Signature Entertainment
We know more about space than we do about the depths of the oceans. It seems a little odd then that there are far more horror movies set in the great beyond than the deep below. It seems that the tides might finally be changing though. Earlier this year we got ‘Alien in the sea’ sci-fi horror Underwater, and now comes Sea Fever, a film whose elevator pitch is basically ‘The Thing on a boat’.
Directed by Neasa Hardiman, Sea Fever follows young research scientist Siobhán (Hermione Corfield) as she boards a trawler boat to complete a mandatory component of her study. Once aboard, she is thrust into sea life, but before she can find her sea legs the crew happen across a potentially new species of an aquatic creature, one that has devastating consequences for all aboard.
If there’s one thing that last year’s FrightFest gem Harpoon taught us, it’s that redheads and boats are not a good combination. No one really understands where the superstition originated, but some sea folk take it very seriously. This is reflected in the crew that Siobhán joins. Several members of the crew are especially superstition and their aversion to her hair colour is the cause of some early friction. This isn’t helped by Siobhán’s lack of social skills. The opening scene confirms that she’s purely focused on her education and not her peers. To then place her amidst a tight-knit ‘family’ helps raise tensions before we’ve even gotten a glimpse at disaster.
In stark contrast to Siobhán, we have the warm and bonded shipmates. Our Captain (Dougray Scott) and his second in command (Connie Nielsen) are married, two other members are mother and son, and another is about to be a dad. Although close to one another, each person does have more going on beneath their jovial outward personas. Our married couple is dealing with a tragic loss, and our dad-to-be is desperate to get onto shore again. All of these factors flagged early on, come into play later down the line.
Signature Entertainment
Once things do start to go south, the seeds of paranoia and fear sowed in the opening scenes kick up a gear. Initially, events begin to unfold in a very Alien manner. The crew discovers a new creature, one member is unknowingly infected and then all Hell breaks loose. The stark difference is that rather than filling the expected Ellen Ripley mold, Siobhán actually shares more traits with Ian Holm’s science officer Ash. It’s an interesting slant to take, and an important one to help stand out from that very famous shadow.
From here, the film morphs into the aforementioned The Thing at sea, complete with the all-important test to see who’s clear and who isn’t. These scenes always make for compelling viewing – The Thing, The Faculty and The X-Files episode ‘Firewalker’, all being classic examples. Thankfully Hardiman has clearly been doing her research and the scene in question more than holds up to what has come before.
Signature Entertainment
The brilliant thing about Sea Fever, is just like Ridley Scott and John Carpenter’s classics, there’s an odd element of plausibility to the story. Granted, it helps that our core characters are all seemingly normal folks, and a lot less stock than typically displayed within the genre, but what really helps it thrive is that plain and simple fact that we genuinely have little-to-no idea about everything that lurks beneath the surface of the ocean.
The creature itself has several intriguing qualities. It’s a mass of luminescent tentacles and its way of infecting hosts is eye-wateringly violent. Those of a sensitive eye disposition are going to have a rough ride. Again, given some of the things revealed in David Attenborough’s Blue Planet, the being is entirely plausible.
A film that pays homage to some of the great sci-fi horrors, Neasa Hardiman still demonstrates enough independence for Sea Fever to stand on its own merits. First came space (Alien), then the arctic (The Thing), now get ready to fear what lurks in the sea.
Sea Fever was reviewed at FrightFest Glasgow 2020. Sea Fever is released on 24th April 2020.
