Hostile Waters

This quite random choice of a Saturday afternoon movie has eventually left me enthused. A claustrophobic tale of a Russian soldier getting as drunk as a skunk on a submarine during The Cold War and missing a spot on the radar the size of Greenland that ends up crashing into them. And… it turns out to be an American submarine. Since then, there’s an unparalleled level of suspense. Rutger Hauer is in charge of everything as a Russian captain and he’s amazing. Just like the rest of the crew who had their hands busy keeping the submarine from exploding and making a hole in the Atlantic. I thought it was great. The Americans have shot it objectively and, in my opinion, realistically. (08/11/2018)

Hostile Waters introduces no significant innovations in the submarine drama subgenre. There is a clear effort to do a solid job within the limits of the television budget and to approach the real events that took place in the Atlantic in the second half of the 80s to the maximum extent possible. So it's not just pop culture entertainment, but a realistically portrayed film. To a large extent, it is similar to K-19: The Widowmaker, with the difference that the latter had a bigger budget and a more star-studded cast as a spectacle intended for movie theaters. Americans are, of course, better and always one step ahead, but the screenwriter did not refrain from inserting some critical jabs at the militaristic mindset of high-ranking officers. In terms of acting, it is a solid film, and both main actors belong not to the star category, but to the forefront of acting. Overall impression: 65%. (05/13/2009)