Review – No Spoilers
Superdeep. It’s not the punchline to a “yo momma” joke. It’s the new sci-fi horror movie, coming out of Russia and airing on horror channel Shudder.
In the frozen Russian wastes, a team of USSR scientists and engineers drill down through the permafrost, creating the deepest borehole ever. But what they find far below the surface, is an unspeakable horror, the likes of which no human has ever seen.
Watching the trailer for this movie, one is (quite deliberately) given the impression that what you’re about to watch is an adaptation of the modern urban legend/creepypasta, about a group of Russians who drill down into the earth and record the horrendous screams of tortured souls in Hell. But ignore the trailer. That is not what this movie is about and even if that served as some inspiration for the movie, the end product is massively different and goes well beyond that fun little story.
Working under the auspices of the USSR, at a secret base in the frozen plains, a government team drill down into the earth. They find something unexpected and in due time, a security team with a high-ranking virologist, are called in to take control of the situation. Said virologist, Anya, is our heroine. Bringing with her a heavy guilt from a past failure, she is seeking both a chance to redeem herself and advance her career. Instead, she ends up becoming an Elen Ripley style final girl, in a survival horror nightmare.
Superdeep has received low to middling scores among some other reviewers. But don’t listen to the naysayers. This is a good movie.
Superdeep is very much in keeping with a number of movies from the 70’s, but with the advantage of modern special effects, in all the right places. It’s reminiscent of classic sci-fi movie The Andromeda Strain, but with some spectacular body horror to make it all the more gruesome.
That being said, the movie is a bit of a slow burn. But as it burns, it escalates, stepping up the horror as it goes, until finally it is like something a Resident Evil meets The Thing abomination. But in all the right ways.
However, it does require that the viewer pays attention, as there are a few blink-and-miss-it plot points that could fly by unnoticed, otherwise. Given the slow nature of the start of the film, some viewers might feel the drag. So, it’s not really a casual watch. But for those ready to sit in for an evening of hardcore sci-fi horror, Superdeep is going to deliver.
It’s not going to win any awards, but all in all, The Superdeep ranks a good 3 out of 5 stars, making it an enjoyable watch.
Want more horror? Check out The Conjuring 3: The Cast vs. What The Real People Look Like
