Sanctum (2011)

User Review

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  TheMovieDiorama

  4 / 10

  Sanctum contains mesmerising underwater sequences but is just as hollow as its network of caves. The only reason this film gained traction was due to Cameron having his name attached as executive producer. Remove that, and I doubt many would've seen this, proving that a glorified name drop is still a tangible marketing technique. Alas, this cave diving expedition becomes washed up rather rapidly, descending into a spiral of predictable clichés. Based on co-writer Wight's own experience, an expedition exploring an underwater cave system goes awry after an unpredictable cyclone floods the hollow. Transforming what looked like a made-for-TV documentary into a made-for-TV disaster survival film. It's unfortunate that the monotonous acting, dull expendable characters, obvious green screen, predictable plot and impersonal screenplay resulted in a low quality film that has all the aesthetic appeal of a TV release. The cinematic scope is only upheld by the breathtaking underwater sequences, where O'Loughlin's cinematography really shines amidst the murky depths. A few scenes of tension as individuals burrow through tight passageways or attempt to flee the flooding caverns, but it's not enough to overcome the incredibly obvious flaws that have not made the film age well. The disposable crew reek of stupidity. When a renowned cave diving expert commands "you need to wear the wet suit" and you reluctantly reply "I'm not putting it on", well your life expectancy has diminished substantially. "Don't use the knife", she uses the knife. "Don't shine your torch at her", he shines the torch at her. I understand the heightened state of mind, but these lines of advice should've been adhered to and consequently result in characters that you don't relate to. Actions have consequences. Also thrown into the mix is a clichéd collapsed father and son relationship that, whilst provide some emotional moments and is well acted by Roxburgh, feels far too forced. The inevitable character deaths weren't memorable, obvious green screen is obvious (like really obvious) and Grierson's direction was rather lacklustre. The mediocrity kept pouring in.

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