Director: Maximilian Erlenwein

Stars: Louisa Krause, Sophie Lowe

This German-produced English language thriller does not quite maintain momentum after a very strong opening, but it’s zippy enough over its ninety-minute running time. American twentysomething Drew (Lowe) has persuaded her older sister May (Krause) to join her on a weekend diving trip in Malta. There is evidently a bit of tension between the two with Drew not even sure if her sullen sister wants to be there. While they are diving a landslide occurs and May’s leg is trapped under a large rock. Trapped twenty-eight metres underwater and with a limited oxygen supply, May attempts to maintain her cool while instructing the increasingly hysterical Drew how to proceed. Unfortunately, as they had chosen to dive in a secluded area, no immediate help is at hand. This low-frills drama would have worked better as no-frills, as flashbacks to the women’s childhood with a domineering father distract from the action while not bringing anything compelling to the table. Still, cinematographer Frank Griebe effectively contrasts the claustrophobic murk of the sea with the bleached-out sun-baked surface environs, and Lowe is suitably fraught as the panicked younger sister.

David Willoughby

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