The Superdeep

What film could I watch on New Year’s Eve 2020 other than one about a top-secret laboratory in a totalitarian regime from where a deadly organism that could wipe-out mankind escapes (maybe)? The Superdeep is the umpteenth film in the last few weeks ruined by an excessive runtime. A film that fails to build any sort of relationship with the characters and that doesn’t contribute anything new to its unoriginal premise shouldn’t be 110 minutes long! Otherwise, I liked it a lot more than another Russian film from this year, Sputnik. It holds a serious and mysterious horror atmosphere with very good practical effects. That said, a warning to anyone looking forward (as I did) to the Russian version of The Thing, those “Thing-like” appearances are very few, specially considering the unjustifiable runtime. (12/31/2020)

It has nice production design, but that's it. Arseniy Syukhin knows how to build a suspenseful atmosphere about as well as Ed Sheeran knows how to write meaningful lyrics. (01/10/2021)

What a is a nice way to end the year. The Superdeep is an anticipated and solid sci-fi horror film reminiscent of the famous game “Dead Space” and, also a tribute to The Thing. The two-hour running time might be a problem for some, but this time it didn't bother me, because we go underground somewhere around the 10th minute and the film doesn't waste time with unnecessary character development. The setting is great, a beautiful underground laboratory full of scientists and soldiers fighting an unknown parasite. The pace seemed decent, the film rushes forward and there are plenty of cool and memorable scenes. The mutating fungus on humans is captured impressively and disgustingly, and the monster itself is very well done thanks to practical effects, though it could have appeared on the scene earlier. Atmosphere, setting, music, visuals, and fantastic scenes are more than enough to satisfy me. Story***, Action***, Humor>No, Violence****, Entertainment****, Music****, Visuals****, Atmosphere****, Tension***. 7.5/10. (12/31/2020)

A bit weaker as a whole compared to Sputnik, but on the other hand, the Russians really don’t have to be ashamed of The Superdeep. I would have preferred a shorter runtime where the creators could have avoided unnecessary sequences that wouldn’t have hurt if they were left out of the final version. Otherwise, I welcomed the setting with open arms—an underground location 12 km deep, and on top of that, an unknown parasite? They really hit the mark with this premise. The acting isn’t top-notch at every moment, but no one here is glaringly out of place. I have to highlight two things: the top-notch audiovisuals (kudos for using practical effects, which aren’t seen often these days) and the depiction of the bleak atmosphere. If you can combine these two aspects in the horror genre, you’re halfway to success. For around $2.5 million, it’s more than just watchable entertainment. A strong three stars. 6.5/10. (07/21/2021)