Review of Black Sea (2014) by William K — 19 Jan 2015

A clean and succinct introduction of 12 or so characters took no more than 10 or so minutes and the rest of the film is confined within the submarine where things begin to go awry as they search for Nazi gold on the bottom of the Black Sea.

And what an exciting, nail-biting edge of the seat ride this film turns out to be! It is effectively executed, no doubt on a budget, and a controlled direction keeps the claustrophobic tension bubbling under as the men, led by a watchable and believable Jude Law (whose Aberdonian accent requires adjusting to but is never an obstacle for me), grapples with the increasing dire and desperate situation they face.

The lean script is entertaining and thoughtful at the same time and for the most part, doesn't feel contrived or manipulated, even when "unpredictable" characters end up mucking things up as expected in order to push the narrative towards the almost inevitably gloomy end.

A commercially accessible film with its brain and heart intact but which sadly got lost in the Christmas rush, it deserves a wider audience and a second life on blu-ray or other VOD platforms.