Underwater

If you like “Alien” (any of them), “Sphere” (the underrated classic with Sharon Stone), "Godzilla", or “Cloverfield”, you will absolutely love this movie.And you know why I give it 5 stars (because I can feel the film purists on my trail) – because this movie GOES THERE. I don’t know why science fiction films have been pushed to the side in the past decade or more (“Life” is another one, with Ryan Reynolds, that disappeared from theaters but was excellent) – probably wrong focus groups – but this is one that actually deserved attention.Right from the get-go, the film takes off with something causing an underwater oil rig to fall apart. We don’t have time to get to know the characters and their each little nuances – no one has that kind of time – and the film knows this and so it just…well…starts.Characters get their individuality later – and that’s completely fine.And let’s be honest – you might be hesitant because, well, Bella…or Kristen Stewart (however you feel about either one, fictional and real). But, I wouldn’t let that deter you. Where there was Stewart constantly out of breath and just a little aloof in other movies, it works here as she’s an engineer who basically is the new Ripley for 2020’s “Alien” cousin (right down to an ending of running in underwear) trying to make sure everyone gets to escape pods while battling and escaping underwater sea creatures that threaten to destroy them as it did the oil rig.That’s the other part of “Underwater” getting 5 stars, which is that it shows you the monster. Sure, there are jump scares and the scary music, and I would lower the volume or watch with the sound off unless you’re into that sort of thing, but this movie looks expensive. It’s not like those direct-to-video things you see on the Syfy channel (no offense, Syfy, you know we’re cool) - this one actually took time to make the creatures, show them to you, and then scare you with them (it’s like a cooler ‘Annihilation’).This film is also very claustrophobic – so beware. Not only are they fighting for their lives underwater, they’re also crawling through tight spaces and then facing challenge after challenge in gear that almost looks like space suits.And, really, that’s what “Underwater” is. It’s a space movie... in water.But, like I say, it jumps right in and I’m grateful. Movies today, it’s like “Let me show you 15 minutes of setting” then “Let me show you 20 minutes of people staring at nothing or each other” to “Oh, I forgot, we have a plot, here’s the last hour”.“Underwater” starts off with a bang, literally, and pretty much doesn’t let up. And for that, I’m thankful.Thank you for not wasting my time as a viewer. Thank you for showing the monsters in detail ("Godzilla: King of the Monsters" fans will feel the love in this movie). Thank you for spending money on this film. Thanks for a film to watch to pass a lazy Saturday.5 stars.

I'd only seen one trailer before deciding to rent this movie, so I only knew the gist of it going in. A thriller with a cute lead and monsters seemed like the perfect thing to take my mind off the pandemic. I went in expecting a typical thriller, with more focus on the situation and monsters than the characters and people dropping like flies left and right, but I was very pleasantly surprised.The dynamic between all members of the team is really well done. A lot of thrillers tend to suffer from the main cast feeling more like acquaintances than close friends, even though they supposedly spent a massive amount of time together, but this movie doesn't. The drill team has genuine chemistry together and legitimately feel like people who've lived together in rough conditions for a long time. The dialogue felt true-to-life of what people in a crisis situation and under traumatic stress would actually say; their reactions to things felt natural, especially Paul, (who, as someone who uses humor as a coping mechanism for stress and fear), I could really identify with. Normally with a thriller, there's one or two characters that I don't mind losing, because I didn't see enough of who they were to get attached, but not with this one. I grew genuinely invested in every member of the team. The setbacks the team faced felt legitimate and not author-handy (ie. can't escape this way because 'plot'). Everyone made smart decisions and acted logically, not falling into the pit of being stupid for the sake of plot convenience (ie. horror trope of walking into dark room, unarmed, and yelling 'hello? is anyone there?'), which gets them *major* points with me.As a writer myself, I really appreciate the time they took to develop the characters and show the personal interactions between them. It's something I don't see often enough with thrillers and action movies in general. Some of the best $5 I've spent all year; would definitely recommend this movie.

If you the abyss you will love this one

Overall, the movie has some strengths, but I feel that they're overshadowed by it's weaknesses.The main problem is that there's no first act. We never get to learn about who these characters are, why they're doing this extremely risky work, and what their relationships are with each other. After a brief title sequence, where we see newspaper headlines about a company drilling at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, we get straight into the action.That would be awesome if we cared about the characters, knew their backstories, and had an investment in their outcomes... but we have none of that. Because of that, the movie has no real core, and is just a spectacle.Speaking of the spectacle, the visuals are impressive in certain moments, especially the beginning sequence where things initially go awry. However, the dim lighting, combined with a total lack of spatial cues to show us exactly where we are at any given time, makes a lot of the action confusing. It's also difficult to tell who's who in the identical suits.It feels like there was so much to explore here... it's a really interesting concept, and I would love to know more about the characters that choose a life underwater. But, unfortunately, the film remains surface level and confusing.