While most movies like to expand the views of the audience
taking them to gorgeous vistas on seaboard coasts or to the wide ranging
deserts around the world, other tend to compartmentalize the situations they
place their characters in. Some of these have resulted in some truly inspiring
films that make the best use of their locales. Consider ALIEN as an example, an
entire movie located on a spaceship where you have no place to escape from. Now
make that an even smaller location, remove the danger from a creature and
continue with the thought of danger sitting next to you. If you do you might be
watching THE CHAMBER.
With a small cast and an even smaller location to shoot from
director writer Ben Parker takes the feeling of claustrophobia up a notch and
combines it with a thriller story line to make an effective film. Mats
(Johannes Kuhnke) is the operator of a small deep sea submarine aboard a
Norwegian ship in the Yellow Sea off the coast of North Korea. The ship and
submersible has been hired out for a secret program and he’s not happy about
it. Knowing every square inch of the sub, he knows it’s long overdue for
retirement and being required to take 3 passengers on board is not safe but he
has no choice.
The three person team arrives on ship led by Edwards
(Charlotte Salt). Accompanying her are Parks (James McCardle) and Denholm
(Elliot Levey). Mats is not given any information about what their operation involves
or what they are searching for, he’s simply told to drive the sub into the
designated area they tell him to.
He tries to begin more than one conversation with the trio
in the hopes he can figure out what they’re doing. All fall short and they
instead tell him to concentrate on his job. He explains to them the dangers of
the craft, how old it is, how the least little thing could rupture the already
weak hull. They listen but later it becomes all too apparent that they weren’t
paying attention.
Eventually the reason for their being there is revealed. A
spy vehicle was downed and the location where it landed on the ocean floor is
within the waters of North Korea. The vehicle contained information vital to
the protection of the US as well as a program that if it fell into the hands of
the North Koreans could decimate the security of the country. Their job is to
download the information and destroy the vehicle if possible.
It doesn’t take long before things go sideways. This starts
when they find out the ship above has been boarded. Best case scenario it moved
off, worst case it was destroyed. With no contact with the ship it means the
means by which they can access and locate the downed vehicle is limited but
they do achieve that goal as well as get what they need. But a situation rises
where they’re damaged and the sub is now turned upside down and resting on the
top where the pressure release is located. With only two suits that would allow
them to escape the question of who survives is called into question.
Shot in the minuscule set of the inside of the tiny sub
makes the feeling of claustrophobia an additional character to this movie. It
sits there perched on your shoulder with every scene in the film. The tension
between characters can be felt as well with Mats trying to be the voice of
reason, Edwards the die-hard mission is of the greatest importance character,
Parks the most unpredictable character thinking only of himself and Denholm
that most logical of the three team members. That combination of location and
volatility among the characters makes you squirm as you watch things go from
bad to worse, wondering if any of them will make it out alive.
I’ve read reviews of this film that were highly critical but
those condemnations seem to be misplaced. Yes there are definitely some plot
holes that could have been patched but they’re not major enough to ruin the
film. And if you go into a movie that takes place on a mini-sub thinking
there’s going to be non-stop action that’s not a rational thought.
Instead we’re presented with a thriller that holds your
interest even though nearly the entire film takes place in what amounts to a
room perhaps not larger than a large bathroom. To be able to keep the suspense
going in that amount of space, to be able to act and react as a character in
that small location is an achievement. The fear that each one feels is
palpable. And while some characters might annoy you with their behavior one has
to place oneself in the shoes of those characters and wonder how you might
behave given the situation.
While not a great film the movie is entertaining and will
keep you guessing as to who if any will survive. It provides enough information
to hold your interests from start to finish and keeps you wondering from one
minute to the next. It might not be a movie you’ll want to add to your
collection but it’s definitely worth watching.
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