Submerged (2016) d. Steven C. Miller (USA) (99 min)
When a local business magnate (Tim Daly) cuts a goodly percentage of his work force, the ensuing negative press prompts the decision to promote his head of security (Jonathan Bennett) to full-time bodyguard in order to protect his daughter (Talulah Riley). Cruising home from a club with friends, their military-grade limousine is sent careening off a bridge by a gang of ruthless kidnappers and the race is on to escape their watery fate.
While credit has to be given to screenwriter Scott Milam (who also penned the 2010 Mother’s Day update starring Rebecca de Mornay) for stretching a thin premise out to feature-length thanks to some not-bad flashback structure and a “who’s in on it” mystery, the nonstop shrieking and bickering from the panicked limo passengers (especially one-note Rosa Salazar) gets really old really quickly and I’m not sure who else to blame except director Miller (Silent Night, Under the Bed), who seems to confuse volume and circular camera moves with intensity and thrills.
Fans of 2009’s Friday the 13th reboot will be happy to see Willa Ford (briefly) back on screen, and Mario Van Peebles pops up because he’s got bills to pay. Not a bad little time-waster, but that’s about it.
Submerged is available now on a bare-bones Blu-ray from Shout! Factory and IFC Midnight and can be ordered HERE:
https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/submerged?product_id=4590
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