What happens when four deep sea saturation divers get stranded 650ft below the surface of the Indian Ocean after disaster strikes their ship? Pinewood Pictures’ suspenseful new feature length thriller, Pressure, ponders just that.
With the air in their bodies compressed to withstand the deep water dive, surfacing too fast without decompressing could lead to certain death. Realising their diving bell is damaged, rescue is uncertain and oxygen is depleting fast, can the foursome put their differences aside and work together to fight for their survival?
Starring Danny Huston, Matthew Goode, Joe Cole, and Alan McKenna, with appearances by Ian Pirie, Daisy Lowe, and Gemita Samarra (and that’s it folks), Pressure is a taut film with plenty of hold-your-breath moments and ample action.
When I first nestled into my seat at a recent Soho House press screening, I felt the movie started out a tad too slow while setting things up for a far too predictable outcome. Boy, was I wrong about the ending! And I’m pleased to report that once Pressure’s plot is established, the rest of the flick rolls out in with tense, claustrophobic drama at gripping and even pace.
Huston, Goode, Cole and McKenna play off each other well. Some of the interactions seem a bit hokey and contrived – particularly how Huston’s aptly performed character, Engel, just happens to end up with such a perfect opportunity to find redemption for a troubled past through his relationship with Jones, a young neophyte diver played with persuasive sympathy by Joe Cole. But the draw of the film is the smartly metered apprehension that had me clutching my armrests and scooting my tuckus toward the edge of the seat.
Directed by Ron Scalpello and produced by Alan McKenna and Jason Newmark
Pressure opens in UK cinemas 21 August. Find out more at pinewoodpictures.com/film/pressure.
Soho House screening room is located at 21 Old Compton Street, W1D. For more information go to sohohousegreekstreet.com.
