Following the monumental failure both with the critics, and at the box office with the new version of Charlie’s Angels, Kristen Stewart returns to the big screen with something quite divergent from her recent works: a thriller flick that mixes horror and science fiction. The name of the movie? Underwater.
Now, if in the deep of this mess that includes underwater platforms, madness attacks, and monsters, you have been left with some other doubts or question, do not worry, because now and without further ado, we begin with the Analysis and Explanation of … Underwater
1 | Where the hell are the characters of Underwater and why?
The plot of the film takes place at a deep underwater drilling station called Kepler Station, which belongs to an oil and gas corporation called Tian Industries. The goal of the station is quite simple – drilling the underwater bed until they can find oil and pump it to the surface.
The issue is that Kepler Station is at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, with 6 miles – 10 kilometers – of sea just above. If you think that is not quite much, I can tell you at that depth the pressure that is around 1000 atmospheres, enough to pulverize anyone who is directly exposed to it.
2 | What the hell are the creatures that attacked the Kepler Station?
Well, the point is that at that depth in the sea there is something known as thermal bubbles, a kind of completely isolated area, with its own ecosystem that can exist in gigantic caves in the seabed. In fact it is considered that some scientists theorize these bubbles could contain prehistoric species that have been preserved due to their isolation.
In the film it is presumed that the drilling activity of the station burst one of these bubbles, releasing the specimens isolated there, which apparently include 1) a gigantic alpha predator, 2) the predator’s «fleas» – the monsters looking like ghosts – and 3) some kind of creature with tentacles, which are apparently the food of the alpha predator.
Everything indicates that within the bubble the ecosystem worked like this: creatures with tentacles obtained energy from the heat they could found around, so it had claws. These creatures served as food for the alpha predator, who in turn maintained a symbiotic relationship with the ghostly monsters. And with symbiotic relationship I mean that, the fleas physiognomy seemed to be designed to suck whatever the body fluid of the alpha predator was, and likewise, the alpha predator seemed to have the ability to control them.
3 | What happened to Kepler station?
According to season data, the water temperature rose 10 degrees before it crushed. This undoubtedly confirms the theory of the thermal bubble. The drill broke one of these bubbles, and its hot water mixed with the water surrounding the station, raising the temperature. And well, it also released the monsters mentioned above.
One of them, the alpha predator, possibly seeking heat from the station’s core, possibly clung to it, generating massive structural damage. The point is that at that depth with that pressure, any structural damage becomes catastrophic, and that is why once the damage started, there was no way to reverse it.
4 | Who were the six survivors of the Kepler attack and what happened to them?
Norah Price (Kristen Stewart), mechanic specialist. In the end, presumably dead, by detonating the core of the Roebuck station, to destroy the alpha predator and its fleas.
Lucien (Vincent Cassel), the captain of the Kepler station. He dies sacrificing himself so that Norah could survive. Both were ascending at a frantic pace, which made their suits weaken, Lucien broke loose from Norah, and in the implosion generated when the water destroyed his suit, he saved her by sending her to the sea bottom, leveling her pressure.
Emily Haversham (Jessica Henwick), her work had to do with the orographic analysis of the seabed, survived in one of the capsules they found at Roebuck station.
Paul (TJ Smith), a subject with a very sharp humor. He dies when – in an underground tunnel – one of the creatures attacked him, breaking his suit, and literally sucked him out of it.
Liam Smith (John Gallagher Jr.), survived in the second capsule that left Roebuck Station, thanks to Norah’s sacrifice.
Rodrigo (Mamoudou Athie), dead, after going out into the 1000 atmosphere pressured water and having his helmet broken, which inevitably leads him to implode, leaving his shattered parts all over the place.
5 | What is the matter with Captain Lucien’s daughter?
It seems Lucien had informed the entire Kepler crew that he had a daughter, who should be Norah’s same age – Kristen Stewart is 29 years old – however when asked about her, he says she is 14. Then, in the Sheppard station – in which Lucien had spent a lot of time, doing explorations in the past – Norah realizes that Lucien’s daughter, died when she was 14, about 15 years ago.
6 | What was Captain Lucien’s plan to escape alive?
The plan was to leave Kepler Station, the most modern station in charge of the perforation activity, and walk through a tunnel to Control Station (which is in fact, where they find Emily and Smith), and then advance to Midway station, to fill their oxygen tanks and finally to Roebuck station, where they could board the capsules that would take them to the surface.
Lucien discarded Sheppard station, claiming it was abandoned, when in fact, he was doing it so his crew would not realize several of his secrets.
7 | Why did Lucien not want the crew to arrive at Sheppard station?
Because at that station there was evidence that Lucien knew about the dangers of drilling the underwater bed at that point. In the information Norah found there, in addition to knowing the secret of his dead daughter, she discovered that in the exploratory stage there were indications of that – in addition to oil – in the area there could be those thermal bubbles isolated with exotic fauna in there. Very exotic
8 | Is Norah really dead? Why did she sacrifice himself?
Well, there is no indication that Norah is not dead, since she was not seen repairing the capsule, nor looking for an escape method. The point is that the alpha predator, which is apparently much smarter than it seems, realized that two capsules were escaping, and somehow ordered his fleas – the ghostly monsters – to attack them.
Realizing that the two capsules were going to be destroyed, Norah made the decision to end the alpha predator, its fleas and the other monsters, initiating a reaction in the core that would make it unstable, generating an explosion. Thus, she destroyed the monsters, and saved Smith and Emily.
9 | What does the end of Underwater mean?
At the end of the film, we can hear Norah’s monologue, one monologue that reflects the one, at the beginning of the movie in which she talks about the dangers of drilling the seabed to such depth, both for environmental and psychological aspects, in the end she concludes that her life is the price that she had to pay for being part of that venture, a kind of self-imposed punishment.
10 | Does Underwater have post-credit scenes?
It has no post-credit scenes, but some interesting cuts during the credits. In these clippings, which are segments of journalistic notes and documents, it is revealed that in fact Smith and Emily survived, but their testimonies were classified by Tian Industries, as well as all the recordings.
It was also revealed that the press suspects that something else actually happened at the Kepler station that Tian refuses to recognize, but they stick to the official version: there was an accident on account of the enormous pressure at the station, and there were only two survivors .
11 | What is the message of the movie?
Evidently ecological, it is a critique of the exploitation of hydrocarbons at any cost and the consequences that such activities could bring over. Likewise, although very briefly, the film tries to sell the idea that sacrifice and self-denial are not unconditional, but on the contrary, are born of the guilt or the need for redemption and rectification of some, as happened with Lucien, and then with Norah.
12 | Will there be a sequel to Underwater?
It depends on the box office. Underwater expects a return of 10 million dollars at the US box office on its premiere weekend and if it manages to raise at least 200 million dollars at the global box office, it is very certain that there will be a sequel. Much more if it exceeds that figure. We will keep you posted about this matter.
If the movie is good or bad, we will discuss that later, on the review of the film. Questions? Annotations? Doubts? Insults? The comments section is open just below this post. See you in another post of Ending Explained, here on El Sabanero X.
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