My quick rating – 4.2/10. The setup for What Lurks Beneath was immediately promising to me: the crew of the USS Titan finds itself teetering on the brink of World War III with Russia when a naked woman (Dela Reilley) mysteriously appears inside one of their torpedo tubes. It’s a hook that promises both political tension and supernatural menace, but unfortunately, the film struggles to deliver on either front.
The early moments set the stage well enough. Captain Banks (played with a stern if slightly flat performance by Ryan Giesen) fears the stowaway may be a Russian spy, while the crew reacts with varying levels of suspicion, curiosity, and dark humor. One quip—“Check the tubes,” while a crewmate responds “You hope we’re gonna find more naked women?”—actually drew a laugh out of me, and that brief levity gave me hope the film might balance its tension with some personality. And for a low-budget production, the setting is impressive. The interiors were shot on the decommissioned HMCS Ojibwa, a Cold-War era Canadian submarine, which adds an authentic layer of claustrophobia to the proceedings.
Director Jamie Bailey keeps things moving at a steady pace, and the production values are surprisingly solid. Where the film falters is in its squandered potential. The horror element—centered around the mysterious woman and her powers—is never given the spotlight it deserves. The claustrophobic environment of a submarine is practically begging for a suffocating, paranoid atmosphere, yet the script never fully exploits it. The discovered woman, played by Dela Reilley, is only ever credited as “HER,” and the film keeps circling around her abilities rather than diving into them. She communicates telepathically with crew members and exerts a strange influence, but the story never explores her character beyond the surface level.
What’s more frustrating is the script’s logic gaps. Finding a dry, naked woman inside a torpedo tube of a submerged submarine should immediately raise supernatural red flags, but the crew clings to the spy theory far too long. Sure, most sailors wouldn’t immediately jump to “mermaid,” but when you’ve got someone who can beam music into your skull and vanish crewmen without leaving a ripple, maybe broaden your suspect list a bit. And while we’re at it, even if she were a mermaid, her hair still should’ve been wet. That tiny detail bugged me more than it probably should have.
Instead of escalating panic, there’s a frustrating shrugging off of events that should feel catastrophic. When people start disappearing, no one seems particularly alarmed. The lack of urgency undermines what could’ve been a tense, slow-burn thriller. The idea was there, and the acting, while not spectacular, is serviceable enough to keep things afloat. But without sharper writing, stronger music to heighten suspense, and a commitment to its horror angle, What Lurks Beneath drifts into forgettable waters.
It’s not an outright disaster; the authenticity of the submarine and a few decent moments make it watchable. Still, it’s one of those films that leaves you more disappointed than entertained, because the concept could’ve been so much more. And poor Dela Reilley gets to input “HER” in this flick as a film credit on her IMDB resume.
Amazon has this one, but so do a few freebies, if you don’t mind some ads.
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