Underwater

I think this would make a cool video game. A pumped-up, slightly B-movie-ish sci-fi horror flick set in the Mariana Trench, where there isn’t much time for thinking. Because of that, however, the protagonists unfortunately have absolutely no character basis, so the viewer doesn’t really care that much when they kick the bucket. And that’s a bit of a shame. Stewart’s acting is actually really good and just a few brief flashbacks would have been enough to make the relationship between her and the captain a little deeper or something. The production design and visual effects are otherwise first-class; the station, the costumes and even Cthulhu look seriously good. (03/28/2020)

Underwater is most often compared to Alien (and rightly so, as some of the scenes are more than inspired), but I think the filmmakers would have been happy if it was also compared to Gravity. Indeed, several times they try to evoke the mood of the first film mentioned, several times the second, but somehow it doesn't come together and it's all only half as interesting. A number of scenes have a nice gloomy atmosphere but aren't very suspenseful. Some scenes are really well acted, like the one where a stressed Kristen Stewart recounts what happened to Vincent Cassel. And the final super-monster scene is fine too, although we don't really enjoy it and everything ends as expected. I was hoping it would be a little better. (01/11/2020)

William Eubank has made an homage to 80's underwater horror but it's nothing more than B-movie entertainment. The film is nicely shot, the monsters are awesome and it moves along very quickly, which are major pluses, but it bothered me that it shuffles its feet in places a lot of times and the climax didn't really engage at all – many times I didn't even notice who died and how, as the film was mostly in the dark and that bothered me quite a bit. The suspense and atmosphere didn't really work for me, and the monsters are only shown at the end, which didn't please me much either. With a more interesting filmmaker this could have been a modern day Event Horizon, this way it's just a fine addition to the genre, but it soon fizzles out. 6.5/10. (02/18/2020)

An entertaining underwater horror b-movie that paces and looks great from start to finish. However, when it slows down a bit at times, it turns out that all the characters are terribly simple and flat and you don't really care who lives to see the end credits. Most of the time, though, it has a very solid pace and the result is an above average underwater variation on Alien. If you're missing something similar at the cinema, definitely don't resist Underwater. Don't expect a revolution, but the above average craftsmanship isn't lacking either. (01/10/2020)

A promising introduction. Although rather than a film, it resembles effective cinematics in a survival game that I would like to play, but it does fulfill its purpose. I am quite susceptible to underwater anxiety, so as long as something is going on, I'll enjoy a very flimsy expedition and a high amount of deliberately raw filming. But then… uh-oh. The alternative tagline should read: there is nothing to see under the water, which I would have preferred if it hadn't been accompanied by stupid and terribly confusing editing. It prevents a person from enjoying the underwater terror, because here and there, it is not clear where you are who you are actually watching. In addition, the characters are such dull, forgettable reflections. The perpetrator of terror has about five different forms and it is not entirely clear where the creators are trying to take us - to alternative underwater biology, or full-blown sci-fi horror? The conclusion rushes with the answer in the form of Lovecraft kohlrabi and I have to laugh. Mixing so many good things into such a dull goulash truly requires giant blenders. Unfortunately for Underwater, the film is full of them. It doesn't even work as a fun one-time watch. It’s about as much fun as snorkeling in a pond. Regarding B-movie flooding, I will continue to prescribe the beautiful Verne misstep, which has Balls. (01/11/2020)