Good evening! We're just getting started with the 2020 film slate. Usually, January isn't a good month for movies. I'm reviewing a little deep sea horror film called Underwater and it will be interesting to see if this one is better than the average release in January. Keep reading to find out more details. Here's a brief plot synopsis. A deep sea oil rig collapses, prompting the surviving crew members to venture into the unknown abyss. It seems like the rig's destruction wasn't an accident and something otherworldly is stalking the crew. Will the crew reach the surface or will an underwater enemy drag everyone to their graves?
This is a very simple movie and it doesn't need to be more complex. I have to admit, Underwater is a typical January release. The film has a lot of issues and mainstream audiences will forget it quickly. However, it has some decent elements. I really appreciate Underwater's world building. It's creepy, atmospheric, and a nice callback to classic deep sea horror films, such as The Abyss, Leviathan, and DeepStar Six. The visual effects are surprisingly good and the monsters are scary. For those of you who enjoy creature features, this movie shows the monsters several times with clarity. It only runs for an hour and a half, which is also a plus. I really wanted this film to be good, but it has several disappointing elements. The characters have very little development. Technically, the actors are completely fine, but it's hard to feel invested because we don't know the characters very well. It also means death scenes and other forms of peril lack significant weight. I saw a really gruesome death scene early in the movie and it didn't strike a chord with me at all. The situation might have been different if I cared about the said character. Underwater also has some weird technical issues. I think something is wrong with the film editing and cinematography. The lighting it too dark and it's really hard to see what's happening. That might have been a creative choice because the characters are on the bottom of the ocean. But the audience still needs to see the characters and environment. It seems like the director and cinematographer wanted a claustrophobic affect, but I don't think the results worked very well. The view was too narrow and I felt like the audience was missing important details. The movie is short, but it still has pacing issues. I would say the runtime feels like two hours. It feels around thirty minutes longer than the actual runtime. Sometimes the pacing is slow and not very interesting. It definitely has some frightening moments, but the film relies on jump scares and the plot spends a lot of time with the characters talking in corridors. I thought the movie should have moved along better. Obviously, I wouldn't recommend seeing this film in theaters. That would be a waste of time and money. However, it might be a decent watch on streaming. You could watch it on your tv, laptop, or tablet. It seems like several critics are comparing Underwater to Alien. Don't pay attention to those comments. This movie didn't remind me of Alien, but it's very similar to other deep sea horror films. If enjoy these types of movies, wait for it to come out on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. All right! We're done with my first movie outing of the year. Expect to see many reviews and discussions throughout 2020. I'm just getting started. Thanks a lot and I'll see you guys next week. Bye!
1 Comment
I've seen the trailers in the distance, looked interesting, but Kristen Stewart? <i>Twilight?</i> The actress whose idea of acting is to stare at someone with her mouth hanging open? Not for me, I'm afraid. It's too bad that piece of ... marred her career. She has a huge filmography, but that's what she'll forever be known for, and individual opinions colored by. Didn't help that she followed it up with <i>Snow White and the Huntsman,</i> basically more of the same. I thought she might shake the stigma with <i>Camp X-Ray,</i> but alas not.
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