"Underwater" Review

Underwater is a fun execution of aquatic monster horror, and a great way to kickstart the horror-filled month of January. The film makes a bold choice to skip the traditional first act in the commonly used three-act system of storytelling. Being that the film is only 95 minutes in length, it knows what its concept is and what the core audience wants to see: monsters at the bottom of the ocean.

Though being at the bottom of the ocean means a limited ability to see the monsters that the humans come in contact with, it also helps to build suspense and tension. There's an added layer to the film's story in that the drilling is taking place due to a seedy corporation that is looking for resources regardless of the repercussions to the environment. In the current state of global climate crisis, Underwater resonates with an audience that has a strong emotional investment in the clash between humanity and nature.

Kristen Stewart plays the balance between emotional urgency and physical action well. Admittedly it would have been more compelling if her character Norah had been romantically involved with Emily, Jessica Henwick's character. Instead the two women are given lacklustre love interests that fail to effectively up the dramatic stakes in a meaningful emotional way. With such a limited amount of screen time available to let the audiences get attached to the heroes of the story, this would have made for a more cohesive way of mixing the character material in with the monster action.