Sea Fever

If you like horror/thrillers, which I do and have seen too many to count, you should give this movie a shot. Above average for the genre and fairly original/creative compared the usual predictable movies churned out. Without any spoilers I would describe it as a 2nd rate "The Thing" except set on a boat/ocean. I only say 2nd rate because The Thing is one of the best horror/thrillers ever made and remains an absolute classic must watch. While this movie is entertaining and fast moving, it's not mind blowing or best of breed so go in with proper expectations and don't get too excited - enjoy!!

Horror at sea - it's a theme that I always crave, as well as creature features, eco horrors and lovecraftian vibes. Luckily, "Sea Fever" happens to be a bit of all that. There's no denying I had high hopes and some certain expectations which resulted in a bonus side dish of underwhelment, well, whether because of that or the actual flawed nature of "Sea Fever", for it might be a bit better in concept than execution.

A quiet, shy but clever science student Siobhan (Hermione Corfield) is put on a fishing boat to do a marine research assignment, and takes a turn in journey to becoming a heroine as the crew encounter a mysterious and threating sea creature. Very quickly into the movie the viewer can rest assured he's in for a good-looking sea adventure, for it is aesthetically well executed via solid cinematography and subtly beautiful production design and cgi. The boat carries 7 passengers, all of which are painted neatly and realistically, albeit typically. As time passes, a wish for more innovative characters inside such a situation surfaces, eventually the fates of some miss the emotional hit it intends to have. Nevertheless, the cast certainly does a good job, my personal favorite being Ardalan Esmaili.

The first act is the one that, near the end of it, delivers some lovecraftian vibes, as the gooey, tentacly creature comes up from the depths of the sea. From here on, "Sea Fever" makes it known it's not exactly a classic creature feature & becomes more of an eco horror, with some key themes coincidentally very relevant to the current time of an pandemic - our main heroine has to fight for the right decisions in an event of infection and a need for quarantine. The underwhelment distills from the fact that "Sea Fever", during the better part of the second and third acts, struggles to maintain tension and frequently loses the effect of its atmosphere, in process making the pacing uneven and punches - lesser. As far as a fever goes, it doesn't quite manage to rise your temperature that high.

"Sea Fever" doesn't hide its influences & John Carpenter would probably be pretty happy, because, despite all, it stands very much on its own, a smart and handsome thriller that couldn't escape the fate of some bugging flaws. My rating: 6/10

If you're going into 'Sea Fever' expecting to see monsters or gore, you will be disappointed. If you're hoping to find a clever horror thriller with substance, this is a good choice.

'Sea Fever' is actually such a well made movie and incredibly relevant with today's Covid-19 pandemic. A young scientist, Siobhan (well portrayed by Hermione Corfield) goes with a fishing trawler to analyze their catch for research. On their way, they are informed the area they are going to is an exclusion zone. However, their boat runs into an unknown object, where it becomes stuck - in the exclusion zone.

What follows is a claustrophobic nightmare episode for the fishermen, and Siobhan, as they discover parasites in their water supply, infecting those who come in contact with the water.

The film features all-round good performances and effective suspense and scares thanks to a clever script and good set-up. The visual effects are subtle, yet highly effective. This is so much more than a horror film. This is a disaster drama set in the confines of a boat. 'Sea Fever' is not what I expected, but surprised me with a thoroughly entertaining movie on a different level. I enjoyed it!

Would I watch it again? Yes.

It's basically a dull Alien ripoff but without a great monster, lifeless forgettable characters, etc. If you've seen the original Alien or any of the knockoffs, you've seen this a million times. The ending is interesting but getting there is tough. The stakes never feel real. The danger doesn't feel immediate. It isn't exciting. You can easily read what will happen far in advance so you're just sitting there, watching it go through all too familiar beats. It's like Harbinger Down but both are pretty weak imitations of better films. Sorry I was really hoping this would be good.

This simple horror film takes the age-old fear of the sea serpent, modernizes it, and takes it to new heights. It starts with an unlikely heroine, nerdy graduate student Siobhan, who loves studying oceanography in virtual forms, and has to be pushed to get on a boat and examine it in real life. She finds herself on a small fishing boat, ill at ease with the boisterous crew, who start by exclaiming over the bad luck she, as a redhead, will bring to the voyage. Other seafaring myths and legends are of interest, including one, told to Siobhan by the boat's co-owner, Freya, which becomes relevant to the story. Some of the footage of undersea life not only further the story, but are remarkably beautiful. Siobhan does her best to fit in, and does make a connection with one or two of the crew members. Things take a sinister turn when the ship is impeded by a creature completely unfamiliar to either Siobhan or the crew. The more they investigate, the more dangerous the animal becomes. Suspense builds as the sea creature's intentions and abilities are gradually revealed, Siobhan tries to understand the creature's nature and possible weaknesses, and the crew works frantically to escape or summon help. The director has the sense to keep the monster mysterious as long as possible, adding to the tension. It's a well made, well acted, slow-burning horror story.