Schafer is way more than just the driver. Yes, I get that he isn’t given a clean, fully-explained identity on purpose, but he is still a crucial character to the movie. Basically, he functions as part of the shadowy organization running the operation. On the surface, yes—he’s the driver tasked with transporting the main character (Gabe) and the mysterious woman—but the movie strongly implies he’s an active participant in the conspiracy, that he’s not an outsider, that he is someone who understands the stakes and rules, even if he doesn’t explain them, and finally, that he is the enforcer that is keeping everything on track.

Personally what makes Schafer really interesting to me is how the film leans into ambiguity of his role. It’s implied that he is an authority figure, and someone that really matters to the organization. So the best way to read him:

He’s a mid-level operative—not “just a driver,” but also not the one pulling the strings. More like someone who has done this before and knows exactly how dangerous the situation is. That ambiguity is kind of the point of the film—it keeps everyone, including Schafer, feeling like pieces of a much bigger, unseen machine.

Yes, we don’t dig the movies you dig. And that’s ok with us. Want to propose a movie to watch instead of If There’s A Hell Below?

Very correct!!!!!!!

“But this wasn’t so much a story about turtles, but rather a story about Abe and Deborah. And like Abe’s story, there are sections that are obvious lies and misdirections hidden within the story to keep Abe from the realization that he hadn’t killed Deborah, while still telling him.”

And I think you meant “to keep Schafer from the realization”

She had the intelligence and capability to get out of that situation, yet she didn’t–she had no choice in whether Mooney shot or spared her. He also wouldn’t chase her. He’d be doing what she said. She had the gun, remember?

But maybe he thought he’d emptied it, came back to have her for himself and had accidentally left a bullet. Or the gun was empty and he chased and tackled her, whereupon she happened upon a sharp, pointy rock.

p.s. the writer of the article said that Shaffer found Mooney in the grave.
“Then he heads out to the grave where Deborah and Abe were shot only to find Deborah’s jacket without bullet holes in it. And when he looks in he sees that it’s
actually Mooney that was shot and killed.”

If this writing was intentional, why was Mooney lying on the ground bloody and dead and where would Abe be? And how could that have happened in the first place?

Didyouwashyourhands:
“Dog shit movie.

Where were they when Abe checked the vehicle?
How did he know about the caterpillar story?
If this was happening in real time, did the camera men help dig the hole?
Why the hell dig the hole if you are not going to cover them up?
And how did two lezbos have a baby?”

1. That question was covered in this article.
2. Abe and his car were bugged.
3. Abe and Debra were drugged.
4. Good question.
5. I bet you could figure that one out.

p.s. not sure why only some comments have a reply button and why I can’t edit my posts. but okay then.

Abe’s car was bugged and Abe himself was bugged. They’d been on to Debra’s whistleblowing plans and knew Ashe was talking to Abe.