Director: Ron Scalpello
Cast: Joe Cole, Danny Huston, Matthew Goode, Alan Mckenna, Ian Pirie
Rating: 15
Release Date: 21st August
Running Time: 91 minutes
PRESSURE is a high-octane dramatic thriller that takes the audience down into the darkest bowels of the ocean. Four divers sent on a mission to repair an oil line find themselves trapped in an enclosed submarine diving bell that is quickly running out of oxygen, whilst a storm is also brewing overhead. The unlucky men in question are Engel (Danny Huston) – a hard-faced pro, Mitchell (Matthew Goode) – a driven family man, Jones (Joe Cole) – a young rookie who’s due to become a father and Hurst (Alan McKenna)- a troubled diver who’s lost his touch. With the premise as seemingly as big a cliché as Hugh Grant playing a ‘loveable toff’, PRESSURE does initially seem as if it’s been recycled from old parts of other thrillers.
The opening action aggressively thrusts the audience into the bubbling macho world the divers work in. The plot doesn’t allow the drama to settle as we’re pushed straight into the oppressingly claustrophobic diving bell submarine where all of the action unfolds. The overbearing sense of impending doom is soon triggered as the storm wipes out the communications with the diving bell’s base and leaves the men stranded at the bottom of the ocean. As panic ensues we gradually learn the backstories of each of the men and understand why they behave the way they do. The characters Jones and Engel are particularly fascinating to watch as they represent sharp opposites, with Jones frantically trying to cling to hope, whilst Engel stomps and glares his way around the enclosed space.
The contrast between the suffocating claustrophobic diving bell and the vast treacherous ocean is cleverly used to ramp up the dramatic tension and add to the sense of terrifying isolation. The FX used in the ocean scenes are genuinely stunning and almost rival films like GRAVITY in terms of creating a sense of mesmerising otherworldliness. When the action is brought back into the cramped setting, films like BURIED are brought to mind as the feeling of panic is never shaken off. Elements of PRESSURE even wander into horror territory as several scenes are extremely dark and jumpy. It would be easy to push the film into more light hearted territory, like DEEP BLUE SEA for example, but Scalpello stays true to the thriller foundations and continuously drives the film’s brutal tone deeper and deeper.
The film’s strengths lie in its ability to create characters that are genuinely likeable – characters that you desperately want to escape. The action is relentless and even though the vast majority of the film is set entirely in the diving bell the combination of interesting dialogue and unpredictable twists make the film a hugely entertaining ride. Experiencing PRESSURE is a thrilling ride that will suck the air out of your lungs and push you to the edge of your seats!
Verdict
PRESSURE explodes in cinemas August 21st, available to download from August 24th and out on DVD from August 31st.
[…] PRESSURE tells the story of a group of men who are trapped in a small pod on the sea bed, after diving down to fix an oil pipeline and becoming separated from their ship. You can read our full review of the brilliant film here. […]
[…] You can read our full review of PRESSURE here. […]
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