The Dive – Movie Review (3/5)

THE DIVE is a survival thriller that will be very familiar if you’ve watched the Swedish movie BREAKING SURFACE. This new movie is a fairly direct remake, so it’s equally intense. It is, however, set in a new location. Read our full The Dive movie review here!

THE DIVE is a new survival thriller with a tiny cast. There are only really two people in the movie with one additional person showing up in flashbacks where the two main characters are kids. These flashbacks are brief and peppered throughout the movie.

If you’ve watched the Swedish movie BREAKING SURFACE from 2020, then the plot will feel very familiar. This is a very direct remake, but in English and with a new setting. We’ve also reviewed the 2020 original movie here >

Continue reading our The Dive movie review below. Find the new thriller in theaters and On Demand from August 25, 2023.

Claustrophobic survival story

We’ve watched quite a lot of claustrophobic survival stories over the years. Even stories where someone is trapped underwater. The first that comes to mind for me (aside from the movie this is a remake of) is 47 Meters Down.

However, The Dive differs from that movie by having only one person trapped under the water and another struggling to save them.

In The Dive, we meet the two sisters, May and Drew, heading out on a deep-sea diving trip. This will take place at a very remote place which turns out to be a terrible thing when one of the sisters is trapped at the bottom of the sea. A catastrophic landslide sends rocks tumbling into the sea, and the fight for survival begins.

With very low levels of oxygen and a downright barrage of obstacles, Drew fights to save her sister’s life. As the viewer, you’re going on an immersive journey of survival, and you’ll probably find yourself holding your breath right along with the main characters. I know I certainly did!

Two strong leads

While you will undoubtedly get irritated with these two characters at different times, it’s important to note that it’s key to the story.

First, because we all act (and react) differently in a crisis. Second, there’s the simple fact that whichever character you relate the least to, is probably the one you’ll get more irritated with. I know that was the case for me.

I mean, if someone reacts in the opposite way of what you would, then you’re bound to feel the need to yell at them. However, they are in a very active life-or-death situation with strict deadlines looming over them constantly. That’s enough to mess with anyone’s reason and logic. At least a little.

Louisa Krause (Dark Waters, Billions) and Sophie Lowe (Medieval) play the two lead roles of May and Drew respectively. I enjoyed their performances and felt like I was right there with them in their awful predicament.

Surely that’s one of the best compliments you can give, so kudos to them for their work in The Dive.

Watch The Dive in Theaters or On Demand now!

The Dive was co-written and directed by Max Erlenwein (Stereo), who co-wrote the screenplay with Joachim Hedén. Joachim Hedén wrote and directed the original movie Breaking Surface, so working with him on this remake is obviously a good choice.

And yes, as someone who did enjoy the original, as well as had a few issues with it, I found this remake to be a strong one. It has exactly the same strengths and weaknesses as the original.

The setting of summer instead of winter does change the whole vibe a bit, but not in any major way. It’s probably more of a personal issue whether one feels better or worse than the other. In other words, you can still watch this and get something new out of it if you’ve watched the original.

Also, anyone who enjoys a good survival thriller should watch this!

RLJE Films will release THE DIVE in Theaters and On Demand on August 25, 2023.

Details

Director: Maximilian Erlenwein
Writers: Maximilian Erlenwein, Joachim Hedén
Cast: Sophie Lowe, Louisa Krause