UNDERWATER Trailer

Let it be known, the ocean is the second scariest place in existence besides outer space. Just my humble opinion, but still the two most horror-inducing environments one could think of. Let’s see: no air. The need for a suit to keep you alive. The idea of even one mechanism failing and Game Over. Still not convinced? Go watch the trailer for Underwater and tell me I’m wrong.

ALIEN + JAWS = F— Yeah!

To be honest, I clicked on the trailer only knowing the cast was comprised of Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, and T.J. Miller. Not taking the time to read the synopsis, the ‘going in cold’ nature of the preview left me floored. A Gravity style think-piece about deep-sea exploration where T.J. Miller tries to flex in a serious role while the Stewart comes to grips with a past trauma of some kind. This was the journey set in my mind going in. Instead, I am thrown into a Deep Blue Sea hellscape where Murphy’s Law reigns supreme and I couldn’t be happier.

Duped by the overly dramatic poster art of Kristen Stewart reaching out gingerly toward something off-camera while wearing a futuristic dive suit, I leaned back in my desk chair and hit play with iffy expectations of the following preview. Boy howdy, I was wrong. What should have been Interstellar at 20,000 Leagues transformed into an original horror concept complete with pitch-black moments of unease and jarring jump scares from unseen creatures lurking about the ocean floor. I haven’t been this optimistic about the horror genre since The Descent.

Let’s see how many other films I can reference before this review is through.

Thank You, Trailer Editor. Thank You.

Props and praise go out to whoever got the pleasure of editing this trailer. For once, they got it right. He/She gives the setup, the characters, a touch of inciting incident, and finally what one can expect without ruining the plot or key moments. A skill rarely shown in modern trailers. I’m talking to you, Terminator: Salvation, like, anybody cares.

This one did it right, throwing out just enough before slapping us in the face with the whole kit and kaboodle. Not to say future trailers won’t give away the goods, but for now, this is the one to watch.

Fool Me Once

To say a film is going to be great based on the trailer is a foolhardy notion. I know. Finding superb movies are a crapshoot, even with a big-name studio financing a production. Maybe even made worse so by the studio system, what with their test audiences and market research. Man, I sound old. But in truth, I rarely go ride or die on a trailer alone but something about Underwater sparked my fancy. Maybe it was the lowered expectations. Or perhaps, I’ve seen too many shlocky horror flicks in this line of work and finally snapped. Either way, I am excited about this one and hope it lives up to expectations.

Underwater is directed by William Eubank and stars Kristen Stewart, Jessica Henwick and Vincent Cassel. It will be released on December 13th, 2019 in the U.S. and on January 17th, 2020 in the United Kingdom. For international release dates click here.

Am I right? Am I wrong? Watch the trailer and let me know in the comments section.