**Hurricanes, alligators, and a fractured father-daughter relationship - Crawl is a fun creature flick that survives it all!**
Crawl is different from my usual favorite stupid shark or alligator creature features because this is not a so-bad-it’s-good ridiculous movie. Instead, Crawl is a well-done creature survival thriller that creates high anxiety with claustrophobic environments filled with enraged starving alligators. Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper play a father and daughter trapped in a flooding basement in the middle of a hurricane that has become the new home of some hungry crocs. The serious tone and high quality of Crawl would be comparable to The Shallows making this an excellent film as much about survival and growth as the alligators looking for dinner. The effects, well-designed sets, and great performances make Crawl a top-notch creature feature.

The movie plot follows Hayle, who heads towards a storm in Florida to check on his father, who is not answering calls.
When she gets there, her father is hurt and the house is surrounded by hungry and furious alligators. To make it worse, the storm causes a flooding and all this water just makes the hunt easier for the gators.
The movie has good visual effects, but the plot armor is the most absurd one I have seen in years. Against everybody else, the gators are relentless and super-effective man-killing machines, tearing anyone in pieces before they are even able to see what is attacking them. The protagonists, however, suffer only mild scratches from gator bites that would at least result in an arm or leg being torn off.
This is so frequent and so clearly absurd and unrealistic that the movie ceases to be enjoyable after a while.

Simple but entertaining enough, and quickly paced (running time around 80-minutes w/o credits), thriller that has just enough character development for me to care about their predicament. Not sure how much replay value this has but it's at least worth a rental. **3.5/5**

Crawl is a medium budget creature horror film that’s more Bait than Jaws – but with the added back drop of a massive hurricane. As if our characters weren’t already in enough danger.
Is Crawl a “so bad its good” movie, or a “so bad you should avoid it” movie? Read on to find out.
Set in Florida during a category 5 hurricane, Crawl tells the story of Haley and her father Dave, played by Barry Pepper. After receiving a frantic phone call from her sister, Haley goes on the hunt to find her father who is trapped in their old house as the hurricane approaches.
Unbeknownst to Haley, the overflow drain has been breached by Alligators, and their about to make Haley’s rescue mission a whole lot more difficult.
And if the gators don’t get Haley and her dad, the rising hurricane waters will.
I don’t know much about Alligators or Hurricanes, but I do like to think I know something about logic. And that is something that is sorely lacking in most characters in this film. Even the dog.
A series of unfortunate events conspire to make the rescue almost a futile effort. And the missing logic from our characters only add to the frustration to us, as the viewer.
Where should I start? First and foremost, I want to understand why neither Haley or Dave ever tried to smash out the weak looking brick work patterns on the basement wall and then crawl out of the new hole to safety? It doesn’t look like the bricks would need much in the way of a good whack to break open – and considering there were tools in the basement, including the shovel that Dave uses later on to half-decapitate a gator, this bit makes no sense to me. Now I realise two things – 1 is that the open brick patterns serves a purpose to flood the basement – but in reality it’s the first thing anyone would think to smash open. And 2 – if they did do that, then I realise we’d have a short film. But then the writers could have had more fun for the next hour putting Haley and Dave in more incredible and hard to survive scenarios. So there’s a missed opportunity.
The gators that are stuck into basement with Haley and Dave also don’t seem to be those of the killing variety – its either that or the skin of our two characters is so tough that these gators just can’t bite through them. I’m not gator expert, but I am pretty sure if one gets his whole mouth on your arm – he is probably going to bite your whole arm off, and not just leave a minor bite mark. Funny thing is we know these two gators are indeed killers, as one of them does eat the police man who comes to rescue them.
Also following up on the theme of me not being an expert on gators – one thing has me puzzled. Do gators kill for sport, or because they’re hungry? I can’t work that out based on this movie.
And in something that really shocked me for an American movie – it took over an hour until we saw the first gun. That has to be some kind of record for an American horror thriller movie?
But its not all bad – because there are quite a few laugh out loud moments in this movie to lighten up the mood.
I really liked the way Haley traps one of the gators in the shower. That’s both clever and utterly ridiculous – that a flimsy piece of shower glass could be strong enough to hold back a gator that wants to kill.
I also liked the nod to the Purge movies when the siren started just as the eye of the storm was passing through. It almost felt like a both a warning to all humans, and a sign to all gators that they could begin their hunt.
If you go into this movie realising that its not meant to be taken seriously, then its an enjoyable ride that will only briefly have you jumping in your seat over the scares and light gore. For a movie about gators hunting humans, it is surprisingly light on the gore – but then that’s what happens when Hollywood makes horror movies for teen audiences.
And there in lies the problem with this movie and someone like me watching it. It not aimed or marketed at me, and maybe not even at you. It’s a forgettable popcorn flick in the same vein as Bait, but not as fun – at least that had gore to go with its killer sharks.

_Crawl_ didn't changing my life or anything, but it is far and a way the best creature feature I have seen in years. Kaya Scodelario still hasn't quite got the hang of an American accent, and the very first time we see a gator it does nooot look good, but I still am very happy with what was achieved here.
_Final rating:★★★½ - I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time._

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2018 was a disappointing year for me. A lot of letdowns regarding my most anticipated movies, and not enough surprises throughout the year. 2019, on the other hand, has been quite interesting. Most blockbusters have resonated with me, and they’ve been my favorite films to watch so far (Avengers: Endgame, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Us, Glass). Additionally, original low-budget flicks have also caught my eye, and I’ve been enjoying them as well, even if they’re no masterpieces (Greta, Long Shot). Although, I had some bad experiences as well (Dark Phoenix, Hellboy, Godzilla: King of the Monsters).
Crawl, which I honestly expected just to be a cliche-filled silly horror movie, joins this last group, and it’s on par with Long Shot as the best surprise of 2019, until now. First of all, this is not a typical horror film, at least having in mind the last few examples of the genre. People might go in expecting something along the lines of Annabelle Comes Home, but with alligators, so I might as well moderate those thoughts. I wouldn’t even place it in that genre, even though disaster-horror isn’t exactly a bad description. It’s definitely a suspense movie, almost like a survival-thriller. Haley and Dave have to fight for their lives in a race against both a hurricane and fatal predators, so I wouldn’t generally put this in the horror genre. Moving on …
I love this type of films, you know that. Suspenseful, claustrophobic sequences, straightforward plot, and set in (mostly) just one location. You might think that since it’s only one place to shoot and it’s such a simple concept, it’s easier overall, but it couldn’t be more distant from the truth. With high-budget, multiple-location movies, directors and screenwriters can hide their technical flaws with tremendous VFX or huge set pieces. In one location, especially such a small one like a modest house, there’s no hiding. If you want to deliver an entertaining and captivating story, you have to write an enthralling screenplay. If you want to provide scary and efficient jump scare scenes, you need to show some creativity and prove you’re a talented filmmaker.
Alexandre Aja, who doesn’t exactly has a remarkable filmography, showcases that even with such a simplistic and short idea, it’s possible to be as or more fun than a massive blockbuster. Less than 20 minutes into the film, and we’re on. There’s enough backstory and characterization of the main protagonist for the audience to not only care about Haley but understand what skills she has that will help her survive what comes next. I love small details like zooming in on her locking a door, closing a window, moving a piece of furniture … Every shot has meaning because it will affect the plot later on. Aja is not shooting something “just because”, and that’s a skill that a lot of directors struggle to have nowadays since they feel that the runtime needs to be close to the two-hour mark.
After so many dumb, cliche, and horribly performed jump scare sequences in previous horror flicks from this year, I finally got to watch a movie where the director knows how to truly scare people, and make them jump out of their chairs. There are no loud soundtrack noises to make you screech. There are no demons or monsters in front of the screen, screaming like crazy. I was at the edge of my seat for more than a couple of times, and I genuinely got scared on some particular moments, where the surprise factor (Aja doesn’t follow the cheap timings of most horror scenes) and the creativity behind the camera were top notch.
Obviously, the VFX and overall production design aren’t mind-blowing. The alligators look pretty real, and that was the main goal, so mission accomplished. Also, being Rated-R helps the film to deliver great alligator attacks with tons of blood, and the injuries our characters have to deal with are pretty gnarly and disgusting (that’s a compliment). Filming in water is extremely hard, especially in such a confined space. However, Aja and his crew were able to produce a movie where you can understand everything that’s going on for the entire runtime.
Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper deliver great performances and show amazing chemistry. Their characters have enough development, even if they don’t have that imaginative scripts. Crawl is one of those films where I can’t point out a preeminent issue with it because it’s good at every aspect. I mean, sure, there are a couple of rare moments of extreme survival, where we might think “he/she should be dead”, but it’s such a fun and entertaining time at the theater that we can let go of one or two over-the-top scenes. It’s not like The Meg, where every single moment is unrealistic as hell. The success of the fictional part of a fiction movie depends on its realistic foundation and limits. If these aren’t well-established, then the film will be all over the place, and its viewers won’t know what to believe or not.
All in all, Crawl is one of 2019’s best surprises, and I definitely recommend to see it in theaters. With compelling leads and a simple concept, Alexandre Aja delivers an entertaining, suspenseful, claustrophobic, and technically creative movie. Finally, someone who knows how to handle a camera, and provide genuinely scary jump scare sequences. Hopefully, this can catapult Kaya Scodelario to grab a bigger role on a more impactful film. I can’t point out any “flaws”, it’s simply a “good movie”. With such a low-budget, give a chance to this one, and watch it instead of a massive blockbuster that will probably leave you disappointed with the numerous cliches and the extreme focus on silly action or huge set pieces as a replacement for a good story. Good job, Paramount!
Rating: B+

**I don't understand the hype.**
When watching this film, I got the serious impression that “Army of Darkness” ended up being a kind of sequel or spin-off to this work, considering the themes involved and the persistence of the main actor, Bruce Campbell. Both films have similarities, and it's hard not to think about it.
Sam Raimi is one of those directors who have made a name for himself in horror cinema, but I can't help but think that this is one of his poorest works. “Evil Dead” is dark, it's bizarre, it's full of gore and scenes that make you want to throw up your popcorn, but it's not the kind of film I would watch again. With a miserably low budget and a lot of creativity, the director manages to disgust us more than to scare us, and there is little in this film that can really instill fear or dramatic tension. In fact, there are scenes that dangerously border on comedy.
Bruce Campbell does what he can, and what he does is enough to guarantee protagonism due to the absolute lack of a capable and competent cast. The actor is not completely devoid of ability or talent, but he seems to have limited himself to this, and similar films. It goes without saying that the rest of the cast doesn't even deserve a mention in this review, as they are absolute amateurs or people who made mistakes in their profession. And of course the Necronomicon, a book created by the fantasy imagination of H. P. Lovecraft, has a relevant role in the plot and is absolutely fearsome. In the midst of this funny disaster, what saves this film a little is the way Raimi takes the opportunity to study cheap visual and special effects, and the results he can get from them. Buckets of paint, raspberry juice, bizarre synthetic makeup similar to carnival faces, we have almost everything.

The Evil Dead II takes everything fans loved from the original and ramps it up to one thousand, but is that such a good thing? The direction from Raimi is very present once again with fantastically creative shots and quick zooms that are such a staple of his. The story is way more fleshed out here, with interesting flash backs that give the original an entirely new perspective. The special effects are better than the original, and we get to see a lot more of what the evil entity is. But with all the positives this movie has, it is just missing something that I cannot put my finger on. The original felt so genuine, and I think the low budget helped increase the tension and horror of the possessions. Here the tone is a little campier and I just don't resonant with it as much as the original. It is still a great film, and one of the better horror films of the 80s, but I do not hold it as high as most unfortunately.
Score: 81% ✅
Verdict: Great

Not really much of a fan of slasher/gore films, but friends suggested I give this a try purely because the film does not try to take itself too seriously, and despite the fact there is lots of gore here, none of it looked particularly realistic and only adds to the extremely black humour of the whole affair.
But what attracted me to this film was the charisma of the lead actor Ash, played by Bruce Campbell. He is not a great actor by any stretch, but he does have a rather boyish charm that moves the film along, even if the script is as creaky as the rocking chair in his cabin!
Definitely made on a shoestring budget, and the sfx (no cgi here!) are not all that great, but it doesn't matter because you're just there for the ride; and to be fair there are some very good fx splashed around throughout, and the first person camera-eye of the Evil Spirit in the Wood, is also well done.
Groovy!

RELEASED IN 1987 and written & directed by Sam Raimi, “The Evil Dead” chronicles events when two Michigan State students (Bruce Campbell & Denise Bixler) travel to a remote cabin in western Tennessee for spring break wherein they discover a copy of the Book of the Dead and an audiotape whose incantations resurrect demons in the woods. The daughter of the archeologist who made the tape (Sarah Berry) also visits the cabin with her beau (Richard Domeier) and a couple of dubious locals (Dan Hicks & Kassie Wesley DePaiva).
The first film was low-budget, cartoony and extreme, but it was serious horror. This sequel is also cartoony and extreme, but it’s decidedly comedy horror. It’s entertaining for what it is, but it’s hindered by a confusing opening “recap” that doesn’t match the previous film. Raimi stated that he didn’t have the rights to use material from the original movie so he did a 7-minute recap with only two people instead of five (with Denise Bixler taking over the role of Linda). But there are other inconsistencies: The Book of the Dead and audiotape is found in a room rather than the basement and Ash (Campbell) later “rediscovers” that the bridge is out, which he already knew via events in the first film.
Once you get past the awkward and perplexing set-up, the movie settles into an entertaining over-the-top gory horror comedy, which is so creative it’s as if it was made by a lunatic. Bixler is a great replacement in the role of Linda, but her part is too brief and you only catch glimpses of her stunning beauty. It took me a while to warm up to Annie (Berry), but I eventually did and she’s a worthy secondary protagonist. There are several amusing and thrilling sequences, like the demonic hand scenes.
THE FILM RUNS 1 hour & 24 minutes and was shot in Wadesboro and (studio) Wilmington, North Carolina, with supplementary work done in Detroit. ADDITIONAL WRITER: Scott Spiegel.
GRADE: B-/C+

The Flaming Groovy!
Yes indeed, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are back to shake some action with this remake of their own The Evil Dead (1981), only this time with more money and more overt humour. A quick prologue sets things up nicely, then BAM! Ash (Campbell) and his squeeze are in the cabin of doom and about to be part of a night of unholy demonic terror.
It's a nightmare of the black comedy kind, where Raimi and Campbell invite us to a party and then gleefully pummel us into submission - and we sado-masochistically enjoy it! Ash has grown a pair of cojones and decides to fight back against the demonic forces, cue mucho action with chainsaw and shotgun. There's a quip on the tongue for our hero as well, even as he is battered from pillar to post to make the action work.
Raimi isn't interested in extraneous scenes or exposition, he strips it bare as the pic hurtles along, all while he brings his technical skills with camera and sound design to the fore. The humour is often outrageous, dementedly so, while it's nice to find a group of film makers who don't feel the need to now throw blood and guts at the screen every other scene just to make a formulaic impact.
Bonkers, chilling and devilishly funny. 8/10

This is such a girly movie, but I can't lie I actually like this movie. I love the

A somewhat mis-matched crew are working on a base deep underwater when things start to go wrong. An earthquake right at the bottom of the Marianas Trench - or was it? Kristen Stewart ("Price") and Vincent Cassel ("Lucien") lead a team who have to escape their collapsed facility and make it to a nearby abandoned mine where there might be a route topside. The film features the usual lines of jeopardy - will they drown, is there enough oxygen, etc - but somehow, even when we discover there is much more to the disaster, the menace just floats away. Stewart is really underwhelming, as are the rest of the cast and is the writing. The visual effects are adequate, but that is standard nowadays, it's the story and characterisations that are just flat. It is only 90 minutes long, but it seems longer and somehow the ending was just a bit, well, damp! Can't think this ever got a cinema release - that might have helped, big screen and all that - but otherwise, this is entirely forgettable fishy fayre.

**Overall : An exhilarating and tense high-stakes survival movie where the creatures are only one of the many horrors to be survived.**
I can't lie - I LOVED THIS MOVIE! Underwater is the spiritual follow-up to the Alien franchise. The intensity of every claustrophobic second grips the audience as the characters fight to survive overwhelming obstacles to emerge from the ocean's depths alive. The dive suits, narrow corridors, limited visuals, and terrifying creatures add to the suspense throughout the film. The director displays his incredible skill at building tension and anxiety every moment. I don't know why this movie has such low reviews because I was captivated from start to finish.

Great watch, will watch again, and do recommend.
To be fair, I was sick when I saw this was available and couldn't resist watching it.
I'm a fan of Kristen Stewart (most of the time), and sure, she runs around in her underwear for a lot of the movie, but that's not a reason to watch the movie, it's a horrible reason for a web search.
A great reason to watch this is that it is a underwater survival story. The isolation and technical strategy involved in dealing with this situation makes it gravely atmospheric, without the threat of "monsters". Honestly, that version would have also made a great movie.
The movie clearly takes queues from several other great movies, and while it does it very well, the problem there is "several". Had the movie mirrored only "Alien", it probably would had been a stronger story. Clearly the writers wanted the threat to build, similar to video games, or possibly more similar to an alien invasion movie.
The cross between a survival / slasher movie and an invasion movie muddles the feel of the movie somewhat. It downgrades the movie from truly excellent to great, and I don't feel that everyone is going to get the proper experience to recognize all of the great individual parts because the overall pie tastes a little funny.

Very fun, tense thriller that doesn't waste any time. If you've seen Leviathan or Event Horizon or Pandorum, you know exactly what this movie is going to be. Appreciated the whole cast, and I wish more serious actors would pick up genre roles like this.

Kristen Stewart actually kind of pulls off carrying this thing, which was a surprise to me. I know a lot of people have really enjoyed her post-_Twilight_ career, but I haven't really latched on to anything she's done. It feels pretty short, but not as short as it actually is at 95 minutes. The creatures were cool, I'm pretty sure. It was kind of hard to see. But for all its ups and downs I did basically enjoy _Underwater_, a solid mix of creepy monster, creepy environment, interspersed with tension-relieving dialogue. The only real problem is that it's **very** derivative. Not a massive issue in and of itself, the trouble is that it means every five minutes you think to yourself "Oh! This is just like X Movie (usually _Alien_)... I kinda wish I was watching that instead".
_Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go._

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I was surprisingly interested in and even optimistic about this movie. Why "surprisingly"? Well, first of all, the cast doesn't really have a big name attached to it even though I actually enjoy some of Kristen Stewart's performances (who, like Robert Pattinson, has a few blind haters that haven't seen anything else other than Twilight), as well as a few other actors (Jessica Henwick, particularly). Then, no director or screenwriter caught my attention. William Eubank hasn't done anything exceptional yet. Brian Duffield co-wrote Insurgent (awful) but delivered a surprisingly fun horror screenplay with The Babysitter. Finally, Adam Cozad helped to create some underwhelming narratives (The Legend of Tarzan, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit).
In addition to this, I'm not in favor of films written by more than two people since these usually disappoint, and... it's a January movie. So, why was I slightly excited to watch Underwater? For the same reason a lot of people probably avoided it: its formulaic horror-thriller story deep at the bottom of the ocean. If a sci-fi film has a premise based on a team that works on a claustrophobic location and some sort of entity "disrupts" their job, I'm instantly drawn into these movies. There's something about them that makes me enjoy them more than most people. Usually, this type of film has a low-budget and really requires a talented director who's able to generate genuine tension and suspense.
Underwater is 2020's big surprise. January movies are known to be Hollywood's trash bin, so I'm honestly dumbfounded that this film is far from being bad. It's very, very good! The set and production design are impressive, and they help create that isolated, suspenseful atmosphere. The first few minutes are nail-biting. The next twenty minutes are fantastic. The following twenty minutes continue to be a blast of entertainment. I felt continuously surprised by how good the movie actually is. I still can't believe what I just witnessed!
Don't twist my words, it's not a masterpiece or even a "great" film. It still follows a plot-driven narrative that countless other movies did better. It borrows inspiration from Alien, Cloverfield, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, and every other film involving an alien-like form threatening a crew. Plus, it lacks characterization of pretty much every character. There's no real attempt at deeply developing a single character to make the audience care about it, but this doesn't mean the movie can't succeed. Like I wrote above, there's a whole lot of plot-driven films that went on to be phenomenal.
The difference between those and Underwater is that the latter doesn't truly bring anything new to the genre. It just uses the known cliches and executes them really well, which is itself a massive surprise. I can't deny that I had a lot of fun watching this thriller. I expected messy action with way too dark lighting making it impossible to see anything. I received surprisingly visible, well-filmed sequences, packed with tension, tons of panic, and a palpable sense of urgency. There aren't that many moments to breathe and relax.
The VFX team and Bojan Bazelli (cinematographer) deserve a lot of credit because the "aliens" not only are visually captivating, but they are shown just in the right spots for the exact right amount of time. Underwater doesn't possess a huge budget, so the creatures need to be shown "in the shadows" to make them look and feel "realistic". It might seem like an obvious technical decision to be made, but its execution it's far from being an easy task, so kudos to everyone that participated in making the monsters a genuinely menacing threat.
The cast is excellent. Kristen Stewart continues to break out of the Twilight shell, proving again and again that she's a wonderful actress. Jessica Henwick is pretty great, as well as Vincent Cassel. Everyone delivers fairly decent performances, even T.J. Miller, who portrays the always divisive comic-relief character that will surely be extremely annoying to some, and quite funny to others (I stand in the middle, I think his character is fine).
It's definitely a good sci-fi horror-thriller, way better than most January flicks (Underwater is one of the last 20th Century Fox's movies, which probably means that Disney had no clue what to do with it, hence dumping it in the worst month of the year). I just added William Eubank to my list of directors to follow. His commitment to actually make a good film is demonstrated on screen, so I really hope that his movie gains some sort of following when it reaches people's homes.
Underwater is 2020's (first) massively positive surprise. A January film far better than most of the month's competition. William Eubank delivers a remarkably well-filmed sci-fi horror-thriller filled with great tension, surprisingly visible (!) action, fantastic production design, and some really captivating VFX work. It's by no means a brilliant movie! It takes inspiration from better films of the same genre, and it follows a straightforward, plot-driven narrative with close to zero character development. It simply uses the known cliches but executes them really well. An underrated cast led by Kristen Stewart offers some notable performances, but it's the claustrophobic atmosphere surrounded by incredibly well-generated suspense that turns this movie into a success. Technically, I still can't believe how surprised I am. I just wish that it had a little bit of more characterization, so I could recommend it even more. As it stands, do watch it at the highest quality when you get the chance.
Rating: B

What a terrible movie, I just gave up halfway through. It might have been OK with a decent script, a competent director, and not having a plank of wood in the lead role, but as that's something very different to what we actually got, we'll never know.

**_A well-made creature-feature; it may not be original, but it is entertaining_**
>_I cast indeed my net into their sea, and meant to catch good fish; but always did I draw up the head of some ancient God._
- Friedrich Nietzsche; _Also sprach Zarathustra: Ein Buch für Alle und Keinen_ (1885)
>_The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, hav__e hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age._
- H.P. Lovecraft; _The Call of Cthulhu_ (1926)
The last film distributed by 20th Century Fox before they were rebranded as 20th Century Studios by Disney, _Underwater_ was shot in early 2017 for $50 million and then sat on a shelf for over two years. Now that it's finally seeing the light of day, there's a real sense of Disney just wanting to be rid of Fox's clutter, and they either didn't know how to promote it or didn't want to promote it, as the marketing campaign has been next to invisible (and the bland title certainly doesn't help), with the film grossing a paltry $7 million in its opening weekend. From Disney's perspective, of course, releasing it in the January release window makes sense, as it's a period traditionally dominated by duds and cast-offs – films the studios don't care about for one reason or another. A recent high-profile example is _Blackhat_, Michael Mann's underrated 2015 cyber-terrorism drama, which was released with little to no advertising, grossing only $20 million at the North American box office against a $70 million budget. However, much like _Blackhat_, _Underwater_ is considerably better than most January releases. Sure, it's clichéd and predictable, and it shamelessly borrows from a litany of superior genre films, but it's also a very entertaining and enjoyable aquatic creature-feature.
At an unspecified point in the future, Tian Industries, the largest drilling company in the world, are attempting to drill into the ocean floor at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, almost seven miles down, with atmospheric pressure over 1,000 times that at sea-level, strong enough to crush a human body so completely that there aren't even any remains. As the film begins, Kepler Station, the crew quarters of Tian's massive drilling rig, is hit by a series of unexplained vibrations, causing a cascading pressure breach. Norah Price (Kristen Stewart) and Rodrigo Nagenda (Mamoudou Athie) are the only ones to escape, sealing off the area so as to slow, but not prevent the inevitable implosion of the whole rig. Heading first to the escape pod dock, they find no pods left, and in the control base, they're unable to contact the surface. Meanwhile, they encounter some other survivors – Cpt. Lucian (Vincent Cassel), Paul Abel (T.J. Miller), Liam Smith (John Gallagher, Jr.), and Emily Havisham (Jessica Fenwick). With their situation grim, Lucien says the only hope they have is to use pressurised suits to walk the one-mile distance to the Roebuck Drilling Station and use the escape pods located there. And so they descend to the dark ocean floor. However, as if their task wasn't daunting enough, they soon discover that they aren't alone.
Written by Brian Duffield (_The Babysitter_; _Jane Got a Gun_) and Adam Cozad (_Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit;_ _The Legend of Tarzan_), and directed by William Eubank (_Love_; _The Signal_), Underwater walks a very fine line between rip-off and homage. The most obvious touchstones, both narratively and aesthetically, are Ridley Scott's _Alien_ (1979) and James Cameron's _The Abyss_ (1989), but one can also see the influence of films such as George P. Cosmatos's _Leviathan_ (1989), Paul W.S. Anderson's _Event Horizon_ (1997), Barry Levinson's _Sphere_ (1998), and Danny Boyle's _Sunshine_ (2007). I even detected a slight nod to Neil Marshall's _The Descent_ (2005). In short, the set-up is your classic "group of isolated people getting picked off one by one". When someone as talented as Boyle turns his hand to this template, the result is a near-masterpiece. And although Eubank is most certainly no Boyle, Underwater is a lot better than its lack of advertising, clichéd premise, bland title, and generic trailer suggest.
Sure, it isn't really _about_ much of anything. There's a vague ecological theme that's brought up a couple of times, with Emily talking about how humans have drilled "_too deep_" and are now suffering the consequences, but really, it never amounts to anything even half-way substantial. In all fairness though, who would be expecting thematic complexity anyway? You know what you're getting with a film like this, and the best you can hope for is that it looks good and is entertaining. And _Underwater_ is both.
Kicking into high-gear immediately, the film wastes no time whatsoever in getting to the action. The opening scene is the Kepler implosion, and it's a good five minutes before things calm down. In _Alien_, Scott takes his time getting anywhere, introducing us to the aesthetic of the _Nostromo_, then the characters and their relationships and milieu before it all kicks off. In essence, _Underwater_ is the inverse of that, with all hell breaking loose before we know much of anything about anyone. Indeed, the only character we even see, let alone get to know, before the implosion is Norah. I certainly wouldn't want every film to open this way, but it has an undeniable kineticism and appealing volatility, which Eubank does a decent job of maintaining throughout the next 95 minutes.
Aesthetically, there's a lot to like here. Production design is absolutely paramount in films like this (think of how important design elements are in building tension and establishing tone in _Alien_ or _Event Horizon_), and designer Naaman Marshall (_The Visit_; _Don't Breath_; _Stuber_) does a fine job, with the world feeling lived-in and authentic. Making especially good use of tunnels and low ceilings, there's a real sense of claustrophobia, which only lets up, ironically enough, when the characters are outside the safety of the rig and exposed to multiple dangers. This claustrophobia is aided immensely by Dorotka Sapinska's costume design, with the bulky pressurised suits looking like astronaut rigs or something out of the _Gears of War_ video games. Also vitally important to the claustrophobic tone is the photography by the great Bojan Bazelli (_Mr. & Mrs. Smith_; _Pete's Dragon_; _A Cure for Wellness_). During scenes outside, Bazelli often shoots from within the characters' helmets, and even when the characters are inside, he often shoots in tight close-ups, simultaneously anchoring us to their perspectives and heightening the sense of enclosure and pressure (both literal and figurative). When outside, the film uses the limited visibility to its advantage in establishing a tone of ominous danger. Some will probably find these scenes too dark, but I'd argue that that is precisely the point; the characters can't see much of anything, and neither can we.
Elsewhere, obviously inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, particularly Cthulhu, the creature design by Abner Marín (_The Dark Tower_; _The Predator_) is suitably creepy and grotesque. Even the props are impressive, especially when the crew are forced to arm themselves, à la the Dead Space video games, with non-combat industrial tools such as saws and bolt guns. The aesthetic element that really stood out for me, however, was the sound design by Wayne Lemmer (_Kick Ass 2_; _Deadpool_; _Logan_). The implosion scenes are accompanied with some bone-rattling LFE, whilst the ominous ambient sounds of the Kepler are a constant reminder that the station is on its last legs. The scenes outside are equally as impressive, with some excellent use of directional sound as the action shifts location on screen - it's a film that I would imagine will sound incredible on a 7.1.2 Atmos system, particularly at the crossover frequencies.
In terms of problems, there's a rather unjustified use of voiceover to bookend things, explaining the moral of the story; it's wholly unnecessary and has the effect of making the film feel like an episode of _The Outer Limits_. There's also next to no characterisation. We learn bits and pieces about Norah and Lucien's backstories, whilst Emily and Liam are dating, but apart from that, the film is peopled by perfunctory cardboard cut-outs with no sense of interiority. Eubank also seems somewhat confused as to whether he's making a disaster movie or a monster movie, with certain scenes and elements suggesting one or the other. However, he never really finds a middle-ground, giving the film a slightly schizophrenic tone.
Although _Underwater_ never manages to rise anywhere near the heights of films such as _Alien_ and _Sunshine_, it deserved better treatment than it received from Fox and Disney. Given the January release, the clichéd setup, the two-year limbo, and the bland title, I wasn't expecting much from this, but I was pleasantly surprised. It won't change your life, but it's an entertaining and well-made creature-feature.

Tense and fun, with cool creatures and jump scares that aren't too obnoxious, 'Underwater' is disposable in the long run. But it's also an entertaining and unpretentious true Hollywood B-movie that is worth a visit to the cinema.
- Jake Watt
Read Jake's full article...
https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-underwater-a-solid-subaquatic-monster-mash

Brooklyn (2015)
A Beautiful and Moving Film - A Love Story.
26 August 2016 - 2 out of 2 users found this review helpful.
A beautiful and moving film. A love story that draws you in, and is told so well that you care about the characters almost immediately. The photography and the close-ups are really beautiful, and the camera loves Saoirse Ronan. She leaves Ireland and she is off to America, (Brooklyn). Her trip to America is shot so economically, yet powerfully, you could feel what it must have been like on that Ocean Liner. Homesick and missing her widowed Mum and Sister she makes a home for herself in Brooklyn. But will she stay in Brooklyn? The cast is amazing, Julie Waters, Jessica Pare, and Jim Broadbent, to mention a few. The wardrobe was authentic, and the soft warm colors seemed to give this film a dreamlike feeling. But In the end it was all about Saoirse, she carried this film, there was never a false moment. When she was homesick, you knew it, you could feel it. I love "BROOKLYN".

> An ordinary woman's life struggle that lives very close to average of us.
A very fascinating movie. Depicted as a real life drama that is totally different from the other Oscars nominees for this year. Based on the novel of the same name, that tells the story of a young Irish woman, Eilis, in the 1950s who travels to the United States, Brooklyn, looking for a better future. Thousands of kilometers across the Pacific ocean, she finds a new job, new friends, a whole new life, but what she misses is her home and family. So how she makes out of those difficulties, and finds a way to go forward is the rest.
About an ordinary woman's life struggle that lives very close to average of us. That's why I loved this film more than other drama films nominated for this Oscar. The first two acts were amazing, the third was a bit off and cliche, but that's how the story rediscovered by getting back at the conclusion. I think this is Saoirse Ronan's full matured character as an adult woman. She was my favourite child actress and seen all her films. So felt strange to see her like this, because that's not how I remember her, but it only gets better after she does more character like this.
She was very good, in fact, she should get the Oscar for the role. In my prediction, Brie Larson for 'Room' and Ronan are the top contenders, but if Cate Blanchett wins that'll be a great disappointment. I'm also expecting adapted screenplay awards. The cinematography was fantastic, those 50s New York City really brought back on the screen. It is a must watch, especially if you're a middle aged guy, because you're well experienced about personal and social life already, and this movie only a reminder.
9/10

A teen romance like there are hundreds of others: a girl a boy, different social classes, one not quite attracted to the other, blah blah blah, they fall in love. If you're in the mood for a romantic movie that follows the most basic template of romantic movies, then watch it. But if you want something original that will surprise and excite you then look elsewhere.

Flat out garbage of a movie. Pure waste of time. The only reason I rated it a 4 is because there were some funny parts. Overall bad movie though.

**Austin Powers' inglorious end... so far.**
I can't deny that Austin Powers was a landmark franchise for late '90s humor cinema, but the truth is that this film, like its immediate predecessor, isn't funny at all. Here, the script is based on a new conspiracy by Dr. Evil, this time in harmony with a Dutchman fascinated by gold, who wants all the gold he can hoard. So that the English spy doesn't get in his way, he kidnapped and had Powers' father killed.
The script is very weak, has worn-out premises and works, in practice, as a parody of the third film in the Bond franchise. If that was any success initially, in this case it doesn't seem like enough for the movie to work. In addition, the conception of the vast majority of characters is unfortunate because it is very underdeveloped, the writing is terrible and the dialogues horrible, and everything seems just an excuse for an avalanche of jokes. Also, there are characters here that don't really have to be here, like Fat Bastard.
Mike Myers continues to play several characters, in a very intense and truly well-executed role-playing exercise; he tries everything to make his film work, and invests his talent in a truly remarkable way. However, if the recipe no longer works, the actor's effort and talent are simply being wasted. In addition, there are other actors with an equally positive record, such as Verne Troyer, Michael Caine or Beyoncé. The rest hardly matters, and I prefer not to mention the large amount of unnecessary cameos from a series of artists, models and singers. Seeing so many stars appear just for the hell of it doesn't make any sense and gives the film an irritating sense of smugness.
Technically, there are some features that I want to point out, namely the visuals and specials, with Myers playing opposite himself in many occasions and scenes, and the excellent sets and costumes. Unfortunately, the film has a very fast pace and the editing was not very happy, but what is really needed here is some really effective humor, because if the film's formula already seems worn out, the humor of the successive jokes is non-existent.

Weakest of the three in my opinion, but 'Austin Powers in Goldmember' still has some memorable moments.
I enjoyed the star-studded and cameo-filled opening scene, it's well done. Mike Myers is again great in his roles, especially Dr. Evil, and Beyoncé Knowles is a positive addition. The stuff with Dr. Evil isn't as good as in the 1999 film, yet he still made me laugh a few times; he does have one of the series' best moments with the rendition of the Jay-Z song.
However, I did feel a few pacing issues. All in all, it's still worth a watch. As noted, the cameos are solid - and let's just say they chose the perfect actor to play Dr. Evil...

It really is just funny. If you're looking for more than a funny movie it's time to question why you're watching Tag.
The strength is the casting. Everyone did a great job, but there are three highlights I feel the need to specifically praise:
Jake Johnson plays the best perpetual stoner friend I've seen since Brad Pitt in True Romance. He's both relatable and completely exaggerated, and he pulls both off with ease.
Isla Fisher was, well, the best way to describe her is: "consistently hysterical." She was so aggressively over-the-top that her scenes were a delight to watch. She was able to capture a specific personality trait of a certain type of person everyone knows, and then believably exaggerate it to hysterical proportions. She delivered what was probably the best comedic performance in 2018.
And Jeremy Renner was able to play the aloof living McGuffin perfectly straight and believable no matter how absurd his scenes were. They say comedy is best delivered straight and he proves the statement true and adds a graceful timing to his performance.
Unfortunately it's not going to be remembered, but it might be a cult classic if for no other reason that the characters were perfectly cast for their individual roles.
Ultimately, when all is said and done, Tag will make you laugh, and that really was the point of both making the film and watching the film. In my book that's a success.

I had a pretty great time with _Tag_. Maybe that's because I went to a nice theatre (which I haven't done in a while) and saw it with a couple of close friends on a very nice day, but I rather think that it's primarily because of Jeremy Renner's character. The way he's written, acted, and shot, are all pretty much flawless. Off the strength of him alone, I could probably send you out to see _Tag_, but there is a Hell of a lot else to appreciate about it too.
_Final rating:★★★½ - I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time._

21 grams the movie was such a beautifully constructed story.
It had the rawest of emotions that are intense.
Some may find the content a bit heavy but I thought it was pure craft.
The way the story unfolds into each other is fabulous.
It’s a film about the basics of human nature.
21 grams is the weight of your soul apparently once it leaves your body when you die.