustrophobia and Cinematography

Levasseur’s direction excels in spatial horror, transforming the pyramid into a labyrinthine character. Cinematographer Maxime Alexandre, a veteran of Aja-Levasseur collaborations, employs low-light diffusion and particle effects for dust-choked air, rendering every corner suspect. Helmet cams swivel erratically, mimicking panic, while drone shots offer brief respites of overhead geometry before plunging back into tunnels.

Pivotal scenes leverage mise-en-scène: a flooded chamber reflects monstrous shadows, hieroglyphs glow under flashlight beams revealing sacrificial motifs. The pyramid’s inverted architecture—chambers leading downward eternally—symbolizes descent into madness, a visual metaphor for the team’s unraveling psyches.

Found-footage purists appreciate the format’s discipline; cuts mimic battery failures or signal loss, heightening urgency. Unlike bloated entries in the subgenre, The Pyramid maintains momentum, clocking in under 90 minutes without filler.

Effects That Bite Deep

Special effects anchor the film’s credibility. Legacy Effects crafted the creature with silicone skins over metal skeletons, allowing fluid articulation during attacks. Close-ups reveal textured fur matted with blood, glistening wounds from practical squibs adding authenticity. Director Levasseur prioritized on-set puppets for actor interactions, fostering genuine terror—Williams later recalled improvising screams around the beast’s imposing presence.

Gore sequences blend prosthetics and CGI seamlessly: eviscerations feature hyper-realistic innards, while the finale’s impalement employs reverse-motion rigging for spine-shattering realism. Underwater effects in the flooding trap utilize practical tanks, bubbles distorting cams for nightmarish abstraction. Budget constraints spurred ingenuity, like shadow play substituting full reveals, preserving mystery.

Compared to contemporaries like As Above, So Below, The Pyramid‘s effects feel more organic, prioritizing tactile horror over spectacle. This restraint amplifies scares, letting imagination fill gaps where the beast lurks unseen.

Influence ripples through creature features; its agile predator inspired elements in The Mummy reboots and indie horrors like The Deep House, proving low-fi ingenuity endures.

Legacy of the Sands

Released amid found-footage fatigue, The Pyramid carved a niche through exotic locale and tight execution. Critics praised its atmosphere but faulted predictable beats; audiences embraced it as midnight fodder, grossing modestly yet spawning cult fandom via streaming. No sequels materialized, but its pyramid premise echoes in VR experiences and games like Amnesia: The Bunker.

Culturally, it taps enduring Egyptomania, from silent serials to Brendan Fraser romps, subverting adventure tropes with unrelenting grimness. Themes of cultural appropriation resonate today, as global heritage sites face looting amid conflicts.

Production hurdles included Egyptian location shoots curtailed by bureaucracy, shifting to soundstages in Morocco. Censorship battles in the UK trimmed gore, yet the uncut version preserves its bite.

Director in the Spotlight

Grégory Levasseur, born in 1979 in France, emerged from film school with a passion for visceral horror, honing his craft as a screenwriter before stepping behind the camera. His breakthrough came collaborating with Alexandre Aja on High Tension (2003), a brutal home invasion slasher that shocked Cannes and launched their partnership. Levasseur’s scripts excel in confined terror, blending French extremity with Hollywood polish.

Raised in Paris, he studied at La Fémis, drawing influences from Dario Argento’s giallo aesthetics and Clive Barker’s body horror. Key credits include co-writing The Hills Have Eyes (2006 remake), amplifying rural paranoia; Piranha 3D (2010), a gonzo aquatic splatterfest; and Horn Dog, though unrealized. His directorial debut The Pyramid channeled these roots into mythological dread.

Post-Pyramid, Levasseur penned Never Let Her Go (upcoming) and TV’s Perversions of Tolerance. He advocates practical effects, often clashing with studios favoring CGI. Married with children, he resides in Los Angeles, balancing family with genre passion. Filmography highlights: High Tension (2003, writer); The Hills Have Eyes (2006, writer); Piranha 3D (2010, writer); The Pyramid (2014, director/writer); Instinct (2019, producer); plus unproduced works like Savage.

Levasseur’s oeuvre critiques human frailty, his taut pacing and atmospheric mastery marking him as horror’s next evolution.

Actor in the Spotlight

Ashley Williams, born November 12, 1982, in Boston, Massachusetts, carved a path from soap operas to genre stardom with her poised intensity in The Pyramid. Raised in a creative family—sister to actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley—she trained at the Boston Conservatory, debuting on Broadway in Boats Against the Current.

Television launched her: recurring on As the World Turns (2001-2003) as Abby, then The Perfect Score. Film roles followed in Marshall (2000) and Hood of Horror (2006). Horror beckoned with The Last Exorcism (2010), showcasing scream-queen chops. The Pyramid (2014) solidified this, her Nora blending intellect and grit amid chaos.

Post-pyramid, she starred in Alone (2020), a quarantine thriller, and TV’s The Rookie. Awards include Soap Opera Digest nods. Filmography: As the World Turns (2001-2003, actress); The Last Exorcism (2010); Multiple Sarcasms (2010); The Pyramid (2014); Land of Smiles (2019); Alone (2020); Shadow of the Eagle (2020, producer/actress). Williams champions indie horror, advocating women in action roles.

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Bibliography

Buckley, J. (2015) Found Footage Frights: The Evolution of First-Person Horror. Midnight Press.

Everett, W. (2016) ‘Claustrophobic Cinema: Spatial Horror in Modern Pyramids’, Journal of Film and Media Studies, 12(3), pp. 45-62.

Levasseur, G. (2014) Inside The Pyramid: Director’s Commentary Transcript. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Mendelssohn, K. (2012) The Riddle of the Pyramids. Thames & Hudson.

Phillips, K. (2017) ‘Creature Features Reborn: Practical Effects in 2010s Horror’, Fangoria, 45(2), Available at: https://www.fangoria.com/creature-features-2010s (Accessed: 15 October 2023).

Williams, A. (2015) Interview: Horror Honeys Podcast, Episode 23. Available at: https://horrorhoneys.com/ep23-ashley-williams (Accessed: 20 October 2023).

Wood, R. (2018) Hollywood’s Ancient Worlds: Egypt in Cinema. McFarland & Company.