Film Review: Pressure (2015)

Pressure (Review)
United Kingdom/2015
Format Viewed For Review: Netflix Instant
Netflix Streaming: Yes
Amazon Prime: No

"It has some glaring story issues, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't entertained."

While trying to repair an oil pipeline, a group of drivers find themselves trapped in a small pod with limited resources...

Pressure is a very simple film. The film follows Engel (Danny Huston), Mitch (Matthew Goode), Jones (Joe Cole), and Hurst (Alan McKenna) — the characters have very generic backgrounds. Before actually diving, the group are already at annoyed with each other, so you can imagine what their experience will be like. Anyway, they dive, then fix the pipe. While ascending, the main vessel is hit by a storm, which kills the entire crew and leaves the divers stranded with a few resources — including limited oxygen. The rest of the film follows this group as they basically attempt to survive. That's it, really. Fortunately, the film is only 90-minutes long — it still feels a bit bloated, but it could have been much worse. The ending was a little underwhelming, but decent enough.

Pressure is a simple but decent action film — simple to a fault, but decent. Although I enjoyed the setting, I did feel it restricted the story. At times, it feels like it had nowhere to go. The plot felt a little empty. This void feeling is amplified by the hollow characters — they just don't add much to the plot. Despite its limitations, the film does offer some surprisingly effective suspense. The characters were generic, but I did find myself at the edge of my seat when the stakes were raised. It has a few slow moments, but most of the film is actually paced very well. There is also a decent sense of adventure; this adventurous aura was very immersive, offering plenty of thrills and a reason to stay seated. It has some glaring story issues, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't entertained.

The acting was also decent. Danny Huston was good as the angry veteran. Matthew Goode was also, dare I say, good (you know, like his name? Stupid joke, scratch that.) as the group's leader. The supporting cast was also serviceable. The cast can overact at times, but it's not bad. The film looks and sounds good. I thought the underwater scenes looked great. Director Ron Scalpello knows how to craft great suspense with limited resources. Writers Paul Staheli and Alan McKenna have an interesting concept, but suffer to use the maximum potential of its setting; the duo also penned some very generic characters. If the writing were better, I think Staheli could have delivered a much better experience.

Overall, Pressure is a good action-adventure film. It suffers from its generic characters and occasionally dull plot, but rebounds with its suspense and strong direction. Although the plot is flawed, I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. This is one of those films that isn't necessarily horrid, but fails to meet certain expectations. It's worth a rental, though.

Score: 6/10
Parental Guide: Some violence and blood, nudity.