A research scientist in Ireland charters a spot on a fishing boat to study any abnormalities in the boat’s catch. The ship is suddenly marooned in the middle of the ocean. The small group discovers some kind of giant aquatic creature has taken hold of the boat and it has unleashed deadly parasites that threaten the lives of the entire crew.

Writer and director Neasa Hardiman (Jessica Jones, Happy Valley) delivers a disturbing new aquatic horror film with Sea Fever. The film quickly establishes Siobhán, the scientist, as a loner amongst her peers who is dedicated to her analytical research. Her boss is making her work out in the field to come out of her shell. Despite their better judgement, the boat crew take her on because they need the money. When a huge, frightening sea creature grabs hold of their ship it leaves them marooned in the middle of the ocean. Even worse, the creature has unleashed a deadly parasite. The tension between the members of the crew and the terror from not knowing who is infected not only create a frightening film, but the subject is also very topical with the state of the world right now. An added suspenseful aspect is a battle between those who know the importance of quarantine and those who think only of themselves and desperately want to get home. It is something we are currently living, but done on a smaller scale and with a parasite that almost certainly means death for those who are infected. It’s truly terrifying, although there are a few minor aspects of the plot that leave bigger unanswered questions.

One aspect of Sea Fever that I find truly fascinating and well done is the juxtaposition of science and superstition. Siobhán is a very calculated individual and sticks to the facts. Her marine biology background proves to be very helpful in figuring out what is happening when they encounter the mysterious creature and the parasites. On the other hand, most of the ship’s crew is incredibly superstitious. We learn this very quickly when they discover Siobhán has red hair, which is apparently considered bad luck. While she is trying to use her scientific rationale to help them all survive, the crew is constantly combatting her because of their superstitious beliefs. Seeing these two opposing sides adds a human danger to what’s happening while also showing how turning you back on science only makes things far worse.

The performances are all absolutely fantastic. It’s difficult to narrow down the standouts from Sea Fever because they all truly give it their all. Hermione Corfield (Rust Creek, Slaughterhouse Rulez) stars as Siobhán. Corfield initially plays Siobhán very socially awkward, but the more time she spends with the crew the more she seems to be in her element. This is especially noticeable as she takes charge when using her knowledge to try to save the crew. Dougray Scott (Ever After, Mission: Impossible II) plays the ship’s captain, Gerard. Gerard is arguably the most superstitious person on the ship. Scott conveys this quite well as Gerard becomes increasingly hostile the more dire the situation gets. Ardalan Esmaili (Greyzone, Domino) plays the ship’s engineer, Omid. Esmaili is fantastic in this role, acting as a sort of intermediary. As an engineer, Omid clearly has a very scientific mind and sees Siobhán’s point of view, but because he has worked on the boat for so long, he also understands the superstitions. Other brilliant performances come from Jack Hickey (Mary Shelley) as Johnny, Olwen Fouéré (Mandy) as Ciara, Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman) as Freya, and Elie Bouakaze in his debut as Sudi.

Horror fans will not be disappointed by the visuals in Sea Fever. The setting alone sets the tone for the film. The fishing boat seems to be in need of repair and helps create a claustrophobic feeling once they’re out on the open ocean. The creature design is also quite stunning. It is huge, ominous, and also beautiful with its bioluminescence. What makes the creature even more frightening is that we never see the entire creature. It lurks in the dark depths where we can’t see it, so we can only guess its true size and what it looks like. It’s very clever because the audience gets to see the creepy glowing CGI tentacles, but the rest is left to the imagination. There is also some disgusting goo and smaller creepy crawly parasites. These are created by a combination of CGI and practical effects. The practically created wounds are also beautifully grotesque.

Sea Fever is a topical aquatic horror film that combines the frights of a creature feature with the suspense of an outbreak film. Hardiman absolutely kills it with this film, delivering as much heightened tension as she does fear of what’s lurking below in the deep waters. The battle between science and superstition throughout the film makes it especially fascinating and relevant. On top of the great plot are brilliant performances from the entire cast and a smartly designed menacing deep sea creature. This is a film that will make people afraid of what is waiting for them in the ocean’s depths.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5/10