
Phil Volken’s Dead Sea aims for a cross between crime and horror but fails in both providing a compelling story or good execution. The film begins with a strong setup but ends up being cringeworthy due to its cliched twists, poorly developed characters, and an unengaging setting that does not achieve the intended horror. Even though it is spearheaded by a capable cast like Dean Cameron and Isabel Gravitt, there is little hope in redeeming this film.
The Story: A Distress Call Gone Awry
Dead Sea starts off with Kaya (Isabel Gravitt), Xander (Koa Tom), and Julian (Garrett Wareing) on a jet ski, without a care in the world. Things get out of hand when they end up lost at sea due to an accident at an enjoyable location. As they sit tight waiting to be rescued, they witness Curtis Hunt (Dean Cameron), the captain of a fishing trawler, show up. However, attempts at reunion momentarily go futile as they soon learn what the boat conceals an ominous enigma that isn’t peaceful.
The Good: Concept and Cast
The concept of isolation of the vast open waters and the confined space of the trawler combined could have been effective in creating an atmosphere that is eerie and suspenseful. Yet, Dead Sea fails to create and sustain tension for suspenseful moments. The story is predictable and lacks genuine fright and unexpected events. The storyline becomes apparent as soon as the friends step onto the trawler and the film does not depart from this path in the later portions of the movie.
Dean Cameron’s casting of Curtis Hunt as Curtis Hunt is arguably the best casting in the film. He does have a certain threatening tone in his voice but ends up becoming the caricature of the bad guy in the story. Isabel Gravitt as Kaya was able to showcase some determination and ingenuity, which was good acting. But, the viewers can’t sympathize with her and her friends, as her character and her friends are not very well developed.
The Good: Suspense and Theme This time the conflict takes place between the goddess of the sea and her daughter. Sybille, the mother of the protagonist, has been specific about one important rule, “Do not enter the sea.’ However, Oona who has a mysterious spark, can’t resist the pull of the sea. Although, throughout the film, Oona grapples with self-doubt and insecurities, she learns to embrace herself in the end. DnS sells their exposures rather than portraying them literally on screen. I believe the climax could’ve been extended as it felt rushed on the neck. The practice of quick pacing that highlights climatic moments could’ve been used wonderfully in this case.
The Bad: Pacing and Character Development As for the second aspect that I find weak, is the characters. They are like washed out in the wash cycle. Perhaps, they were aiming to develop Kaya with some depth but in reality, they failed and left the character shallow and boring. Xander and Julian, are nothing more than acquaintances. Rey, played by Alexander Wraith, only adds minor tension and is an extras role rather than being a key figure in the movie.
The pacing plays an even bigger role in the film’s unwelcome attributes. Everything goes into place only in the beginning of the film and it leaves nothing but boring events, where not much is progressed. Suspense is rather ineffective as the plot is uneven, treading along conventional horror film lines with uninspiring dialogues to boot. Weak does not even begin to describe such staleness.
Visuals and Sound: Missed Potential The visual and auditory aspects of the Dead Sea also leave much to be desired. Yes, the cinematography has attempted but because it was on a shallow level, the open sea and the trawler are not effective in conveying the terrors of being trapped. Sound design is equally uninspiring with a dull score that adds nothing to the film in terms of the ambience.
Overall: Le Temps Perdu
The Dead Sea has all the traits of a thrilling crime horror movie, but they are not brought to bear. The sad cliché of the plot, poorly designed characters, even the attempts to create an atmosphere in the movie fail to be effective leaving a lot to be desired. The two actors’ performance’s gravity and Cameron can be praised too but that does not help the movie rise above the limitations of its script.
As far as themes are concerned, The Dead Sea is about survival and how cruel mankind can be. Unfortunately, these themes do intertwine in the film, how can one then explain the film’s purposelessness? The film does not seem to have any particular angle to examine human nature or morality as well, the standard and dull scenario pretty much precludes self-examination.
Final Thoughts: The Dead Sea, then, is a great example of a missed opportunity. There are the ingredients of a worthy crime horror movie, but they are poorly utilized. All the remarks about a straightforward plot, poorly constructed characters, few attempts made to create an atmosphere in the film, etcetera. The result is a film devoid of any appreciable impression to the viewer.
For more movies like Dead Sea visit 123movies