It’s been said that only 5% of the ocean has been explored and charted. The rest is still a bit of a mystery, and it’s no wonder the sea has inspired many creations in the horror genre. From novels like H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth to films as recent as Underwater, the fact that we don’t know what is in the very thing that covers a vast majority of the planet will continue to inspire storytellers to come. Such is the case for Irish writer/director, Neasa Hardiman, who is mostly known for her TV work, and making her feature debut with Sea Fever.
The film follows Siobhán (Herminoe Corfield), a young marine biologist who is forced to get some field experience for her postgrad program, so she ends up on a fishing trawler along with a tightknit crew led by Gerard (Dougray Scott) and his wife Freya (Connie Nielsen). Beside her already awkward, introverted nature, tensions grow when the crew realizes she has red hair – an omen, apparently, but things get worse when they sail out off the west coast of Ireland. Something attaches itself to the underbelly of the boat, a creature that unleashes a parasite, putting proceeds to put everyone on edge as they try to control the situation.
The film delivers a pretty straightforward genre exercise, totally devoid of any fat with a lean 89 minute runtime. It’s easy to influences from the likes of Alien and The Thing; there’s even a scene where Siobhán is testing the crew members to see if anyone is infected. However, much of these genre elements were more understated than I expected. It plays out less like a gory horror film and more like a science fiction thriller where you are seeing very real people experiencing horrific events, and the way it plays out reflects that approach.
Siobhán as a character is very calculated and measured. She is usually one to keep her head in her books more than anything else, and the film is centered on her coming out of her shell not just for her own sake, but for the sake of others as she is the most knowledgeable about how to take on situations like the one the crew is in. It’s fascinating to see how the crew takes certain steps to get things done, even when many of them are acting on high emotions. Through this dynamic, the film does touch on a bit about the delicate relationship between man and nature, but it’s not a theme that the film explores as thoroughly as it could.
The actors are all really solid, though most are very much leaning into certain types that you would expect from an ensemble like this. However, the understated nature of the film allows them to ground the film on an emotional level that is easy to connect with, even if you get frustrated by some of the decisions being made. Hermione Corfield really holds her own against heavyweights like Dougray Scott and Connie Nielsen, but other players like Olwen Fouéré, Jack Hickey, Ardalan Esmaili, and Elie Bouakaze are given moments that let them make strong impressions.
Sea Fever doesn’t explore a ton of new territory when it comes to stories about monsters, parasitic infections, and mysteries of the unknown, but it still does a solid job at telling another one of these stories. Neasa Hardiman has a warmth for her characters that is palpable, and she does a wonderful job of building and holding tension without giving things away. You don’t even get a good look at whatever the big monster is, but you don’t have to. The effect is still there, and it’s strong. Corfield is a very compelling, quietly commanding presence – she was also great in 2019’s Rust Creek, which is worth a look. It’s not a great film necessarily, especially compared to the work it’s influenced by, but it’s a solid effort that shows off Hardiman as a talent to watch.
Sea Fever is currently available on Demand and Digital.