Back in the late 90s audiences were treated to a wave of new and original horror films. Event Horizon, Cube, and Seven are just some examples of the kind of films that viewers were being treated to. At the same time, there was also a rise in aquatic horror movies, Deep Blue Sea, Sphere, and Lake Placid all made their debuts and marks on the box office.
One movie that flew under the radar was Deep Rising, an aquatic action horror film that blended gruesome horror, deep-sea monsters, and The Mummy style action sequences. Now it's time to give this underseen gem its dues and shine a spotlight on the genius genre mashup that is Deep Rising.
The movie begins with a tried and true wall of text to offer some backstory. The text reveals that in the South China Seas there are deep-sea caverns capable of hiding the Himalayas and that over the years many vessels have disappeared from the area never to be seen again. There is then a tracking shot through some wreckage where something large is revealed to be living. It's hard to tell from the brief shot what it is exactly, but it's clear it will be trouble later on.
Next audiences meet the crew of a small boat on the way to a location in, that's right, the South China Seas. Captain Finnegan (Treat Williams), engineer Joey Pantucci (Kevin J. O'Connor), and second in command Leila (Una Damon) have been hired to take a group of mercenaries to an unknown location. Meanwhile, a cruise ship called the Argonautica is in full party mode, celebrating the currently successful maiden voyage. Onboard is Trillian St. James (Famke Janssen) who makes her character known by promptly stealing the Captains' wallet.
Back on Finnegan's vessel, it has been discovered that the mercenaries are ferrying weapons and on the Argonautica Trillian is discovered breaking into the ship's safe where she is revealed to be a career criminal. Soon enough the world of the mercenaries, Finnegan's crew, and the passengers of the Argonautica collide after someone sabotages the mainframe of the Argonautica leaving the passengers and crew stranded as whatever lurks in the deep rises to the surface.
Once the two vessels meet, the action really begins. The mercs and Finnegan's crew find the ship deserted, trashed, and covered in blood. Soon the jump scares and red herrings begin and mercenaries begin to die. Bloody water foams and spurts as the body count rises with the enemy still unseen, all the characters know is that something is in the water, and whatever it is, it's hungry. The surviving Argonautica Captain and the owner of the ship Simon Canton try to warn the marauders that something has infested the ship but before long every one finds out the gruesome truth.
Lower decks filled with blood, gore, and bones show the true scale of what is happening as whatever is onboard hunts them, unseen through the walls and floors of the ship. It's actually almost a full hour until the creatures are revealed. Huge, spiky, teeth and acid-filled worms from the deep have joined the cruise, and they want to feast on more than the fancy fare laid out for the other guests. The creatures dissolve their food with a strong digestive acid, liquefying them and essentially drinking them. It is truly gruesome.
The race is on to get off the ship alive and intact. Where Deep Rising really succeeds is in the witty dialogue, claustrophobic set pieces, and goopy gore. Kevin J. O'Connor shines as comic relief Joey and the chemistry between Famke Janssen and Treat Williams is palpable and convincing. It's easy to root for Finnegan and his crew and easy to dislike the mercs and shipowner Canton. The mercs are all abrasive, abusive macho types who deserve whatever they get. The roiling, rolling motion of the creatures is also effectively terrifying as they slide and coil over each other towards their next meal.
The action sequences are frenetic and well-staged. Explosions, destruction, and bloody water are in good supply as the survivors battle through the ship to what they hope is safety. Deep Rising is an old-fashioned adventure movie blended with splatter horror sensibilities with a hint of an espionage thriller. While the CGI is now a little dated it doesn't detract from the film at all and in fact, adds to the charm.
The ending paved way for a fun sequel which was initially meant to be a King Kong reboot but unfortunately never happened, either due to lack of funds or interest. In an ideal world, there would have been a series of films featuring Finnegan and his crew facing giant monsters but at the time audiences weren't ready for a horror-themed action-adventure. Not until 2 years later when The Mummy was released and became a smash hit. Both films were directed by Stephen Sommers and incidentally, Kevin J. O'Connor also actually featured in The Mummy as Beni, a character who was not unlike his turn as Joey in Deep Rising.
It's hard to create a movie that blends genres successfully, let alone one that is as enjoyable and action-packed as Deep Rising. Once the film ends it will leave audiences wanting more and echoing Finnegan's catchphrase: Now what?