Netflix has been making several renewals within its catalog. While some titles bid farewell to the platform, others arrived ready to take a place within the top 10 worldwide. This was the case with Deep Fear.
The action thriller was directed by Marcus Adams, based on a screenplay written by Robert Capelli Jr. and Sophia Eptamenitis. The suspenseful story starred Romanian actress Mãdãlina Ghenea and “Gossip Girl” actor Ed Westwick.
Although the narrative was adapted for the big screen, it is based on the horror and survival video game of the same name, which was developed by Sega for the Sega Saturn console in 1998, currently considered a classic.
Deep Fear is the sixth most watched movie on Netflix
Action thrillers have become quite popular within Netflix‘s catalog. “Deep Fear” is the 2023 horror film that has once again become a trend, ranking as the sixth most-watched on the platform worldwide.
According to Flix Patrol, the specialized site in streaming metrics and services, the drama has managed to surpass other major titles like Mindcage with John Malkovich, The Kitchen with Daniel Kaluuya and From the Ashes with Jeanne Neilson.
The story itself follows Naomi, who embarks on a solo journey through the Caribbean to reunite with her boyfriend. There, she encounters survivors of a shipwreck who force her to dive into their sunken boat and bring up its drug cargo.
The high-stakes thriller set in paradise was directed by Marcus Adams, who was also responsible for “Long Time Dead”. During an interview in February 2022, the filmmaker stated that his approach was to “present the shark in moderation“.
Because yes, the plot revolves around how they must survive the wild shark. “Imagination always creates much greater fear than any image. Combining the masterful visual effects of LipSync with Mark Silk’s worldwide underwater cinematography and the stunning locations will ensure that we create a fresh and exhilarating addition to the genre”, he confessed.
Where was Deep Fear filmed?
It was primarily filmed over six weeks at Malta Film Studios, which features various interior and exterior tanks, according to Variety. This wasn’t the only location, as some scenes were also shot around the island and the Mediterranean Sea.
Malta has a long history of being one of the favorite locations for film sets, especially due to its beautiful landscapes, tranquility, and amenities. Several famous movies were filmed there, such as Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (which will soon have a sequel) and White Squall.
Despite being set in the Caribbean, the special effects and more ended up making it look really good. The underwater cinematography was carried out by Mark Silk, who is globally recognized for his work on James Bond: No Time to Die, according to Screen Rant.
How much money did Deep Fear gross?
The movie was not a box office success, nor was it close to being one. For this to happen, theaters must be packed with viewers eager to find out what the story is about, and that never happened. In total, it managed to gross $134,959 worldwide.
However, it seems that all is not lost, as this afternoon it has unexpectedly become a new success on Netflix. Everything indicates that it will continue to stay within the top 10 of the streaming giant for some time, further spreading its popularity.
Deep Fear was not loved by critics
The reviews and critiques of Deep Fear shed light on the fact that it was not particularly well-received by critics, as well as many viewers. The common opinion categorizes the film as a production that appears to have a low budget and lacks originality.
According to some IMDb users, such as smick-37446 (who gave it only four out of ten stars), the thriller fell far below expectations. This user didn’t hesitate to share their perspective, detailing:
“Acting is terrible in this, storyline has been done numerous times but the film itself still could have been good if there had been anybody in it who could actually act. I’ve seen far worse Shark films than this mind; it’s a ‘I can’t find anything else at all’ to watch kind of film“.
Jim Morazzini of Voices from the Balcony called the thriller “a throwback to shark movies of the past”. Additionally, he also stated that it was a letdown, but the biggest one “because for once the CGI shark in a low-budget film actually looks good most of the time”.
How successful was the game?
Deep Fear is a survival horror video game released by Sega for the Sega Saturn console in 1998. It was developed by the Japanese studio System Sacom and did not achieve a notable level of success compared to some of the more popular titles of its time.
While it garnered some attention for being one of the few survival horror games available on the console, it failed to reach the same level of notoriety as larger franchises like Capcom’s Resident Evil. Critics and player opinions were mixed, with some praising its horror elements and others finding flaws in gameplay and narrative.
Over time, it has gained a cult status among retro gaming enthusiasts and survival horror fans, but it is not considered one of the standout titles in its genre or era. So, its success was relatively modest, but it has evolved somewhat over the years.