Review of Underwater (2020) by Chrismizerak — 13 Jan 2020

I don't know if it's because the first two films I saw in 2020 were so terrible or if I didn't have high expectations going in, but the new horror adventure "Underwater" was definitely better than I thought it would be. It's not that good per se so much as it is a perfect film for rental. Considering its strengths and weaknesses result in a middling experience, I think a one-time rental is the ideal way "Underwater" should be viewed.

It's pretty much exactly what you expect it to be: an "Alien" clone that takes place deep into the depths of the ocean as opposed to outer space. It tells the basics of the story okay at least, although the film itself is far from consistent as executed. On one hand, it wastes no time getting straight to the action. However, one can certainly argue that it comes at a cost though.

That said cost being properly introducing and/or setting up characters before they're thrust into the action. Whatever attempts at character development there are later on the film are thrown in rather randomly, distractingly so I might add. It's as if they forgot about that aspect at a certain point in writing the script and just added it on before they ran out of time. That results in the scenes where we learn more about the characters coming across as awkward, disingenuous and unfinished.

T.J. Miller at the very least is trying to break the gloomy and serious mood with some comic relief, to middling effect. Not bad and still appreciated, but not that necessary in hindsight. I guess that Kristen Stewart is alright as our main lead. She gets across what she needs to, even if there's not much meat to her role. I can't say that there were any other standouts in the rest of the cast, so I won't.

For the first two-thirds of the picture, "Underwater" is a watchable time-killer that does what you want it to fulfill. There were actually a few effective jump scares that took place back to back as the characters were talking and analyzing what's taking place and then the scares come right then and there. It's certainly a more effective approach as opposed to complete silence that obviously translates to the inevitable scare.

By the time we get to the last third, however, not only does it start to get jumbled and clunky in its storytelling and filmmaking, but it loses gas real fast due to the outcomes being outlined a mile away. In spite of a significant lack of consistency in its craftsmanship, "Underwater" is a passable venture under the sea that does what it sets out to do and not much more than that. Rent it once just to fulfill a film connoisseur's equivalent to fast food and the ultimate purpose of "Underwater" is realized.