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. (2020-03-28)

Although Underwater is a mish-mash of everything we've seen many times in other  horror movies set under-the-sea (DeepStar Six, Leviathan) or in space, like a taster for the genre in which something constantly happens from beginning to end, it still kind of works. The screenplay features perhaps all the clichés of similar stories and contains a lot of holes in logic that could easily be unraveled if you want - but I don't want to. I guess I somehow let myself be lulled into following the movie for the revelation of the monster at the end, which seems to have fallen out of the stories of an unnamed author. The more one thinks about it, the more one thinks of how the movie could have been better if it had been worked on in a few places. Also, the reluctance of the creators to let the viewer breathe in silence on a dark wave after the end of the movie clearly undermined my experience, instead, they forcibly pasted a disgusting modern pop song over the end credits. This movie balances around a gray average. (2020-01-11)

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. (2020-01-11)

This 1980s premise in a modern audiovisual conception is not bad, and it’s actually helped by the casting of Kristen Stewart, who might not be Ripley, but she doesn’t look half bad with a boyish haircut and in underwear. Another good thing is the absence of exposition and the breakneck pace that promises what is probably the most honest horror since Event Horizon, this time, though, in an attractive and nonetheless atmospheric submarine setting. But then there are things that are not downright horrible, but due to the darkness itself and the wild editing, you can barely see what’s happening in about 60% of the scenes, and the most action-packed passage is followed by a lull that irreparably pushes all the tension below the level of the excellent beginning. What is funny at times, too, is the total disregard of otherwise clearly defined physical laws, but that is something I can forgive as part of the premise. The monster is creepy, though a little too sci-fi (something terrifying could live at a depth of 11 km, but it should be more realistic) and the ending is fine. It’s ideal as something to watch with friends, but that’s all the praise I can give it. 65% (2020-04-01)

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. (2020-01-10)