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We take a look back at the best films from our favourite genres that are based underwater. So, take a deep breath, you’re gonna need it!
- JAWS (1975)
Tagline: The most terrifying motion picture from the terrifying No.1 best seller
Seriously? You expected anything else to be here? Spielberg’s classic horror film about a great white hunting the town of Amity in the lead up to the 4th of July weekend made a few changes from Peter Benchley’s source material, and had some of the worst production issues ever to befall a film (who’d have thought that saltwater would play such havoc with an electronic shark?), but it remains a true classic nearly 50 years later. If any other film is going to take the top spot, it needs to bring a bigger boat.
- THE ABYSS (1989)
Tagline: A place on earth more awesome than anywhere in space
Ah, 1989. The year of the underwater movie experience! No less than four films were released in this calendar year that would be relevant to be included in this list, but James Cameron’s The Abyss trumps them all. What could be considered a dry-run, technologically speaking, for Terminator 2, this is probably our only entry where the humans face off against more benevolent beings. The true horror comes from within the Cold War-era paranoia that the Navy SEALs (led by Cameron alum, Michael Biehn) have against the aliens at the bottom of the Mariana Trench as they try to recover a crashed nuclear submarine. This was a project that was close to Cameron’s heart, the director having since manned a submersible personally down to the depths of that very trench.
- THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954)
Tagline: Sheer, stark terror grips you underwater in 3D
The OG underwater horror film from Universal is the only black and white entry on this list, but ignore the fact that it is also the oldest one and go watch this classic. So many of the well (water) trodden tropes were introduced here, including the legs dangling down into the water for the creature to reach up and grab. Considering that the costume department back then would have little of the knowledge that we do today, that costume would have been incredibly heavy in the water, so it makes sense to find out that they used a stuntman rather than the on land actor. That stuntman, Ricou Browning also went on to co-create Flipper.
- AQUAMAN (2018)
Tagline: He’s not from around here
The DCEU may be a little hard to follow sometimes, and the tentpole ensemble pieces maybe a little dark for some tastes, but the decision to allow James Wan to direct the character who was previously the butt of all the jokes in the JLA was inspired. Bright and vibrant, even considering a lot of the action was underwater, Aquaman had a lot of fun with its premise. Jason Momoa seems to effortlessly embody Arthur Curry, whose ability to talk to the fishes is used as a strength rather than a gag here. We still wait to see if the horror spin-off, The Trench, comes to fruition.
- BELOW (2002)
Tagline: Six hundred feet beneath the surface terror runs deep
This horror flick may have sunk under many a radar but is well worth a viewing. A Lieutenant has to steer his submarine back to safety after the Captain mysteriously dies. Picking up some hitchhikers along the way, the crew starts to disappear and the puzzle needs to be solved before it’s too late. Claustrophobic, tense, and creepy as hell, Below is on the up and up.
- DEEP RISING (1998)
Tagline: Full scream ahead
Okay, after Below, we need to surface with some light-hearted brevity, and it comes in the form of the Treat Williams led Deep Rising. When a group of mercenaries plan to rob the passengers of a cruise liner on its maiden voyage, they don’t include a creature attacking the vessel from the depths into their plans. Pure popcorn entertainment, this one doesn’t take itself too seriously and, although it was a flop on release, it has rightfully garnered a cult following.
- THE SHALLOWS (2016)
Tagline: Not just another day at the beach
We haven’t had a shark entry for a while, let’s remedy that. Blake Lively stars as a keen surfer who travels to a secluded beach that her mother visited when she was pregnant with her and discovers that it won’t be the relaxing trip she hoped it would be. With a very small cast, the tension is ramped up as Blake’s character is stuck on a small piece of rock after being attacked by a shark. Only a short distance away from the safety of the beach, the problem is that the tide is coming in and the shark is not going away any time soon. Full of tension, albeit not specifically realistic in some parts, any film that has a co-star called Steven Seagull gets our vote.
- LAKE PLACID (1999)
Tagline: You’ll never know what bit you
As we’ve seen with the Black Lagoon, not every aquatic genre film has to be set in the depths of the oceans. Set at the fictional location of Black Lake (that’s got to be a homage, no?), a 30-foot crocodile terrorises the locals and wildlife. The decision to capture or kill is where all the drama comes from in Lake Placid, with a pretty decent cast and enough jump scares to keep you entertained.
- PIRANHA 3D (2010)
Tagline: This summer 3D shows its teeth
A horror comedy remake of Joe Dante’s original Jaws rip-off, this is the second 3D movie on this list, The Creature from the Black Lagoon was also released in this format. Directed by the mind behind Haute Tension, this wouldn’t be the first film you’d pin on Alexandre Aja, and it has its issues, but it’s also quite fun. Beginning with what is clearly supposed to be Matt Hooper from Jaws, an earthquake releases hundreds of prehistoric piranhas into Lake Victoria just as Spring Break begins, serving up a smorgasbord of nubile victims to the carnivorous fish. It’s completely over the top and self-aware enough to ensure that you never take it seriously. The sequel, Piranha 3DD was set in a waterpark and starred David Hasselhoff as a lifeguard – now where have we heard that before?
- LEVIATHAN (1989) / DEEPSTAR SIX (1989)
Tagline: How long can you hold your breath? / Not all aliens come from space. Save your last breath…. to scream
Kind of a cheat for the final entry. Remember we told you that 1989 was crammed with films that could make this list? Well, here are two more. Leviathan covers an underwater mining crew finding a scuttled Russian ship and trying to ascertain what happened. A seemingly innocent bottle of vodka sets events into motion that leads you to think that the screenwriters’ favourite film is The Thing. Leviathan takes itself very seriously, which is its undoing, something that cannot be said for Deepstar Six. A similar storyline sees a crew in an experimental deep-sea facility attacked by a creature that may or may not be of this planet. Deepstar Six may rip-off Alien, but there’s something about the production that wants to have a little more fun than Leviathan.
Worthy Mentions:
There are, of course, innumerable films that we could have included in a potentially never-ending list, especially with new low budget films released so often, but here are a few extra films you may want to add to your Watchlists along with those above. You might say they’re bubbling just below the surface!
- SPHERE (1998)
- ROGUE (2007)
- DEEP BLUE SEA (1999)
- THE MEG (2018)
- CRAWL (2019)
- UNDERWATER (2020)
