PLOT: An awkward yet brilliant marine biology student goes out on a fishing haul for the sake of science and school. Once the trawler becomes suspiciously marooned, things go from bad to f*cked when it becomes clear that a sea creature is at fault.
LOWDOWN: The ocean is a magnificent yet deadly beast. We may own the land but are mere tourists when it comes to the aquatic world below. Is there anything more unsettling than being stranded and dying out at sea? NOPE. Monsters exist, my friends. They live in the deep dark ocean, and I can’t get enough of them. I’ve been waiting patiently for a revival in aquatic horror (UNDERWATER was good but a bit too cookie-cutter, IMO), and as one of my favorite subgenres, I wish it got more love from fans. I’m one of the lonely few always praising DEEP RISING, LEVIATHAN, and DEEPSTAR SIX. The release of UNDERWATER gave me hope that the tide may be turning my way, and with SEA FEVER (WATCH IT HERE), we get a little closer to that hope becoming a reality.
A mix between THE ABYSS and the X-FILES episode Agua Mala, SEA FEVER, is a character-driven meditation in the wondrous world below and one hell of a pleasant surprise. Right away, everyone is set up quickly and to the point but with a level of finesse that impressed me. No B.S. here. Hermione Corfield owned it as Siobhán. She was strict and thorough but in a believably socially awkward way. How many scientists are hot AND charming? Exactly. Corfield commanded the screen, and I was fully willing to follow her down whatever path she chose. It’s not often that the casting of a scientist in a film is very believable and usually requires some suspension of disbelief. Still, Corfield is so genuine I can’t imagine her playing anyone else. You know someone has nailed the role when you feel like they are plying themselves. Siobhán’s tough and puts work first, but like Marine Biologist George Costanza, she saves the day when duty calls. Mark my words, Hermione Corfield is going places and will be leading a blockbuster film in no time.
Captain Gerard (Dougray Scott) and his wife Freya (Connie Nielsen) are by far my favorite characters and embody why this film works: They feel real. You can have every monster you like, but who gives a damn if you don’t have anyone to root for – GODZILLA 2014 anyone? They represent the human drama here. Gerard puts the crew’s life in danger by cutting corners and doubts Siobhán at every turn. As a redhead, which is considered bad luck on a ship (look it up), she’s distrusted from the start. And since the ship gets attacked by a sea creature… maybe they have a point? I was happy to get a scene where Gerard and Freya discuss turning around at the first sign of danger only to stay the course because they can’t afford to come back empty-handed. One financial misstep and they’d lose their boat. Nothing sinister is going on here, just a lower-middle-class husband and wife living paycheck to paycheck. Hell, I can’t argue with that, can you? Johnny (Jack Hickey) is sweet, attractive and is clearly the love interest for Siobhán. They mesh together well and are a natural fit. Omid (Ardalan Esmaili) is the unsung hero by being the level headed engineer that can fix most problems when they arise. It’s rare to get this kind of diverse talent. Everybody rocked it out. The characters ended up being the cherry in my Manhattan: crucial but often overlooked in other films.
The pacing was tight, brisk, and left no room for bullshit. Everything went full steam ahead, yet never felt rushed. Once our giant sea creature emerged (a cross between a squid and a jellyfish), the film goes total survival mode and becomes part pandemic, part monster mash. Its bioluminescent tentacles produce the parasites which get into the crew’s water, causing infection, anger, and paranoia. The second half is all about who’s infected and who’s not. It’s less about killing the beast and more about containing the spread of infection. There is even a whole scene about the need to self-quarantine, which hit home harder than usual. Now, I love a good B-level creature feature, but I’m impressed by how grounded and realistic this felt. Even when you get a good glimpse of the sea creature, it looks like something that could easily exist. I appreciate that the film went in a different direction and gave it more of a majestic look over anything terrifying. Since the parasites are the main issue, we don’t get enough time with the monster below. I get the director’s reasoning behind it and enjoy that it’s not just a clone of what’s come before, but I do feel a little let down by its lack of screen time.
The one issue I had was that the film tied everything up too quickly. It wasn’t abrupt per se, but it rushed toward the finish line like it owed Nicky Santoro money and couldn’t pay up. We could have easily gotten an extra fifteen minutes to flesh this ending out properly, and it seemed like we were heading for a definitive point but, no. We got a wham, bam, thank you ma’am ending that left me wanting more. Some avenues needed exploring, and we just weren’t given the time to delve into them. SEA FEVER didn’t end badly, and it got to its natural conclusion just fine, but this could have benefited from the simple teachings of Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
GORE: We get some cuts and a smashed hand, but this isn’t about blood and gore. For this story, I’m okay with the “less is more” approach.
BOTTOM LINE: SEA FEVER impressed me with its sleek camerawork and tense execution. With a fascinating creature design, amazingly well-acted cast, and claustrophobic setting, It’s one hell of a sea fright that did wonders with less. My biggest issue was that the ending felt tacked on, and could have benefited from a longer runtime. Alas, they didn’t quite stick the landing, but it was a unique enough experience to hold my attention and do the “creature at sea” thing a bit differently.