Dead in the Water

A crew of women stuck on the high seas with some… thing

An icebreaker vessel in the far Pacific with an all-female crew rescue a stranger from the ocean and are then forced to fight for their lives against an unknown enemy while a massive storm looms.

“Dead in the Water” (2018) is a TV thriller/horror that combines “Dead Calm” (1989) with “Alien/Aliens” (1979/1986) and maybe a little bit o’ “Ghost Ship” (2002). While it’s not as good as any of those flicks, it’s not bad. The movie was shot on an actual vessel, a small one, but the surrounding sea is cartoonish CGI and it’s too obvious.

If you can get past that, the actresses are all convincing and the script builds some suspense as the truth about what’s really going on is slowly unveiled. I liked the tie-in to the Marianas Trench, the deepest natural point in the world located in the Western Pacific, and the F/X concerning the corresponding component (I’m trying to be vague) are quite good, unlike the fake-looking waters around the ship.

To be expected in a situation like this, none of the women are made out to be alluring sirens. It’s a research vessel amidst a storm and they’re all appareled with work clothes. Nevertheless, they’re a diverse group with most of them being appealing, one way or another. My favorite is Sparks (Christia Visser).

The movie runs 1 hour, 30 minutes. REST OF CAST: Nikohl Boosheri (Dana), Nicole Fortuin (Kat), Bianca Simone Mannie (Gwen), Skye Russell (Rusty), Tanya van Graan (Erika), Amy Louise Wilson (Michelle) and Brandon Auret (Stranger).

GRADE: C+/B-

I love me a boat horror, but I've seen this exact thing done so much better, so many times, that I just couldn't bring myself to find any real joy in Dead in the Water.

Final rating:★★ - Had some things that appeal to me, but a poor finished product.