Gods of the Deep – Film Review

Few experiences in life induce the sort of bewildering bewilderment akin to viewing Gods of the Deep, the latest science fiction venture by Charlie Steeds. Despite its potential for engaging visuals and compelling lore, this underwater misadventure regrettably fails to impress on every front.

The storyline posits a deep-sea submarine team that uncovers a mystical realm in the heart of the ocean, arousing an ancient race of entities from their slumber. It’s an intriguing premise, harking to works such as Jules Verne‘s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or even James Cameron’s blockbuster The Abyss. However, Gods of the Deep feels more like a tragicomedy, drowning in an abyss of cliched plot lines, flat performances, and drab special effects.

Derek Nelson portrays the stolid captain, Jim Peters, with all the conviction of a Monday morning substitute teacher. His interactions with team members come across as robotic, lacking in authentic chemistry. One longs for Captain Nemo but receives instead an unsatisfactory ship commander without depth.

Makenna Guyler, in the role of the strong-willed Christine Harris, attempts to provide a semblance of life to the movie, only to flounder in the murk of abysmal scripting. Guyler seems to try to salvage the film with her display of occasional bouts of genuine emotions. Sadly, they amount to drops in an ocean of tedious scenes. Rory Wilton‘s Hank O’Connell feels like an outdated archetype from a forgotten era, lacking development, and remaining painfully static throughout.

Kane Surry and David Lenik portray Joe Meeker and Cameron respectively, in equally uninspiring performances, doing little to offer memorable moments or robust character development. Lenik, in particular, doesn’t seem to carry any discernible difference in demeanor from the character he portrayed in his previous collaboration with Steeds.

It’s not merely the acting that seems like it’s been locked in a pressure chamber at the bottom of the sea; the technical aspects fare no better. There’s a palpable deficiency in visual sophistication, something crucial for any film banking on a lost, fantastical world. The promised submerged world is never convincingly materialized, rendering the overarching plot insignificant. And where is the richness, the grandeur of an alien ecosystem that an advanced civilization might have developed?

The sound design, too, is remarkably underwhelming. Rather than create a sensory atmosphere evocative of the chillingly remote and treacherous deep-sea environment, the sound often clashes uncomfortably with the action.

In its pacing, Gods of the Deep reflects the despair of being marooned in an abyss with no chance of surfacing for air. Moments that should offer tension often fizzle out into dreary routine, further impeded by dialogues that either splutter on for too long or make too brief an appearance to create any lasting impact.

While it would be fitting to lament a good concept going to waste, the lackluster execution on almost every level in Gods of the Deep forces the audience to squint for the vestiges of a salvageable narrative. What should be an enthralling journey to an unknown underwater kingdom quickly descends into an excruciating dive, only saved from complete despair by a singular moment of passable CGI.

Gods of the Deep disappoints massively. One would have expected Steeds to keep a steady hand on the ship’s helm, steering it toward thrilling revelations and eerie wonder. Regrettably, Steeds loses sight of the shore and flounders in a turbulent sea of monotonous pacing, predictable plot devices, and trite dialogue.

As the closing credits rolled on, there was an overwhelming sense of relief, the equivalent of surfacing from a laborious deep-sea expedition. Alas, unlike those venturing to the deepest reaches of our ocean, there are no rare, bioluminescent gems waiting to be discovered in Gods of the Deep. The greatest disappointment lies in the underutilized potential; there was an ocean of possibilities here, reduced to mere droplets by lackluster delivery and misguided direction.