A recent movie that has sadly gone completely under the radar is the 2014 submarine heist thriller Black Sea.
Directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland), the story follows a struggling submarine captain named Robinson (Jude Law), whose wife has left him and married a much richer man (taking their son with her). When company-man Liam (Karl Davies) tells Robinson that he must let him go, the captain is seemingly left with a dismal future. That is until one of his friends, who has also been fired, tells him of a discovery that he made while in a submarine at the bottom of the Black Sea. He tells the tale of a sunken German World War II U-Boat, that due to a major conflict, is resting at the bottom of the Black Sea with millions of dollars of gold bars sitting in it just waiting to be nabbed.
Robinson is introduced to a private backer which allows him to put together a team of twelve men – half coming from the British Isles while the other six hail from Russia. They lease a rickety old Cold War era submarine and set out on this secret mission – having to dodge Russian subs along the way. Robinson quickly realizes that he will have a difficult time keeping the crew in line, with the Russians immediately targeting the very young Tobin (Bobby Schofield) as a bad omen – as they think he is a virgin (though he is actually a soon-to-be dad). To further complicate things, the captain must deal with wild-card Fraser (Ben Mendelsohn) and the watchful, interfering executive to the backer, Daniels (Scoot McNairy).
It is not long before claustrophobic paranoia sets in, with Daniels suggesting that the crew will soon realize that when one man dies, their share of the treasure gets larger. The script, written by Dennis Kelly, does an excellent job of laying out exactly what needs to be done for them to achieve their goal, and when things start to derail, the audience, who are stuck in the rusting tin pot along with the others, feel the same tension that they do. It is clear that they are in over their heads, but will they succeed in this most unorthodox of heists, becoming unimaginably wealthy men, or will they sink to the watery depths along with the gold they are so desperately seeking?
Director Kevin Macdonald deserves so much credit for this film. Despite there being a few issues with the script and a couple of predictable moments, he is able to create an intense atmosphere that is tough to shake off. There is something about the dark, dank nature of a submarine movie, where each crew mate must rely on the person next to him in order to survive, that helps it fit so perfectly into the thriller genre. Macdonald’s direction both within the sub, and at the eerie depths of the Black Sea, create many memorable moments. The shots of the team leaving the sub and exploring the alien landscape are like nothing seen on film before. You can almost feel the dark, salty seawater pressing in around you.
Jude Law also merits some praise for how well this movie works. His depiction of a desperate man trying to recapture his life and family by making it big is surprisingly effective. It is utterly intense watching him try to stabilize the chaos around him – and I’m not just talking about him running the antique submersible. The rest of the character actors also create vivid and realistic portrayals that feel real in the stressful situations we see them in. Black Sea’s team must also be complimented on casting Russians in the part of Russians – hard to believe that other filmmakers and casting directors have never thought of this novel concept before. It once again makes the picture feel grounded in reality.
Black Sea is a tensely entertaining thriller that is well worth viewing. Its intoxicating concoction of themes and concepts that include ‘gold fever’, paranoia, claustrophobia, survival and mistrust, creates a truly unique atmosphere. Kelly’s script also mixes in moments of comedy, adding some variety to the tale while helping to release some of the tension at certain points. So, dive down to the dark depths of the Black Sea to discover something even Cousteau couldn’t have imagined.