10 Great Creature Features Set Entirely Underwater - Explored

[00:00:04]While scientists have dedicated [music] themselves to studying the universe and its phenomena, it is a startling fact that we know more about the moon, space, and land than we know about the oceans.

[00:00:15]From Percy [music] Jackson to Aquaman, the world of pop culture has also used the mysteries of sea life to introduce mythological creatures of the deep sea that make their way to the surface [music] or drag us down to the depths of the ocean to unleash terrors. From films that focus on underwater experiments gone wrong [music] to marine missions going for a toss after uncovering mystery creatures, this niche genre overflows with some truly entertaining releases that are set almost entirely underwater. Today, I dare to take this plunge and hopefully uncover a few creature [music] feature gems. So, without further ado, you jump, I jump.

[00:00:49]>> [music] >> The Abyss, 1989. From the genius behind Titanic and Avatar, The Abyss was a 1989 sci-fi release directed by James [music] Cameron. And if the film's eerie poster was any indication of the plot, the film takes us to the depths of the ocean as the submarine USS Montana sinks to the ocean floor after colliding with a mystery. This causes alarm among US government officials who also suspect Russian involvement [music] due to the ongoing Cold War. With a hurricane on the way, the officials rush to send a SEAL team led by a broken up couple to an experimental underwater drilling platform to look into the sunken submarine and soon discover non-terrestrial intelligence or an NTI near its crash site. What starts out as a rescue investigation soon turns into a full-fledged horror show as they also learn that the submarine was holding nuclear warheads and that they needed to figure out a way to disarm it.

[00:01:44]>> [music] >> Now, the plot does seem deceptively simple, but with each scene, tensions run higher and higher as the rescue team is tasked not just with bringing the original team back, but also with figuring out how to deal with the NTIs.

[00:01:57]In fact, this non-terrestrial intelligence even guides the rescue team's foreman to a massive alien city in the depths [music] of the ocean trench. And at risk of spoiling too much, I'll wrap this up by saying that The Abyss is a cinematic experience.

[00:02:09][music] While the plot largely focuses on the NTIs, the subplots involving the lead couple's emotional drama, Cold [music] War tensions, natural disasters, and underwater alien cities converge in a bone-chilling, claustrophobic, pitch-dark oceanic setting.

[00:02:30]Deep Star Six. Starting out as a sci-fi horror, Deep Star Six was directed and co-produced by Sean S. Cunningham and set aboard an experimental [music] deep-sea US naval facility. The film's tagline, "Not all aliens come from space," [music] is enough of a hint into what awaits the facility's crew, which consists of 11 military and civilian members on a tour to test underwater colonization methods. As John Van Gelder leads the project and oversees a nuclear missile storage installation, things go awry when geologist Burciaga discovers a cavern system beneath the site, [music] threatening his project. However, this discovery falls on deaf ears as Gelder continues the project regardless and even calls for the cavern's destruction amid protests by Dr. Scarpelli.

[00:03:14]Unfortunately, this turns out to be a bad call as the cavern's [music] detonation soon creates a massive fissure in the ocean floor, releasing an unseen murderous entity. [music] In no time, this murderous creature starts claiming more and more lives. And the handful of survivors that do make it out alive decide to abandon the Deep Star.

[00:03:30]>> [music] >> Now, they do have to secure the missile platform before they bid adieu to their underwater home, but it proves a [music] challenging task with the monster on their tail. As the film progresses, this entity is revealed [music] to be a Diplodocus, a crustacean-like sea monster, and its aggression and anger towards invaders of its home soon result in the full-fledged destruction of the Deep Star Six. While the Diplodocus eventually dies at the hands of submarine pilot McBride, >> [music] >> this comes at the cost of a majority of their crew's lives in addition to the facility's destruction. Packed with tension and thrills, this film does a terrific job of creating a nail-biting atmosphere as [music] panicked characters are killed off one by one by forces beyond their imagination.

[00:04:11]It can also be interpreted as a commentary on humans invading the natural habitats of sacred endangered species and how this often has serious consequences for As far as the cinematography is concerned, [music] Deep Star Six does an impressive job with the visual imagery and special effects for a B movie and the monster's character [music] design especially stands out among a pool of other predictable sea species.

[00:04:39]Leviathan, 1989. Directed by George P.

[00:04:43]Cosmatos, Leviathan is the perfect blend of many iconic 80s sci-fi films. The film does rip off classics such as Alien and The Thing, but then who cares about the inspirations when the final product is packed with adrenaline boosting chase sequences and [music] genetic experiments gone wrong. The story takes place 16,000 ft deep in the Atlantic Ocean and follows the Tri-Oceanic Mining Corporation's eight-man crew as they embark on a mission to extract precious metals from the ocean floor.

[00:05:09]However, it isn't long before the crew encounters a Soviet wreck, Leviathan, and discovers a safe in the depths [music] of its destruction. They decide to bring it back to their base where they extract a videotape and some documents from it. And they play to learn that the Leviathan's crew had [music] died due to unforeseen problems.

[00:05:26]In the meantime, two of their crew members steal some vodka from the Leviathan and drink [music] it, only to fall terribly sick and develop a genetic mutation before eventually dying. Now, this is where things get even worse.

[00:05:37][music] Their mutating corpses come back to life and continue to turn into twisted creatures. [music] And that's when we learn that the original Leviathan crew had been working with live mutagen cells. As their experiments failed, they found themselves falling victim to their own ideas and were cloned into underwater monsters. And you will find yourself experiencing some déjà vu with the body horror elements that turn humans into terribly shaped gooey monsters. [music] Now, Leviathan might not have the most original script or alien mutation plots, but it does have a terrific soundtrack, some compelling special effects, and a fairly well-reputed cast that makes the film a decent watch.

[00:06:17]Underwater, 2010. With a poster warning us about an awakened creature 7 mi beneath the ocean's surface, the 2010 sci-fi horror directed by William Eubank leaves little room for mystery. However, what catches us off guard is the extent of the horror, especially as it begins with an earthquake at the Kepler 822 [music] research and drilling facility.

[00:06:36]Now, a natural disaster does not sound like the start of a creature feature horror, but things go awry when the earthquake destroys part of the facility and the crew, including Nora, Rodrigo, and Paul, rush the escape pod bay, only to learn that it has also taken a hit. [music] The crew then scrambles to find a control base and takes on a couple more survivors along the way. When Captain Lucien suggests they use pressurized suits to walk about a mile across the ocean floor to another facility. Now, a 1-mi walk in the pitch dark ocean definitely sounds nightmarish, but the underwater adventure takes an even darker turn >> [music] >> when they find death and destruction all around.

[00:07:11]In this journey, they also come face-to-face with an undiscovered species responsible [music] for many of their peers' deaths. And the plot continues to follow their adventures as they set across the ocean floor, dodge humanoid oceanic monsters, and eventually reach their escape pods, only to [music] learn that only two of them are functional. Kristen Stewart does a spectacular job as Nora as she sacrifices herself and comes to terms with her impending death to ensure that the others make it out alive.

[00:07:35]>> [music] >> And without revealing anything more, I will say that Underwater is no standard sci-fi film with a creature chasing after a deep-sea station's crew.

[00:07:43]Instead, the film is packed with action as the survivors navigate their way through the facility's submerged corridors and evade these humanoid monsters. And if you're looking for some fast-paced action, terror-evoking suspense, and a twist ending, this one's definitely for you.

[00:07:58]>> From the abundant mutants, it is obvious that the machine is still producing.

[00:08:02]>> The Rift: Endless Descent, 1990. Also known as Endless Descent, The Rift is a 1990 Spanish sci-fi horror film directed by Juan Piquer Simón that involves a submarine rescue mission, mutated [music] creatures, and submerged research facilities. However, it does put a spin on the typical oceanic setting and follows an experimental submarine, Siren 2, as it tries to search for the missing Siren 1, only to end up in an underwater cave. The Siren 2 eventually traces the first submarine's black box in an underwater rift, and against all odds, makes their way through a toxic weed plant to make their way through an elaborate cave system. Somewhere along the way, the Siren 2 is also compromised by these toxic weeds, and the cave system turns out to be a booming spot for the Context Corporation's illegal genetic experiments. [music] In a shocking turn of events, the Siren 1's engineer, Wick Hayes, is proved right when the crew realizes that the first submarine went missing due to Context's tampering with its original design, and that the corporation had used them as a means to accomplish their experiments. Moreover, they do successfully produce a range of mutant creatures, and even if Endless Descent comes across as a typical underwater mission gone wrong, you're going to come out of this with a lot more to talk about than that. With the fantasy creatures, capitalistic schemes of exploitative experimentation, and an underwater setting focused on deep water [music] caves, The Rift makes the most out of a low budget and a B-movie cast, and is often praised for its action sequences and high entertainment value.

[00:09:28]Lords of the Deep, 1989. Directed by Mary Ann Fisher, Lords of the Deep was a 1989 sci-fi thriller that follows an underwater colony under attack by alien life forms, offering a refreshing take on the standard mutants terrorizing humans formula. Instead, this film establishes that humans had finally conquered the ocean, with America boasting a self-contained undersea laboratory that was soon to begin an elaborate undersea mining operation.

[00:09:52]However, humans must always know better than to be proud of colonizing the ocean, and it does not take long for the alien sea creatures to defend their homes. What follows is a whole lot of chaos, as Commander Stuart Dobler tries to contain the damage and even quarantine the crew members, only to [music] face resistance from Claire, who believes the world has a right to know.

[00:10:12]Unfortunately, this does not end well for any of them, >> [music] >> as the creatures start getting to the crew members one by one, except for Claire. In some strange way, they sense a humanity and even invite her to their colony on the seabed, where she discovers a couple more abducted crew members. On the one hand, we learn that these alien species are benevolent entities trying to reach their base [music] and help humanity by warning them of an incoming earthquake. But Dobler's crazy attempts to destroy [music] them cause more trouble than they could have ever anticipated. While I don't want to spoil the ending, I will say that the film does have a heartwarming message, as the aliens go above and beyond to save humans. And in a world where aliens are often painted as twisted or evil, Lords of [music] the Deep goes the other way to show their humane side.

[00:10:55]Naturally, this premise surprised audiences who expected gore, horror, and bloodbaths, and were instead served a lesson on humanity's greed and evil.

[00:11:02]>> [music] >> But if you're looking to switch things up, I say that Lords of the Deep might just be perfect for your next movie night. The Deep, 1977. Following a vacationing couple, [music] David and Gail, The Deep is set near Bermuda and follows the lead couple's scuba diving adventure that leads [music] them to discover some artifacts. The film was released in 1977 and was inspired by Peter Benchley's 1976 novel of the same name. And as the couple inspect the artifacts, they find a glass ampoule with mysterious liquid and a gold metal with a woman's image and the words s c o p n carved onto it. Now, they don't get much time to discuss these findings as an unknown sea monster grabs Gail's wood baton and brings them back to reality.

[00:11:44]And as they make their way back to the shore, their interest [music] in the medallion drives them to seek the expertise of historian Roma Treacle.

[00:11:51]What follows is a full-fledged hunt as a local drug kingpin also seeks the couple to buy the mystery glass ampoule which supposedly contains a medical morphine from the sunken Goliath that can be traced all the way back to World War II.

[00:12:05]While the ship had been off-limits to divers, a recent [music] storm had unearthed a much dated Spanish treasure wreck underneath it. And the drug lord then commissions Treacle to retrieve the glass ampoules. Their research also reveals the wreck's history and what it contained. And Treacle eventually decide to betray them and destroy the Goliath.

[00:12:22]While the wreck survivor Adam Coffin joins his mission with plans to keep the treasure for himself.

[00:12:28]Unfortunately, these backstabbing crew members never get a chance to bring their schemes to [music] fruition as they start killing one another. And if that wasn't bad enough, they are also being haunted by a giant eel that kills one of their crewmates. At the end of it all, >> [music] >> Treacle does manage to recover a gold dragon necklace that establishes provenance before blowing up the Goliath and ensuring that it won't ever be haunted by greedy drug lords or thrill-seeking divers again. While most films on this list feature humans hunted down by alien species or genetic monsters, The Deep [music] is a uniquely thrilling take on deep sea exploration, wrecks, and accidental treasure. Among other things, the film is worth a watch just for its beautiful underwater photography, prolonged open water, and underwater sequences, and shipwreck exploration scenes that even earned it an Academy Award nomination.

[00:13:19]Deep Rising, 1998. Moving away from experiments gone wrong and shipwrecks, Deep Rising follows a a ocean liner, the Argonautica, that falls into trouble on its maiden voyage. Now, you might know this film as a cult classic, but when it was first released in 1998, director Stephen Sommers could have never guessed it would go from a critical failure to a beloved classic in the genre. Coming back to the plot, [music] the Argonautica continues its voyage only to meet with an unexpected accident as unseen horror creatures seize the vessel and slaughter the passengers.

[00:13:51]While an unidentified saboteur disables its navigation and communication system.

[00:13:56]However, this does not even turn out to be the worst of their troubles [music] as soon enough a boat full of mercenaries stumble upon the vessel and board it in the hopes of [music] seizing the Argonautica and looting the passengers. However, they are unaware of the bloody fate that has befallen them and they arrive on board only to find that it is overflowing with monsters.

[00:14:14]Eventually, we do learn [music] that the saboteur was none other than the ship's owner, Canton, who had also arranged for these mercenaries to strategically loot the Argonautica's passengers [music] so that he could collect insurance and that he also intended for the passengers to make a safe escape. Unfortunately, he did not see the monsters coming >> [music] >> and he later theorizes that these species had evolved from Otolya, a species that was known for draining their victims' blood and then ejecting their bloody carcasses. The film progressively gets more and more gory >> [music] >> as Canton tricks the mercenaries as they make their way through the ship and fall victim to the creatures, who are eventually revealed to be the tentacles of a singular deep-sea monster, the Octalus. Now, the film does end with an explosion that destroys both these boats as well as the monster. And while the ending can be a bit daunting, Deep Rising [music] does deliver some state-of-the-art special effects.

[00:15:04]Notable shots of underwater sequences, lavish ship interiors, and an eerily daunting massacre that turns a lavish ocean liner into a graveyard. The tentacled man-eating monster ought to deserve a special shout-out for turning an insurance fraud-inspired crime into [music] a full-fledged bloodbath. And all things considered, Deep Rising truly exceeds all expectations that one might have from a B movie. 47 Meters Down, 2017, directed by Johannes Roberts, 47 Meters Down is a tale of a vacation gone wrong as it follows two sisters as they end up getting trapped in a shark cage in the depths of the ocean. It so happens that Lisa and Kate get talked into a shark diving excursion >> [music] >> that allows them to get close-up looks at these magnificent sharks while being safe in an enclosed cage. But unfortunately, a mechanical failure causes the cage to plummet to the depths of the ocean with barely enough oxygen to survive for an hour and great white sharks circling them, these sisters are then forced to fight against all odds for survival and fight their way to the top. Unfortunately, their path back to the surface is at least 47 [music] m long and the film creates such a tense atmosphere that even I found myself feeling claustrophobic and short of breath in the comforts of my home. 47 Meters Down does a terrific job of capturing the helplessness of being trapped with the nature's most dangerous predators.

[00:16:21]>> [music] >> And what really caught my eye was just how well it builds tension and induces a sense of panic without showcasing shark brutalities on screen. It evokes a sense of dread in the audience [music] with some classic jump scares and a sustained tense atmosphere and paired with cheesy dialogue and some terrific underwater shots of sharks circling the cage. I'd say this film makes a compelling case for itself [music] and stands out among hordes of creature features. The Evil Below, 1989. While many fans have argued that The Evil Below comes across as a much scarier film than it really is, I'd like to take this video as a chance to point out just how spectacularly the plot turns a simple diving expedition into [music] a cursed wreckage exploration on a tight budget. The film was released in 1989 [music] and was directed by Wayne Crawford. He also plays the leading role as an adventurer named Max Cash. As he embarks on a journey to find treasure on a cursed shipwreck, the El Diablo, he finds company [music] in June Chadwick's character, Sarah Livingston, a tourist who also expresses her interest in seeking the ship's treasure. Soon enough, they team up and even dodge a local crime lord and a businessman who spread rumors about the ship being guarded by a supernatural sea monster to seek the truth for themselves.

[00:17:32]But the film also manages to hold its own with stunning [music] sequences of underwater reefs, a plot that blends horror with thriller and even romance, and off-screen killings that take place against an eerie soundtrack with thumping cues that warn us of incoming danger and POV shots that make you feel like you're right in the midst of the action. I'd say that this film deserves a lot more praise [music] for executing such an ambitious plot on a budget.

[00:17:54]The final product might be a little rough around the edges, but again, it is part of the B-movie experience. [music] And any true underwater horror fan would only be excited at the prospect of a low-budget thriller.

[00:18:06]And with that, I re-emerge to the safety of land, unscorched by the terror of these magnificent, larger-than-life beasts. From the Diplodocus in DeepStar Six to the unnamed monster in Deep Rising, all these creatures manage to carry the film's plot with their mysterious, unpredictable moves.

[00:18:21]Moreover, the ocean only heightens the mystery, and the pitch-dark setting, paired with giant monsters that creep up on unsuspecting victims, makes for an elite combination.

[00:18:31]I hope you enjoyed exploring these underwater creature features with us, and I love to hear your favorite picks in the comments below.

[00:18:46]>> [music]