Below

Miramax Films | Release Date: October 11, 2002

6.6	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 31 Ratings

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jefequesoOct 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, masterfullyWell, 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

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juliankennedy23Jul 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 thatBelow: 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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Captain_ChaosSep 27, 2018

Although it massively tanked at the box office, you need only look at the average user review to see that Below is a movie worth at least checking out. It's a film that not only has an interesting premise that it uses to the best effect itAlthough it massively tanked at the box office, you need only look at the average user review to see that Below is a movie worth at least checking out. It's a film that not only has an interesting premise that it uses to the best effect it can, it also gives me some small hope that perhaps, horror cinema is not doomed to be a relic of decades past, condemned to "hackneyed torture porn" as another reviewer here put it.

In 1943 somewhere in the Atlantic, a US submarine called the Tiger Shark receives orders to pick up survivors from a sunk English hospital ship.

These survivors, one of which is a woman, are convinced that a German U-boat is responsible for the sinking of their vessel. The Tiger Shark is soon forced to dive and is subsequently menaced by the depth charges and drag hooks of a German destroyer.

Having seen both submarine and jump scare horror movies before, Below does not subvert most expectations. But the combination of these two genres makes for very effective presentation and storytelling. There's also a large number of "hey it's that guy" actors with good performances, and suspension of disbelief is overall quite easy to maintain. Some reviewers say the acting comes off as anachronistic, that the movie could have been set in another era, but I disagree- the backdrop of the second world war and the specter of Nazi military power greatly enhances the impact of many films, whether they incorporate supernatural elements or not. In particular, I could not help but compare Below briefly to a film from two years earlier, U-571, to which I find this film largely superior.

The Tiger Shark suffers an admittedly high number of near-catastrophic incidents, each reasonably attributable to mechanical failure, and the crew's floundering morale and audiovisual hallucinations attributable to CO2 poisoning as well as past incidents on their voyage, and yet, you are never really sure if that's the case. IS there a U-boat out there somewhere in the cold depths hounding the Tiger Shark, or is it something else? The ocean is a strange, vast and scary place, after all.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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FilipeNetoJul 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 hauntingsOne 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

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LisuebieMar 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

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eva3si0nApr 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 mainBelow 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

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BroyaxJan 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 laUne 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

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Libation70Aug 4, 2021

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0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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