Tejasvani Datta
Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction. Other times, truth is rooted in it. A genre like science fiction then blurs these lines, pushing the limits of what the truth is to what it could be. William Eubank’s latest sci-fi horror, ‘Underwater‘, does precisely this as it feeds on our fear of the unknown while being rooted in the reality of our times.
The film centers around a team of 6 researchers trapped 7 miles below the ocean’s surface as they soon realize that they are not alone. The film stars Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, T.J. Miller, Jessica Henwick, John Gallagher Jr., Mamoudou Athie, and Gunner Wright.
Underwater: Fiction Inspired by Real-Life Ocean Mysteries and Dangers
A good horror is a realistic one, and Eubank’s film certainly hits the mark. It dives into the dark depths of the ocean and tackles its mysteries, creating a nerve-shredding, claustrophobic horror surrounding the dangers that lurk deep below. But is ‘Underwater’ inspired by a true story? To answer simply, it is not. Though like good science fiction, it is rooted in reality. The film takes inspiration from real-life mysteries and issues, along with folklores and classic creature horrors. Here’s everything we know about it.
Deep-Sea Mining
In ‘Underwater’ a team is sent to an underwater mining station in the Mariana Trench to drill in the ocean floor. Deep-sea mining is the harsh reality of our times and an unfortunate consequence of capitalism that has driven industries to alien environments in search of valuable metals. In deep-sea mining, metals are retrieved from the ocean floor. But the process will have a devastating and potentially irreversible impact on marine life, especially the rare deep-sea creatures.
The Mysteries of Mariana Trench
Mariana Trench is the most fascinating and least explored place in the world. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it is the deepest point on the planet. The crescent-shaped trench is around 1580 miles long and 43 miles wide and has a depth of roughly 36,000 feet, with the Challenger Deep being its deepest point.
Around 70% of the Earth’s surface is below the sea, yet 95% of it remains unexplored to the human eye. The depths of Mariana Trench then hold an unexplored world of absolute darkness with mysterious creatures lurking below that science has still not discovered. In fact, it is believed that we know more about the surface of Mars than the depths of the trench.
Science has discovered terrifying-looking lifeforms, including anglerfish, goblin sharks, deep-sea hatchetfish, and fanfin sea devils. Along with these, space holds other strange things, including mysterious metallic sounds, a rumored sighting of a shining disc-shaped object, and an unusual jellyfish that could have been an alien from another planet.
Are Sea Monsters Real?
From folklore to the Bible to fantasy films, sea monsters have been a constant presence in our lives, either in the form of the Kraken, Leviathan, or the Loch Ness monster. But they exist in our imaginations for all the right reasons, as the depths of the ocean are almost completely unexplored. There is no knowing what lurks deep below. Scientists have spoken of deep-sea giants in the past, but virtually nothing about their lives has been learned yet, except some estimates that they grow up to 66 feet.
‘Underwater’ primarily uses three fictional deep-sea creatures. We have the Clinger, which is grotesque and predatory based on both squid and barnacles. Then we have the Ghost, which is translucent and ethereal and inspired by a jellyfish. This becomes important when one looks at the rare species of deep-sea jellyfish, especially the giant Stygiomedusa, which grows up to 33ft.
Finally, the enormous Behemoth combines both designs to become the ultimate sea monster and is seen towards the end of the film. According to associate producer Jared Purrington, “He is so big, he’s an ecosystem unto himself.” Behemoth also becomes the most interesting of the three because of the history surrounding it. Behemoth, like Leviathan, has a Biblical history, where the two are considered creatures of primal Chaos. The two also have a Babylonian origin, but Behemoth is considered male and of the Earth, while Leviathan is female and of the Ocean Deep.
But in other cultures, it is considered that Bahamut is an enormous sea monster that lies deep below and controls tides, sea-level and earthquakes. According to Jorge Luis Borges’ Book of Imaginary Beings, Bahamut is “altered and magnified” from the biblical Behemoth. It is described to be so immense that no human can bear its sight. Of course, except these, it is very clear that Eubank’s ‘Underwater’ is heavily influenced by both James Cameron’s ‘Aliens’ and his ‘The Abyss’, along with perhaps ‘Prometheus’. In fact, Stewart’s Norah Price was inspired by Ellen Ripley and, in many ways, followed in her footsteps.
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