Underwater (2020)

 

Well, this one went under the radar. Unfortunate, because in truth it's not that bad. Sure, it relies heavily on many a trope that has been established for this kind of underwater/space horror, but it does a pretty decent job and in the end it is entertaining to be sure. 

You are instantly thrown into the action when not even 10 minutes in, a drilling platform on the bottom of the Mariana Trench is ripped apart by some unknown force. Our protagonists are the only survivors and now have to find a way back to the surface. It turns out the escape pods are all damaged and the only ones still available are located on another part of the installation, several miles away. They have to walk across the ocean floor in order to get there. But once they get out there, it turns out there are things that go bump in the dark, as one by one the remaining crew are picked off. But what is this ghastly menace and where did it come from? 

Well, from drilling into the ocean floor, most likely. At least that's what the film is trying to make us believe, all because several characters repeat that they never should have drilled so deep. Go figure. 

Even though the some actors here are fairly well known (Kirsten Stewart, Vincent Cassel and TJ Miller), it doesn't really matter. You could have pulled this off with lesser known names, but chances are that this film then wouldn't have been noticed at all. The names of the characters aren't even that important as you're not given any time to get to know them anyway. Maybe Kirsten Stewart is a little like Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, but with less colour. Personality-wise, I mean. Not her fault, she does a good job with the lines given to her, but none of the characters are memorable. But that doesn't really matter here. 

The film doesn't waste any time with setup, it's just straight into the story and nothing is explained along the way. This lack of exposition is a nice touch, as often films grind to a halt when it is deemed necessary to start expositing. No, that doesn't happen here and you know what? That works just fine. The mystery of what the hell is happening on the ocean floor is not explained and it doesn't need to be. You just take it for what it is. Where do the creatures come from? Who knows? Does it matter? Not in the least. 

If you are familiar with this type of film, you know what is coming, but that doesn't take away from the fact that this is enjoyable. The dark surroundings of the sea floor are already alien to us, so that there are creatures there that defy everything we know, isn't that big of a stretch. You don't see them all that often, which is good and they do have a deep sea physiology that makes sense: they are pale, soft and a weird and uncomfortable mix between fish and something resembling a humanoid. 

There is even a point where I audibly giggled with excitement because it satiated the HP Lovecraft-fan in me. I'm not going to spoil it and it's not truly a Lovecraft reference in the film, but if you see it, you might understand why. 

The film does nothing new, but it works. It isn't as wonderful as 'The Abyss' or as gripping as 'Alien', but as far as creepy underwater horror goes, you could do a lot worse. It is a lot better than it gets credit for and it doesn't pretend to be anything but a cool horrorfilm. Give it a chance.