128. Underwater; movie review

UNDERWATER
Cert 15
95 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong threat, bloody images

Anyone in need of seeing Kristen Stewart running from monsters in the skimpiest of pants?
If so, a couple of the scenes during Underwater are definitely for you. If not, I suggest you seek your entertainment elsewhere.
I don't know if William Eubank intended the parallels or even straight copies from Alien but they seem pretty obvious.
Firstly, there is Kristen's gratuitous underwear scenes which had echoes of Sigourney Weaver's and then there is the appearance of the first monster which has uncanny similarities to the one which burst out of John Hurt's chest.
I shall not give more away but there are many other echoes of the space classic.
During Underwater,  I found the most impactful scenes came early when a deep-sea drilling rig suffers a catastrophic breach.
Initially, it is thought that the cause is an earthquake - how the survivors end up wishing it was.
Vincent Cassel is the captain who leads the small band on an extraordinary effort to stay alive at the bottom of the sea.
He is lower key than usual but perhaps it is because, for once, he isn't playing a villain. Indeed, I have seen him rough and ready so often that I was constantly alert ready for him to get up to no good.
Stewart's character, Norah, and Mamoudou Athie's Rodrigo face the fall-out of the earthquake first off and soon team up with Paul, played by the wisecracking T.J.Miller.
The latter has all of the gags in Underwater, often cracking them at the most inappropriate moments. To be fair, he offers much necessary light relief.
Jessica Henwick is the most fearful crew member, having to face her phobias in the hope that she and her boyfriend (John Gallagher jr) will survive.
Of course, it would not be possible that all six would see another day - even given the situation they perceive themselves. And then monsters enter the fray.
One of the central problems with Underwater is that it that the darkness of the ocean bed is well enough replicated to make it virtually impossible to see what is going on.
Mind you, when it could be clearly detected, I began to be a bit cross at the inevitability of it all.
This isn't even the first film this year when we have seen Stewart's underwear because it follows only a couple months after Seberg.
The latter required quality acting and had me engrossed. Underwater barely tested her and I was bored.

Reasons to watch: If you feel the need for an underwater version of Alien
Reasons to avoid: A waste of quality actors

Laughs: None
Jumps: One
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 3.5/10

Did you know? The deepest point ever reached by man is 35,858 feet or nearly 6.8 miles below the surface of the ocean.

The final word. Kristen Stewart: "“It’s ridiculous that I even did this movie. I don’t even like swimming, let alone diving. We don’t belong there! I felt very claustrophobic and stifled the whole time." inews

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