The Chamber (2016)

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

While most movies like to expand the views of the audience taking them to gorgeous vistas on seaboard coasts or to the wide ranging deserts around the world, other tend to compartmentalize the situations they place their characters in. Some of these have resulted in some truly inspiring films that make the best use of their locales. Consider ALIEN as an example, an entire movie located on a spaceship where you have no place to escape from. Now make that an even smaller location, remove the danger from a creature and continue with the thought of danger sitting next to you. If you do you might be watching THE CHAMBER.With a small cast and an even smaller location to shoot from director writer Ben Parker takes the feeling of claustrophobia up a notch and combines it with a thriller story line to make an effective film. Mats (Johannes Kuhnke) is the operator of a small deep sea submarine aboard a Norwegian ship in the Yellow Sea off the coast of North Korea. The ship and submersible has been hired out for a secret program and he's not happy about it. Knowing every square inch of the sub, he knows it's long overdue for retirement and being required to take 3 passengers on board is not safe but he has no choice.The three person team arrives on ship led by Edwards (Charlotte Salt). Accompanying her are Parks (James McCardle) and Denholm (Elliot Levey). Mats is not given any information about what their operation involves or what they are searching for, he's simply told to drive the sub into the designated area they tell him to. He tries to begin more than one conversation with the trio in the hopes he can figure out what they're doing. All fall short and they instead tell him to concentrate on his job. He explains to them the dangers of the craft, how old it is, how the least little thing could rupture the already weak hull. They listen but later it becomes all too apparent that they weren't paying attention.Eventually the reason for their being there is revealed. A spy vehicle was downed and the location where it landed on the ocean floor is within the waters of North Korea. The vehicle contained information vital to the protection of the US as well as a program that if it fell into the hands of the North Koreans could decimate the security of the country. Their job is to download the information and destroy the vehicle if possible.It doesn't take long before things go sideways. This starts when they find out the ship above has been boarded. Best case scenario it moved off, worst case it was destroyed. With no contact with the ship it means the means by which they can access and locate the downed vehicle is limited but they do achieve that goal as well as get what they need. But a situation rises where they're damaged and the sub is now turned upside down and resting on the top where the pressure release is located. With only two suits that would allow them to escape the question of who survives is called into question.Shot in the minuscule set of the inside of the tiny sub makes the feeling of claustrophobia an additional character to this movie. It sits there perched on your shoulder with every scene in the film. The tension between characters can be felt as well with Mats trying to be the voice of reason, Edwards the die-hard mission is of the greatest importance character, Parks the most unpredictable character thinking only of himself and Denholm that most logical of the three team members. That combination of location and volatility among the characters makes you squirm as you watch things go from bad to worse, wondering if any of them will make it out alive.I've read reviews of this film that were highly critical but those condemnations seem to be misplaced. Yes there are definitely some plot holes that could have been patched but they're not major enough to ruin the film. And if you go into a movie that takes place on a mini-sub thinking there's going to be non-stop action that's not a rational thought.Instead we're presented with a thriller that holds your interest even though nearly the entire film takes place in what amounts to a room perhaps not larger than a large bathroom. To be able to keep the suspense going in that amount of space, to be able to act and react as a character in that small location is an achievement. The fear that each one feels is palpable. And while some characters might annoy you with their behavior one has to place oneself in the shoes of those characters and wonder how you might behave given the situation.While not a great film the movie is entertaining and will keep you guessing as to who if any will survive. It provides enough information to hold your interests from start to finish and keeps you wondering from one minute to the next. It might not be a movie you'll want to add to your collection but it's definitely worth watching.

If I judge Navy seals and spec ops on this movie they are made up of crying, incompetent, babies, absolutely no idea the director of this movie. Basically a movie based on a very bad decision by the female commander of the op which gets the entire crew killed. Even after repeated warnings not to blow up the UAV, It's like the director had a brain fart and ran out of ideas and thought sod it let's blow some stuff up and we will take it from there. As for the ending OMG!!!! Worst ending ever.

It's been a while since I watched a film that just ticked me off. I'm thinking foreigners must think Americans are bullying idiots if they have movies like this and our current politics to go by.This is a "Why Did I Bother" film. First thought is who choose to take a civilian on a covert mission? Would they have had to kill anyway because of what he's seen and heard while down there? Otherwise it's not likely to be found if no one saw it go down in the first place and if they had, they would have salvaged it before America came in to save the day.Also, their is two likable character in the movie of four people and of course they both die just because of film directors budget cuts or a "oh, well let's wrap this up and forget it not having any substance" attitude. Knew one of the likable character was dead when he started easing her from any guilt. Look this witch has every reason to feel guilt for all her bad decision, starting with lying to a civilian and using them. All I could think in the end was good, I hope she suffers and die slowly.I guess you can see by my review, I did not like this film and it wasn't the actors. The actors did fine with what they were working with. No, there was just not enough debt of importance written into the situation to make it worth dying for. So you're thinking, just go back get a better sub now that you know what you are dealing with and go back later.This is how I would have written it: The owner of the submarine should have lied to them about how great his submarine is to get there money, like the Captain in JAWS and the Captain in ANACONDA and they get on it and find out it's a lemon and proceed with the story. But this is a very honest man, he explains several time how his ship is old and has to be treated so gently they couldn't even wear their boots in it.It would have given her a reason to be make bad judgment calls, as it stood you're thinking she is not intelligent enough to be a high rank an official as she is pretending to be. So everything that takes place after his dire warning about the delicate should be retired sub was just stuff that ticks you off.

I don't think I have to tell you, that if you have claustrophobia, you probably shouldn't watch this. On the other hand, maybe you like to face your fears. This is a thriller of course, that really drives off of certain things. Especially the fact, that we as viewers know as little as the driver of the vehicle.You may have seen him in other productions, especially a drama surrounding an avalanche (great movie), but here he has to endure a different kind of struggle. And while there are certain clichés that will get picked up and carried (no puns intended by the way), the overall movie is more than decent enough. If you like thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat, you definitely can watch this one too