I saw this one on a whim – no fanfare, no expectations.

What’s It About? Trapped in a sunken submarine full of stolen Nazi gold, twelve men fight the elements – and each other – to survive and escape with the riches.

STRAIGHT UP: A decent thriller marred by some narrative oversights. 7.5/10

What I Liked

Atmospheric action – This film reminded me of 2013’s Gravity in that there aren’t a lot of set-piece action scenes, but excitement and tension are maintained by the inherent danger of the characters’ situation. This type of storytelling doesn’t seem to appeal to everyone, but I really enjoy it.

Scoot McNairy as Daniels – It’s impressive how, on a boat full of shady characters and sociopaths, Daniels is gradually revealed to be the worst of them all.

Confident pacing – After seeing a lot of recent movies try and fail to pull off a “slow burn” narrative approach, it’s good to see one that finally gets it right. Tense moments are stretched right to the limit, increasing the impact of each action beat, and the stakes are raised gradually and naturally.

What I Disliked

Heavy-handed character archetyping – A film like this thrives on uncertainty – the audience should be left guessing as to who might be next to betray his comrades. No such luck here – it’s obvious from the outset which characters will turn traitor. (The psycho, the outsider, and the bully? You don’t say.) Another character is given the “innocent” role, and his eventual survival is so telegraphed that scenes featuring him begin to lose tension.

Bringing a rookie on board – Captain Robinson, a supposed master submarine operator, decides on a whim to add Tobin, a teenager whom he’s just met, to his crew of trusted, hand-picked specialists. He expects everyone on board to be okay with this. Later, Tobin’s natural inexperience inadvertently leads to the film’s first casualties, and… the whole thing couldn’t possibly be more contrived.

Ill-fitting finale – The movie sets itself up for a bleak but thematically-appropriate conclusion, but whiffs at the last minute, delivering a final scene that is bittersweet instead of just bitter. The finale also tries to give Captain Robinson a bit of redemption, but it falls flat; he’s too far-gone at this point in the story.

CLOSING THOUGHT: It’s hard to think of much else to say about this film. There’s no controversy to it, no major marketing campaign, no name-brand characters or comic book tie-ins. It’s not bad at all, but not good enough that I’d recommend seeing it past this month, either. Basically, it’s a competent thriller with a recognizable lead actor in Jude Law and a few interesting hooks – and in January, that’s about the best anyone can hope for.