The Chasm

A group of vegan activists lost in the lava tunnels under Auckland stumble on the lair of an inbred cannibal family.

A “Matt Gibbons” FILM
WRITTEN BY Matt Gibbons

The flat has become a bit routine with early morning meditation sessions and vegan potluck dinners. When filmmaking dropout Tammy proposes a bit of animal rights activism at the flat meeting, geology student Harry jumps at the chance for adventure. The others are not so convinced. Tammy's boyfriend, yoga teacher Hone, is not into dirty environments and CC can't be dragged away from her computer game development.

After Tammy convinces CC that they can film environments for use in her game interiors, Hone caves in and the team gets kitted out with cameras.

They hit a South Auckland intensive pig farming warehouse. Tammy gets the night-vision on and the dark warehouse is revealed to be empty with steel holding pens and blood spatter everywhere. Hone trips the alarm, the group make a panicked getaway. Hearing cars coming they dart round the back and find an old quarry with a tunnel mouth. Hone doesn't need convincing and they go in.

As they venture in further Harry explains how the lava field of Auckland is criss crossed with a labyrinth of old bunkers and caves. Hone screams and tammy points her camera at what he has seen, blood and a ribcage. Harry presumes this must be pigs. They have lost CC and go further into the darkness, the walls flatten out and there are some strange bible passages framed on the walls, it looks like a colonial family home.

When they find a human hand Hone flees and they chase him, the cave opens out to a grand cavern filled with the sound of misery. Against one wall is a kilt wearing skeleton sitting on a bone throne on the other wall cages are lined up full of sobbing naked humans. CC is in one of them and Hone faints, she explains they have to be quiet as the family is coming back...