Having seen a terrible 2019 Kristen Stewart movie last week, it was nice to watch a good 2020 Kristen
Stewart movie this time. That movie is Underwater. It’s essentially an Alien rip-off, but set in a drilling facility at the bottom of the
ocean instead of a spaceship in outer space.
Nevertheless, it’s a genuinely solid thriller, and I really enjoyed it.
Underwater is set in a state-of-the-art underwater base operated by
an oil-drilling company at the bottom of the Marianas Trench (which is the
deepest oceanic trench on Earth).
Suddenly, an earthquake strikes it, completely destroying much of it and
compromising severely whatever sections remained. The survivors (Kristen Stewart, Vincent
Cassel, Jessica Henwick, T.J. Miller, John Gallagher Jr., and Mamoudou Athie) must
walk across the wreckage – including a one-mile stretch through the open ocean
floor – in order to get to a place in the station wherein the remaining escape
pods are located. The journey is already
terrifying and difficult as it is, but they also find themselves getting
attacked by a group of unknown carnivorous creatures.
Experiencing a big earthquake and
then getting trapped under the structure you’re in is a scary thought. Being thousands of meters under the ocean – which
more than 90% is a mystery, by the way – at a point no longer reached by
sunlight and where there’s crushing pressure is an equally, if not more, terrifying
thought. Now, put those two together –
on top of having around what are basically deep ocean xenomorphs – and that
makes a heluva sci-fi horror premise.
And Underwater doesn’t waste its exciting premise. It accompanies it with competent execution. It’s satisfyingly fast-paced; things start
going down almost right off the bat. Claustrophobic
tension doesn’t let up. The characters
are likable. The scares are earned. And there’s quality production value.
Moreover, I especially love that
big reveal in the third act (SPOILER) – Cthulhu! I kinda suspected something like it would
happen. And when its form finally
appears on screen, it gave me such a rush.
I don’t know what is it with Lovecraftian lore. But whenever it’s referenced in movies or TV
shows, it gives me a special thrill.
Ultimately, though, Underwater is fundamentally derivative. The form may be different, but the formula is
something we’ve seen in countless other movies before. Still, it’s one of the better ones that
utilize this formula. All things
considered, it’s definitely a survival movie worth investing on.
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