An underwater cave diving team experiences a life-threatening crisis during an expedition to the unexplored and least accessible cave system in the world.

Directed: Alister Grierson

Stars: Rhys Wakefield, Allison Cratchley and Christopher Baker

What we think: Disaster films that centre around tight confined spaces need to have two things, a good credible plot and characters that are likeable. For Sanctum one out of two isn’t that bad.

James Cameron takes his love of all things aqua, along with some pretty amazing high tech equipment down to the depths of the deepest blue waters where mother nature is anything but welcoming.

Having Cameron on board as an executive producer is certainly not a bad thing, especially when he is an expert in these kind of situations having been down to the depths with his documentary Aliens of the Deep and film The Abyss.

The story is simple, a team of highly skilled cave divers, well some of them, look to explore the darkest underwater caves and go where no human has gone before. It doesn’t go to plan, and when a tropical storm floods the cave and blocks their way out they must put personalities aside and work together to find an escape route, easier said than done really.

Where Sanctum hits the high notes are the short bursts of tension and suspense, whether it is maneuvering through a small hole in the cave, trying to overcome the claustrophobic terrain or battle depression sickness director Alister Grierson does a good job of keeping us on the edge of our seats and throws what he can at the group.

Where it let’s itself down is with the characters, a selection of protagonists some of whom have an Australian back ground at times under achieve with wooden acting which surrounded by water has the danger of turning to mush, and at times it does.

From the gruffly spoken leader Jack (Richard Roxburgh) whose continual battle with his somewhat annoying son Josh (Rhys Wakefield) is only going to end one way, to the mega rich financier Carl (Ioan Gruffudd) whose flagrant disregard for his own safety as well as those around him sees him ear marked for a gasping for breath ending.

Scattered in between are a few unknowns who are only there to add to the impending death count but do little to enhance the films reputation for solid acting.

With all that in mind there is no hiding James Cameron’s influence, shades of the Abyss are subtle but clear when called for and on the whole its beautifully shot. If you can look past the dodgy acting then it sets itself up as a very good disaster flick.

View the trailer

Rating: (3/5)

Visit the IMDb page for Sanctum

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