Review of Underwater (2020) by Blacksun — 18 Apr 2020

Oh great. Another Alien underwater clone. Ok, I'll watch it. But, wait a minute.. What's this? Good acting? Snappy dialog? Surprisingly fresh and well done art direction and sets? It's a great feeling to expect the usual crap and be surprised, and that's what happened here for me.

Right from the action filled opening scene, the movie ticks along at an engaging pace. Instead of groaning at cliched dialog and messy plot holes I found myself enjoying and savoring each scene. What makes it impressive is the very fact that it IS a cliche movie, yet the director Leigh Whannell treats it seriously, as do the actors and apparently everyone else who worked on it.

It's like they challenged themselves to take an existing aesthetic and push it further. And to any lover of these genres and sci-fi in general, I feel it shines through. I lament that many viewers will lazily grasp at surface level conclusions and miss the solid filmmaking seen here.

Halfway through it struck me that the story is a story that has been told since we took to the seas. Over and over. A fable. It's MEANT to be re-told, in a way. This is just the latest iteration. A tale of caution to beware the gods of the deep.

So sure, expect a cliche. Also expect a fun and thrilling popcorn flick. But try to leave your judgements behind and just enjoy it for what it is. I bet you'll have fun.