Underwater  ★★★

THRILLER Underwater suffers from a stylistic trade-off.

Director William Eubank creates strong visuals and atmospherics but in doing so makes it difficult to sometimes understand what is happening or being said.

As the small team of stranded divers make their way along the ocean floor they find it hard to see the threat stalking them or communicate with each other.

This makes perfect sense narratively, but doesn’t help to heighten the tension that is supposed to be felt by the audience.

It’s a shame because 20th Century Fox seemed to be marketing Underwater as a modern equivalent of Ridley Scott’s Alien.

While it’s entertaining and well-made, Underwater is not in the same league as that classic.

The film starts with a series of scene-setting news clippings that move so quickly you need to concentrate.

Tian Industries Is operating a drill rig searching for resources seven miles underwater.

We have barely been introduced to the main character, mechanical engineer Nora Price, played by Kristen Stewart, when an earthquake hits, damaging the rig and its main support station where the crew are based.

Nine people eventually find each other but the facility is running out of air due to the damage to its systems.

Captain Lucien, played by veteran French actor Vincent Cassel, convinces them the only solution is to walk to a satellite station.

But the earthquake damage is the least of their worries as they are stalked by a deadly threat.

As their numbers dwindle, the remaining survivors are faced with a series of individual life and death decisions.

Stewart is a good, versatile actress and is fine here but her character and low-key portrayal are no match for Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in the Alien films.

It’s always good to see Cassel but all the characters are sketched so thinly that they simply become expendable to both the proceedings and audience.

Some of the kills are nicely staged and the overall visuals, including the suits and interiors, are constantly interesting.

I always worry with films like this just how much has been computer  generated. There is no underwater unit in the credits but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

You could suggest the film makes a point about mankind not trying to disturb environments it knows nothing about.

But that’s probably giving too much credit to what is ultimately just another well-made action/monster movie.