Underwater will remain under the radar as it heads from cinemas to streaming services, but it should be known that for a film with essentially no original ideas of its own, it’s actually alright
Kristen Stewart has become a Hollywood mainstay, propping up the weaker, less able pictures as they search for quality and assurance. Her presence is noticed across much of cinema, often the sole glimmer in a feature of grim or lifelessness. But Underwater, a quietly enjoyable piece of creature horror uses Stewart excellently among the low-key wonders of strong rooted fear.
After an explosion at an underwater base, Dora (Kristen Stewart) and five fellow survivors must find a way to reach the Roebuck drill, home to the fully functioning escape pods. When the group find they aren’t alone in the depths, their escape becomes much more difficult.
Taking inspiration from a limited set of films, most notably Alien and 2017’s Life, Underwater feels anything but original as its standard set of character types, and typical horror ‘A to B’ story, line up in classic fashion. But there is something about the piece, almost as if it were surrounded by a bubble, that makes it seem worthwhile.
Underwater pushes through any questioning as it sets out to tell its story with as little fuss as possible. This leaves some of its theming and ideas appearing particularly clunky, but that doesn’t necessarily matter as it pushes ahead with its determination to increase the tension with shock and, in the most modern way possible, some fairly good CGI. It’s a rarity in cinema, but Underwater stands up.
Far too normal to make any real impact, Underwater will remain under the radar as it heads from cinemas to streaming services, but it should be known that for a film with essentially no original ideas of its own, it’s actually alright.
3/5
