Based on a 2020 film, Breaking Surface (which I haven’t seen, meaning I cannot tell you how closely this sticks to the plot beats), The Dive is an enjoyable and tense thriller that boasts some excellent underwater cinematography complementing the escalating chain of obstacles getting between the characters and precious oxygen.
Louisa Krause and Sophie Lowe play sisters named, respectively, May and Drew. The two of them are on a diving trip together, ready to enjoy some time underwater in a beautiful, but very isolated, seaside area. The two seem to know what they are doing, neither is an amateur, and they want to find some memorable underwater sights to enjoy. There’s also tension between the two sisters though, something that stems from past events that are glimpsed in various flashbacks throughout the film. The idyllic experience is spoiled slightly by a rockfall that leaves May trapped under a large rock. It is up to Drew to get extra oxygen to May as she works on a plan to move the rock and free her sister. Time is of the essence, but you cannot rush everything when moving between fairly deep water and the surface.
Directed and co-written by Maximilian Erlenwein, alongside Joachim Hedén (writer of the original), The Dive is a film that benefits from having a great central concept. The problem comes from a script that then tries to flesh that concept out in a way that is completely unnecessary. I get it, a 91-minute runtime isn’t exactly bloated, but it still feels too long for this, mainly because the flashbacks ultimately feel as if they lead to a conclusion that is flat and underwhelming. There’s nothing here as interesting as anything viewers may have already made up in their own minds, and then everything just peters out. I know that those involved may have been trying to stay away from too many obvious pulpy thrills, but you could have easily replaced the disappointing backstory with other obstacles instead. A few more rocks threatening our trapped diver, a nervy encounter with some curious marine life, I can think of at least half a dozen other details I would have preferred to the scenes that just felt like padding.
Krause and Lowe are perfectly fine in their roles, if nothing special. They seem to have been picked more for their ability to deal with the physical side of things, and they always look convincingly capable, despite the growing stress and danger of the situation. Krause has more to do, in terms of an emotional journey, and her performance would have been helped by a backstory delivering a properly impactful punch, but both do well enough with what they’re given.
I enjoyed this, especially for the scenes leading up to the halfway point that show one problem after another as the situation goes from bad to worse, but it should have been so much better. Sometimes a simplistic thriller works best when every ounce of fat is trimmed from it. That should have been the approach here. Regardless, enjoy the tension, and enjoy the underwater cinematography (Eric Börjeson is the underwater DOP, so I have to mention him before I end this review). There’s enough to like here. I just don’t think anyone will love it.
6/10
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