A decently made, if exceedingly derivative tale of ecological and parasitic horror at sea. There will be few surprises or scares to seasoned viewers, but effective moments of body horror and general existential dread permeates. The isolated and claustrophobic setting of a single marine vessel provides a very effective setting for a horror film, especially one centered on infection scares. There is also the ever present fear of abyssal ocean depths, the potential unknown horrors lurking just below the surface and out of sight to land-based bipeds. The centering character for this film is a marine biologist, used to deliver scientific exposition dumps to keep the viewer informed about the nature of the threats the crew will face. Overall, the direction is sound, atmospheric and managing to frame some very close and tense shots. There is nothing particularly memorable about the acting or characters, who are beyond rote and not particularly engaging. There’s not much new or exceptional, and the ending is telegraphed fairly early. However, this is a nicely made slow burn with some Lovecraftian overtones and worth a watch.
Sea Fever (2019)