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Flight Centre Specials
A sub thriller with a supernatural twist
By Liz Black
Posted Wed, 12 Feb 2003
It was a slow week when I agreed to go and review David Twohy’s ‘Below’ billed as a submarine thriller with a supernatural twist. A what? A genre-busting triumph set to spawn a host of similar flicks? I think not, but it was great fun anyway.
The film starts off firmly as a World War II sub thriller as we join the crew of the USS Tiger Shark on patrol in the Atlantic in 1943. There is plenty of slick maneuvering in the sweaty confines of the sub as messages are relayed from the officers to the engine room. The officers appear cool and well-pressed at this stage, but as all starts to unravel they become as unkempt as the rest of the crew.
At the top of the food chain on the vessel is Lieutenant Brice ('Thirteen Days' Bruce Greenwood) and his steely-eyed glare seems to just about keep the crew under control. Ensign Coors (Scott Foley), second-in-command Loomis (‘Fight Club’s’ Holt McCallany) and rookie Odell (‘Legally Blonde’s’ Matt Davis) make up the rest of the team.
The sub is homeward bound, but there is a general air of unease aboard the vessel, and the superstitious crew harp on a number of bad luck events that have plagued their boat. But, the worst is yet to come when the Tiger Shark picks up three survivors from a British hospital boat that was destroyed during an attack. One of the survivors is a woman and the crew considers this the worst omen of all. And, sure enough things start getting a little hotter.
The sub’s position is “signalled” to a marauding Nazi U-Boat when the lieutenant’s record player keeps turning on and off on its own, and a mysterious force keeps pounding Morse Code for “B-A-C-K” on the side of the boat.
Claire, the rescued nurse (‘Rushmore’s’ Olivia Williams), and her two male companions are immediately fingered for these strange goings on. But, as she starts to investigate the events become all the more mysterious, and the seamen start to turn on one another rather than the “scapegoats”.
Mechanical problems, Nazi depth charges and dead crew members had me writhing in my seat. And, if at times the plot seems a little thin, there is always a deep-sea dive, a falling body or a ghostly spectre to keep you on the edge of your seat.
For more information, take a look at the film's official website: http://www.belowthemovie.com
What the international critics are saying:
"A gripping little B-movie of more mood than substance, Below nonetheless delivers on its modest promises."
— Brent Simon, ENTERTAINMENT TODAY
“In the handsome, haunting submarine thriller Below, the usual perils of deep-sea maneuvers are heightened by psychic unraveling.”
— Lisa Schwarzbaum, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
"Twohy is not only skilled at building and maintaining suspense, he’s also aware that a cast chock full of experienced character actors is the right
fit for a haunted sub flick."
— Phil Villarreal, ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Twohy's a good yarn-spinner, and ultimately the story compels.
—
Luke Y. Thompson, DALLAS OBSERVER
“Has a slamming first hour. As Ian Wilson's camera darts over Charles Lee's spookily atmospheric sets, enigmas sprout like mushrooms.”
— Manohla Dargis, LOS ANGELES TIMES
“The story offers an interesting twist, but the only really spooky part is when a Benny Goodman record insists on playing without human aid. More scares, please.”
— Jami Bernard, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
