UNDERWATER

US, 2020, 95 minutes, Colour.
Kristin Stewart, Vincent Cassel, T.J.Miller, Jessica Henrwick, John Gallagher Jr, Mamoudou Athie.
Directed by William Eubank.

This action show, with touches of horror, certainly lives up to its name. The underwater is in the depths of the Marianna Trench where energy companies have set up extraordinary plants and processes for searching the ocean floor.

The action is somewhat similar to those films with a group of characters, isolated in space, films like Life, Passengers, but this time in the ocean. If no one can hear you cry in space, what about in the ocean depths!

In one sense, this is familiar material, but it is presented with quite some pace in just over an hour and a half running time. We are introduced immediately to Norah, Kristin Stewart, shaved head, committed to her work, but very quickly experiencing vast explosions, deaths, and a remnant of survivors, a motley lot, with different areas of expertise. And there is the captain, Vincent Cassel playing a straightforward hero type rather than anything sinister. There are some comic touches by T.J. Miller (sometimes a little tiresome given the drastic life and death situation). And there is Jessica Henwick, initially intimidated, but finding the courage to survive.

Just as one can be stranded in space, one can be stranded at the bottom of the Marianna Trench. What to do? What is possible?
The film raises the issue of remaining in place and accepting one’s fate, one’s death or venturing on dangerous paths which will lead to death, sometimes self-sacrificing death, and a remnant surviving.

This surviving group has to make its way along passages on the ocean floor, trying to reach a pod which, if the technology is still functioning (and a lot of the technology is functioning in this story), could propel some survivors to the surface.

However, the writers of the screenplay seem to have a penchant for those old stories of “monsters of the deep�. Who knows what creatures lurk down there, more than 6 miles below the surface? When they gradually appear here, they are, of course, giant. And the question is whether audiences prefer to imagine the monsters or what we actually see, as here, tentacles and teeth and suggestions of some human characteristics.

Of its kind, this is quite entertaining, Kristin Stewart a strong character and presence, dangers, human nobility, fears and terror, and, especially with the final credits, a strong critique of the big business ethos of exploiting nature for financial gain in the name of energy needs.

The screenplay is B-budget about A-budget technology.

1. Title? The ocean depths? The Marianna Trench? Exploration, search for energy sources?

2. The elaborate underwater plant, vast, the interiors, corridors, technical homes, accommodation? The credibility of such plant in such depths? The issue of how it was constructed, power generation, survival?

3. The situation, the credits and the newspaper headlines, the information about the company and its work? The contrast at the end, the headlines, the survivors, top-secret, no interviews, cover-ups? Business exploitation?

4. The introduction to Norah, getting ready for work? Strong personality? The explosions, the consequences, few survivors? Her going into action? Finding Rodrigo, his survival? Their working together? Finding Paul, his being buried, their removing the stones? His going on their quest? Finding Smith and Emily, their work and skills? The finding of the Captain, his personality, his leadership?

5. The issue of remaining with their work, accepting the facts, death?

6. Human survival, finding ways to survive, planning, execution?

7. The captain suggesting the plan, moving along the floor of the ocean, the vehicles? Light and darkness? The technology, the skills in rebooting?

8. The self-sacrifice of the captain? His character, his dead daughter? The loyalties?

9. Paul, the comedy, the difficulties, going through the water, under the rocks, his death?

10. Emily, her fears, technical skills, her being encouraged, her relationship with Smith? Motivation? Nora urging her on? Her changing?

11. Norah, the death of the captain, her determination, her being separated, finding the group, the range of activities? The dysfunction in pod? Her choices for Smith and Emily? Her remaining, Stoicism, self-sacrifice?

12. The presence and threats of the monsters, their attacks, the final appearance, teeth, tentacles, human touches?

13. Smith and Emily, the pods, to the surface, the credits and the issues of their being silenced?

14. A satisfying variation on the underwater theme?