Woven with references to Greek mythology, The Drowned follows three thieves who have just stolen a priceless painting and arrive at a secluded safe house by the sea, only to discover their fourth accomplice is missing. They must question whether one of them was responsible for her disappearance, or if the blame lies with a more sinister presence lurking in the deep water below.
The Drowned, Samuel Clemens’ debut film, features Dominic Vulliamy (BBC One’s Rules Of The Game), Corrinne Wicks, Michelangelo Fortuzzi, Sandrine Salyères, Alan Calton (Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning), Lara Lemon (War Of The Worlds: The Attack), and Lily Catalifo (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny). Formerly titled The Waterhouse, the film had its London premiere at FrightFest Halloween and will be available on major digital platforms in North America on October 7 and Australia and New Zealand on October 8 through Sunrise Films. In the UK and Ireland, sister company Vertigo Releasing will make the digital download available on October 6.
The Drowned is, essentially, a concept for a horror short film that has been painfully drawn out into a feature-length film and therefore suffers in all the ways a film would. But first, let’s start with what was good.
The score was, initially, pleasing and unique. I felt like it captured and encompassed the mood that Clemens was striving for. While pleasant on the ear, overuse of the same songs and sounds made it monotonous by the film’s conclusion. The same mistake is then repeated with what is initially great cinematography. We have some great zooming shots flying over the ocean and into the beach house, as well as some beautiful panoramic and picturesque shots that showcase the beauty of the set location. Unfortunately, the same shot is used for each attack sequence, especially in the film’s closing act, making something that was initially great feel overused.
And that, sadly, is where the ‘good’ parts of the film end. The characters are awfully written stereotypes and incredibly blasé. The plot is really only half-explained, and we’re left to fill in the gaps with our imaginations. This goes not only for the heist subplot but also for the sirens. There are so many holes in the writing that anyone suffering from trypophobia would be incredibly nauseated. Perhaps Clemens felt like leaving more questions than answers would add an air of mystery to the film, but all it did was make it come off as lazy writing and an incomplete concept or idea.
The chemistry with the cast was almost nonexistent, and the acting felt more theatre than film. The sirens were unconvincing, and the inclusion of various accents made little sense. The small LGBTQIA+ subplot and the varied accents made it feel like a forced-diversity student project and not a serious film. The special effects were also just not there. There was a bucket with blood and then random organs on the floor. There really weren’t any special or practical effects for me to comment on aside from one bite wound and a few sirens standing on sandbars.
Every choice really confused me, from unclear subplots to the questionable editing and the overuse of sounds and shots. Characters just came and went without much of an explanation and organs were just set on the floor in their place. It was a creature feature without the minimum effort that one would expect from said genre, which is a shame, as it is probably my favourite sub-genre in all of horror.
I sadly, honestly, cannot recommend this one. It’s a 1 from me. Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid. The trailer and film artwork are down below. Give the film a watch if you want to support indie filmmakers and the industry in general.
