Respond to these rapid questions in our Underwater Quiz and we will tell you which Underwater character you are. Play it now.
Underwater” is the kind of no-frills B-movie with an A-list cast that Hollywood used to make a lot more of in the olden days of the industry. It’s a lean and mean film that throws you into the action right away and doesn’t let you out until the credits have finished rolling. When you live in an era where blockbusters are becoming increasingly long and have lofty aspirations of greatness, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a tightly focused film that knows exactly what it needs to do and goes about doing it. It absolutely bullies you into liking “Underwater,” which is anchored by another impressive performance from Kristen Stewart and really effective cinematography from Bojan Bazelli, among other things. There isn’t a good time not to. Some of the film’s middle section is hampered by incoherent effects, which are exacerbated by the murky setting, making it difficult to discern what exactly is going on. However, the flaws of the film never linger long enough to, sorry, sink “Underwater.”
A worker at an underwater research site that’s literally miles below the surface of the ocean, Stewart portrays Norah in the film. While underwater, time begins to lose all meaning, as explained in an irritating opening narration that feels like it was tacked on by a producer during the film’s delayed post-production. There is no light, and you can’t always tell if you’re awake or dreaming because you can’t see your surroundings. All hell breaks loose right around that time, while you’re still trying to find your way to your seat in the theater.
Underwater Quiz
It begins to crack and explode as the rig’s hull is hit. Norah flees for her life, eventually coming across other survivors, among whom are Vincent Cassel, Mamoudou Athie, John Gallagher Jr., Jessica Henwick, and T.J. Miller, who are all played by Vincent Cassel. That’s all there is to it. It is six people who are attempting to survive a catastrophe that has already claimed the lives of hundreds of other people on the site. There are no images of emergency crews on the ground. There will be no flashbacks. The escape pods have either been used or destroyed at this point in time. One of their only options is to literally walk a mile along the ocean floor to another location and hope that there are pods that can work there instead. Then they realize they aren’t alone in their struggles. Also, you will find out which character are you in this Underwater quiz.
Yes, “Underwater” is a hybrid of a disaster movie and a monster movie, combining two B-movie genres that I’ve always enjoyed: disaster movies and monster movies. “Underwater” transitions from a submerged riff on the classic film “Alien,” but director William Eubank directs his cast to deliver incredibly strong in-the-moment performances that keep the film together. Stewart sells the immediacy of Norah’s waking nightmare, which is aided by the performances of Henwick and Cassel, who are particularly good in this role. (On the other hand, Miller’s schtick becomes stale very quickly, but that is the only weak link in the chain.) It is true that the writers include a few too many manipulative back stories in an attempt to raise the emotional stakes, but this is a common occurrence in both of the genres on which “Underwater” is based. Also, you must try to play this Underwater quiz.
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The fact that “Underwater” was shot under the supervision of the legendary Bojan Bazelli also contributed to the film’s overall success. It takes a combination of extreme close-ups that put us inside Norah’s helmet and never losing sight of the geographical setting in which these people are fighting against incredible odds to build tension in “A Cure for Wellness” and “The Ring,” and the cinematographer behind both films knows how to do it. When the film transitions into a full-on monster movie, Bazelli and Eubank could have toned down the underwater murk a notch or two, but the film is still a visually effective piece of work, the importance of which cannot be overstated. Most bad B-movies, such as “Underwater,” rely on a steady diet of jump scares and shaky camerawork to mask their low budgets and lack of visual acuity, and this is no exception. What distinguishes this film is the artistic quality of the visuals, as well as the captivating sound design. The film is filled with the flashing lights of malfunctioning or breaking equipment, as well as the din of metal creaking under the pressure of the water flowing through the frame. It’s all necessary in order to heighten the tension.
The relentlessness of “Underwater” is, I believe, what drew the most attention from me. For at least the first half of the film, it is almost entirely shot in real time, and the immediacy of the filmmaking adds to its impact. All of the on-the-surface nonsense that worse films would have forced viewers through is eliminated in “Underwater,” in which we meet the characters and foreshadow bizarre events that occur underwater are eliminated. That is not an option at this time. Don’t be late for your appointment. Anxiety plays a role in the film, as does the way in which unexpected heroes can be created through an instinctual response to adversity. That, and the presence of underwater monsters.
It’s likely that the final act of “Underwater” will divide some viewers, but I enjoy it when a B-movie really goes for it, and there are a few beats in this film’s final scenes that are impressively ambitious. My children are of an age where they are intrigued by the possibility that there are species that exist far below the ocean’s surface that we have not yet discovered or identified. I’ll show them the movie “Underwater” when they’re old enough. Perhaps they will enjoy B-movies as well.
For more personality quizzes check this: Fantasy Island Quiz.
