One of the biggest problems of horror genre is that we have seen virtually everything, being very difficult to come up with something truly different or original. This film starts from a common base - the ordinary film of ghosts and hauntings - for something that had not yet been seen: a haunted submarine.
Without major introductions, the script put us into an American submarine in the middle of World War II. Minutes later, we watch what looks like the first attack by a German destroyer and the level of tension and suspense goes off with each depth charge. From there, the script maneuvers elegantly, creating a very good story where, in addition to the presence of an apparent haunt or curse, we observe a divided crew, with fringe nerves, always looking over their shoulder. Of course, on a claustrophobic ship, where everyone knows all about each other and everyone's life's are dependent on teamwork and respect for the chain of command, things are heading quickly for disaster.
The strongest point of this film is the excellent script, that combines the threat of war and death, the traditional Navy superstitions, the evidence of a curse or supernatural presence and the disunity of a disturbed and very nervous crew. The film takes advantage of all these elements and creates ambiguous situations, in which everything can be due both to a ghost and to human and logical causes. The film has several effective twists and turns and is never too obvious.
The cast has several little-known names. Bruce Greenwood and Matthew Davis were the only ones I knew of other works, namely the new "Star Trek" movies (Greenwood) and the TV series "The Vampire Diaries"/"The Originals", where Davis got his acclaim. However, despite being actors that I didn't know for the most part, they did a very good job. I particularly liked the performance of Greenwood, Davis and the British actress Olivia Williams, in the role of a nurse they rescue from the sea after their hospital ship was torpedoed. The good construction of the characters helped a lot.
Technically, it is a film where the sets stand out for their quality. In fact, the interior of that submarine was thought out in the smallest detail and it looks as real and tiny as it could be. Cinematography was well done, with cameras filming in such a way that the space seems even more tight and suffocating. CGI is also very present and has its merit, helping in the most supernatural scenes.
Without major introductions, the script put us into an American submarine in the middle of World War II. Minutes later, we watch what looks like the first attack by a German destroyer and the level of tension and suspense goes off with each depth charge. From there, the script maneuvers elegantly, creating a very good story where, in addition to the presence of an apparent haunt or curse, we observe a divided crew, with fringe nerves, always looking over their shoulder. Of course, on a claustrophobic ship, where everyone knows all about each other and everyone's life's are dependent on teamwork and respect for the chain of command, things are heading quickly for disaster.
The strongest point of this film is the excellent script, that combines the threat of war and death, the traditional Navy superstitions, the evidence of a curse or supernatural presence and the disunity of a disturbed and very nervous crew. The film takes advantage of all these elements and creates ambiguous situations, in which everything can be due both to a ghost and to human and logical causes. The film has several effective twists and turns and is never too obvious.
The cast has several little-known names. Bruce Greenwood and Matthew Davis were the only ones I knew of other works, namely the new "Star Trek" movies (Greenwood) and the TV series "The Vampire Diaries"/"The Originals", where Davis got his acclaim. However, despite being actors that I didn't know for the most part, they did a very good job. I particularly liked the performance of Greenwood, Davis and the British actress Olivia Williams, in the role of a nurse they rescue from the sea after their hospital ship was torpedoed. The good construction of the characters helped a lot.
Technically, it is a film where the sets stand out for their quality. In fact, the interior of that submarine was thought out in the smallest detail and it looks as real and tiny as it could be. Cinematography was well done, with cameras filming in such a way that the space seems even more tight and suffocating. CGI is also very present and has its merit, helping in the most supernatural scenes.