There’s something in the water. It lurks, ancient and unknown, dangerous and hypnotic like a siren’s call. For three thieves, fresh from one of their biggest heists yet—a remarkable painting wrapped in Ancient Greek mythos that holds plenty of wonder and treacherous secrets—this thing calls to them. And it absolutely destroys them.
★★★☆☆
The approach of spooky season is upon us, and illustrious thrills and horror releases are coming left, right and centre. Samuel Clemens’s The Drowned follows three thieves on the run who recently pulled off one of the biggest heists of their careers. As they meet in a remote safehouse, where the sea looms on the edge of the land, they realise one of their accomplices is missing. Suddenly, a sound from the sea calls to them, putting them in a trance. Next thing they know, they’re back outside with no memory of what just happened or how they got there. In total disbelief, the men avoid talking about it. As day turns into night and the three gather for a meal, a scream draws them back outside. There, they meet three stranded women.
Slow and simmering, The Drowned relies heavily on its steady and calculated pacing to build tension. The mystery thrives in the agonisingly sloth-like movement of the plot. It’s an effect akin to the anticipation of waiting for a jump scare to materialise at any given moment. This is further amplified by the extreme focus on the senses, revelling in the silence with its distinct lack of dialogue, which allows the white noise and rogue sounds of clocks ticking to take over and disrupt the calm for the audience. From there, once that familiar siren sound calls, the score becomes an overwhelming screech that takes control of the characters and submerges the viewers into the piece. The film’s ability to hold those watching at the edge of fear and euphoria is its greatest weapon.
The slow pace is also reflective of the gradual unravelling of the three main characters: Eric (Alan Calton), Matt (Dominic Vulliamy) and Paul (Michelangelo Fortuzzi). For Eric, there’s an air of mystery surrounding his involvement in their third accomplice’s disappearance. As the film progresses, he descends further into paranoia, highlighting his misdeeds and unsavoury secrets. Matt, on the other hand, is a victim of Eric’s infidelity. Upon discovering the truth, anger becomes a prominent fixture in his character. But it’s achingly slow-burning; a quiet rage that gradually takes over his nice guy persona. Then there’s Paul. Beholder of Eric’s secrets and seeming peacemaker between the other two, his distrust of Eric is apparent. As he scrambles to maintain some semblance of logic and rationale through the chaos unfolding before them, he becomes haunted by a truth he keeps hidden deep within.
The actors are wonderfully charming, and they do a good job of endearing the audience to them. There’s high intrigue in their slow descent to insanity as the story moves on. However, there’s an overall shallow quality to the individual characters. They sparkle with a glimmer of nuance, but the The Drowned doesn’t provide enough space for them to explore that at length, leaving an unsatisfying tang to their characterisation.
Cinematography elevates the supernatural thrill and uncanny atmosphere of the film. The aerial shots, in particular, set the scene, showing the expansive breadth of the safehouse and the beach while underlining the remote isolation of the area, evoking a sense of suffocation. Tracking shots are another simple technique that the picture uses to guide viewers into the more intimate setting of the safehouse, allowing audiences to truly take in the space and understand how the events flow around the location. The movie takes place in one place, but every corner and crevice is used. It’s both claustrophobic in its seclusion yet limitless in all the different pockets and rooms explored.
The Verdict
The Drowned certainly succeeds in thrilling and bending the minds of the audience. While the pace remains its greatest weapon in building tension, there is an underside to its use. It leaves a lot of dead space and, at a certain point, it feels like it’s dragging. Those impatient for answers will find this aspect of the piece quite tedious and frustrating. The production carries The Drowned through its slow pace with cinematography and an immersive score providing an all-around haunting experience.
Words by Mae Trumata
The Drowned will be available on digital download in the UK from 6th October.
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