Below

Name: Below
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Released: October 11, 2002
Duration: 105 min
Rating: 55
Cast: Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Davis

2002

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Mixed or average reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 31 Ratings

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6.6

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6.6	Your Score
6.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 31 Ratings

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Below

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Movie Details & Credits

Miramax Films | Release Date: October 11, 2002 | R

Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Davis

Summary: A WWII submarine thriller with a supernatural twist.

Director: David Twohy

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 105 min

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Critic Reviews

Lisa Schwarzbaum

In the handsome, haunting submarine thriller Below, the usual perils of deep-sea maneuvers are heightened by psychic unraveling. Read full review

Robert K. Elder

Twohy pulls all the strings to create an inventive genre piece. Read full review

Manohla Dargis

Has a slamming first hour. As Ian Wilson's camera darts over Charles Lee's spookily atmospheric sets, enigmas sprout like mushrooms. Read full review

Dave Kehr

Has the bad luck to come on the heels of Kathryn Bigelow's beautifully made and politically impassioned "K-19," making this submarine picture -- a relatively modest, low-budget affair -- seem skimpy by comparison. Read full review

Nathan Rabin

Twohy and co-screenwriters Darren Aronofsky and Lucas Sussman don't show their hand until late in the film, but by that time, Below has grown slack and silly. Read full review

Edward Guthmann

The dialogue, heavy on sarcasm and puncturing insults, never captures the World War II period but sounds ridiculously anachronistic. Read full review

William Arnold

An excruciatingly awful thriller. Read full review

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User Reviews

Libation70

Aug 4, 2021

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0 of 0 users found this helpful00

jefequeso

Oct 8, 2010

Well, here again we have a situation where critics have completely and utterly failed to identify a good film. 'Below' is, from beginning to end, a fully convincing and gripping movie, with great acting, intelligent scripting, masterfully done camera work, and a truly chilling andWell, here again we have a situation where critics have completely and utterly failed to identify a good film. 'Below' is, from beginning to end, a fully convincing and gripping movie, with great acting, intelligent scripting, masterfully done camera work, and a truly chilling and claustrophobic atmosphere. To be fair, it does also suffer from the problems usually associated with ghost stories; namely, little actual payoff to accompany the buildup and suspense, and supernatural explanations that can seem a little...well...trite and hokey. Still, 'Below' is a gripping, unsettling, and ultimately immensely enjoyable experience, and one that doesn't require you to check your brain at the door. If you people are finally sick of the hackneyed torture porn garbage that we've been fed for the last 5 or 6 years, why don't you give this movie a try?… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

Broyax

Jan 15, 2017

Une histoire de sous-marin pas comme les autres puisqu'il s'agit d'un sous-marin hanté ! l'ambiance très bien rendue oscille sensiblement vers le paranormal mais sans jamais en faire trop, elle est habilement et savamment distillée jusqu'à la révélation finale. On retrouve les thèmesUne histoire de sous-marin pas comme les autres puisqu'il s'agit d'un sous-marin hanté ! l'ambiance très bien rendue oscille sensiblement vers le paranormal mais sans jamais en faire trop, elle est habilement et savamment distillée jusqu'à la révélation finale. On retrouve les thèmes habituels chers aux deux genres mélangés ici (sous-marin et angoisse) comme la claustrophobie, la paranoïa, les problèmes de plomberie et... les "ectoplasmes".

"Ectoplasmes" n'est pas forcément adapté, car ce terme est connoté et dévalué par les sous-produits filmergraphiques tels que les "SOS Fantômes" entre autres. Il convient davantage de faire référence à des "revenants" selon le principe vieux comme le monde au cours duquel les âmes en peine ne peuvent franchir l'autre monde tant qu'elles n'ont pas réglé leurs comptes et leurs injustices du monde -de notre monde- qu'elles ont quitté brutalement... à leur insu.

Olivia Williams a un visage magnétique et se débrouille fort bien, il en est de même pour l'ensemble de la distribution (pour la débrouille en tout cas). Le film lambine certes un peu trop, les effets spéciaux (les images de synthèse) sont certainement à la rue mais la mise en scène de David Twohy est très convenable. La musique de Graeme Revell s'avère des plus convaincantes et contribue à l'insidieuse ambiance frappadingue.

Décidément original, Abîmes mérite qu'on s'y attarde : une sorte de conte sinistre et de sardines en boîte.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

FilipeNeto

Jul 4, 2020

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: aOne 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.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Lisuebie

Mar 12, 2013

Beautifully shot, well acted, but boring, boring boring. Sorry. The story makes no sense and so, though you would love to care about the characters and maybe get a little scared, you don't.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

eva3si0n

Apr 16, 2023

Below is a regular thriller in the entourage of World War II. A good cast and description of the plot of the film attracts the viewer. At first glance, it seems that this is a good thriller, but when viewed by the middle of the film, the main plot twist becomes clear, and the whole plotBelow is a regular thriller in the entourage of World War II. A good cast and description of the plot of the film attracts the viewer. At first glance, it seems that this is a good thriller, but when viewed by the middle of the film, the main plot twist becomes clear, and the whole plot literally falls apart. You are no longer so interested in what will happen next, you already know how everything will end. From this Below turns into a mediocre thriller, in which the second half of the film is trying to escalate both atmosphere and suspense, when the viewer has already understood everything and solved the riddle. Below can be watched once, and it will be very good if you miss the plot twist ahead of time.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

juliankennedy23

Jul 2, 2014

Below: 5/10: Much like M. Night Shyamalan's The Village halfway through Below I had a horrible feeling of dread. There were many ways the plot could still go and nothing but atmosphere and build-up had taken place. Yet I became convinced that a lame obvious payoff was in my future. I wasBelow: 5/10: Much like M. Night Shyamalan's The Village halfway through Below I had a horrible feeling of dread. There were many ways the plot could still go and nothing but atmosphere and build-up had taken place. Yet I became convinced that a lame obvious payoff was in my future. I was right.

Below tells such a simple straightforward story that the histrionics throughout the film seem even more overblown in retrospect than during the viewing. The movie succeeds on some levels, it has a nice Pitch Black homage, very good special effects and set design and it does create a spooky atmosphere with sounds all around you and slamming door and flickering lights. (Director Twohy throws so many fright clichés at you I'm surprised the submarine doesn't have a cat.)

The downsides, besides the disastrous ending, are more plentiful. Bruce Greenwood, playing the acting skipper, comes across as more of a fishing charter captain than a sub commander in wartime. And Olivia Williams, as the rescued nurse, plays cold so well that I was rooting for the only piece of eye-candy in the whole film to die, disappear or at the very least shut up.

All of this is a bit of a shame because take away the ghost story (and the endless bump in the night cheap scares that accompany it) you have yourself a pretty serviceable psychological thriller. On top of that the action scenes with the Germans attacking the sub are certainly tenser than any of the haunting stuff.

Director Twohy would have been wise to dump the end and gone with a straightforward crippled World War 2 sub story.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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