Verdict
Summary
I liked this movie. It had just the right amount of thrills and action to keep anyone glued to the screen. It is a nice action turn for star and executive producer Bennet and the movie itself looks fantastic. How they managed to pull off some of the amazing underwater shots is worthy of acclaim in its own right. Sit back, pop some corn and let Submerged sink in.
Plot: A young woman and her friends, who’ve been targeted by kidnappers, must do everything they can to survive after their limo is forced off the road and plunged into a canal.
Review: Max (played by Jonathan Bennet) is a chauffeur and bodyguard to rich businessman Hank Searles (Tim Daly). While driving Hank’s daughter Jessie (Talulah Riley) and her friends to and from a nightclub, their high tech security laden limo ends up being run off the road and into a river. Although the limo is airtight for the most part, it is sinking and taking on water as the oxygen supply is depleting.
When I started watching this film I could not help but think of the underrated Ryan Reynolds film Buried, which takes place completely inside a wooden coffin. Movies that unfold within a single location can be tough to pull off. You need to have interesting characters and just enough claustrophobia to create the right degree of pathos. This is something I think Submerged managed to do. With just the right amount of flashbacks to add to the narrative, we get to escape the tight confines of the waterlogged limo as we are presented with a backstory that not only shows us just how we got there, but explanations to many of the first doubts we may have as to the passenger’s plight. (Why not break the windows? How is there battery power? etc. etc.) Additionally, there are some interesting and clever transitions between present day and Max’s backstory flashbacks, that reminded me of the time jumping techniques used in Highlander.
Having only really known Jonathan Bennet from his work in comedies, I was unsure if he would be able to pull off the tough guy role of an ex army ranger, but he handled it perfectly. Tim Daly and Mario Van Peeples are part of the supporting cast but their roles are equally important in setting up for the big finale.
My only real complaint with Submerged was the role of Max’s brother Dylan (Cody Christian). I cannot say too much without spoiling the film but it did feel as though his character could of had a greater role.
Overall, I liked this movie. It had just the right amount of thrills and action to keep anyone glued to the screen. It is a nice action turn for star and executive producer Bennet and the movie itself looks fantastic. How they managed to pull off some of the amazing underwater shots is worthy of acclaim in its own right. Sit back, pop some corn and let Submerged sink in.
