Underwater

Kristen Stewart leads a team of survivors who are stranded at the bottom of the ocean when an undersea mining rig is suddenly torn apart by mysterious forces. This sci-fi thriller uses the darkness of the deep sea to maximise the sense of unease as the remaining crew sets off in suits across the ocean floor for another rig. However, the tension subsides when it becomes clear that the film is a lazy imitation of the Alien franchise, with a little bit of The Abyss thrown in. The talented cast (which includes Vincent Cassel and TJ Miller) are limited by having to walk through endless murky corridors while enacting one-dimensional horror-movie archetypes ("The Funny One", "The Scared One", "The Disposable One"). Needless to say, the journey becomes tedious long before the predictable finale. There is evidence of a decent budget, but the film wastes the potential of Stewart, who nevertheless does her best with the thin material. Underwater takes inspiration from several great films of the past, but retains nothing of what made them special. It's likely to be best remembered by trivia fans as the final release under the 20th Century Fox banner.