Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
image © Triofilm (dissolved in 2022)
The The Superdeep (2020) is an action horror film. The movie was reviewed by Kadmon.
Product: Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
Original title: Кольская сверхглубокая (Kolskaya sverhglubokaya, English: Kola Superdeep), English title: The Superdeep
Series: -
Other adaptations of the story: Nine Miles Down (2009)
Setting: historical (1989?) alternate / fantasy Earth
Product type: Film, Genre: action horror, Style: sci-fi, thriller, horror, action, super-human abilities
Release: 2020.11.04
Reviewer: Kadmon, Type: Male, 40s, Preferences: Immersive, logical story, consistent setting, prefers surprises to spoilers, prefers establishing elements before referencing them
Watched: very recent (2022.07), first time
Rating: Average (2 out of 3 points), Enjoyment: Weak (2- out of 3 points)
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This is my review of The Superdeep, an action horror movie from 2020. It's about scientists investigating the outbreak of a mysterious infection. The The Superdeep film is watchable, but I only recommend it to fans of the genre.
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Review (spoiler-free) - Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
I've heard about this movie for a couple of times, but I can't remember whether it was good or bad. When I've run into it, I thought I'd give it a try, I assume it's some Russian action / horror movie. I didn't watch the trailer, nor did I read reviews.
I watched the movie in Hungarian dubbing instead of the original Russian.
I've seen the alternate, shorter cut, that runs for 1:35, instead of 1:55, but even this felt too long.
The The Superdeep movie is about scientists investigating the outbreak of a mysterious infection.
The basics of the story could be good, but it's visible that parts of the plot were cut or rendered off-screen due to the limitations of the budget. This also causes the pacing to be inconsistent. There are no character arcs. There are some logical problems.
The cinematography is mostly okay, the movie is watchable. However, beyond some nice shots, it is not interesting visually - we mostly see dimly lit corridors all the time. Some of the special effects (mostly the practical ones) look good, but some CGI is very visible.
The characters are not well developed, we barely get to know anything about the main protagonists beyond their names, and we don't even learn the names of the lesser characters, used as cannon fodders. The actors are okay though.
The music (by Dmitry Selipanov) is acceptable.
The Superdeep is an acceptable action horror film, that fans of the genre might enjoy.
My experience
I was not satisfied with The Superdeep (2020). I prefer stories with more interesting plots with some twists, and The Superdeep couldn't deliver that.
Rating: Average (2 out of 3 points). The Superdeep is a watchable, but mediocre film.
Enjoyment: Weak (2- out of 3 points). I've felt The Superdeep boring.
Rewatchability: Average. I think it's mostly the surprise of the story that makes you feel interested, but if you liked it for the first time, you might be interested in further watchings.
Chance of watching it again: No.
Chance of watching a sequel: I'd probably watch it.
Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
image © Triofilm (dissolved in 2022)
Will you enjoy this?
If you like mystery or thriller movies, you might like The Superdeep.
If you like supernatural or fantasy movies, you might like The Superdeep.
If you like horror or action thriller movies (Alien, Life, Splice), you might like the film, although there are not many action scenes or scary scenes in the The Superdeep movie.
If you like scientific research stories (Andromeda Strain), you might like The Superdeep, although the focus is not really on the research and investigation.
If you'd like to get comedic moments in your movies, The Superdeep will disappoint you, as it's mostly serious.
If you can get through the first half hour of the movie still interested, the rest of the movie will be practically the same.
If you enjoyed other "creature in the underground / underwater base" stories, you might be interested in this story.
If you don't mind illogical elements in your movies, you can enjoy this.
If you hate subtitles, you are in luck, as there's already an English dub for The Superdeep.
If you prefer visuals over story, there are some nice scenes in The Superdeep, but you'd have to wait long stretches of time between them.
If you hate violence and gore, this movie is not for you.
Watching for plot points
If you are interested in creature invasion stories, it might be worth watching the The Superdeep movie for the plot points.
Should you watch this on your own screen at home, or is it worth going to the cinema?
The visuals might look better if you watch it in cinema, but then the bad CGI would be more visible. So, it's really up to you.
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Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
image © Triofilm (dissolved in 2022)
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Review with spoilers - Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
I didn't really like the The Superdeep movie.
After 70 minutes, it started to get a little boring. First, nothing really interesting happened up to that point, and we didn't get to know anything really exciting about the parasite. Then, there are only three survivors left, and half an hour from the movie, so it's very likely that not many of them will die.
A lot of the action happens off-screen, but it's not that much of a problem, as we follow the lead character, and most of the action is narrated. It's only when the boss goes into the mine to find the lead scientist, when we are not told anything.
Cover
Some covers of the movie are okay, but some contains spoilers.
The trailer
The trailer is good. It's creepy enough, but doesn't reveal the plot twists of the movie.
Promise of the first scene
A doctor dies due to a medical experiment. The leader of the team feels guilty about the death, but her higher ups don't let her to quit. I assume she'll either come up with something revolutionary, or she'll fight the system to make her mistakes right.
Execution: It was naive of me to think that the movie will have such an ambitious plot - she just goes to a mine to fight monsters.
Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
image © Triofilm (dissolved in 2022)
Plot summary / Synopsis
In the Soviet Union, a female doctor (Milena Radulovic as Anya Fedorova) wants to quit, because her medical experiments let to a death of one of her colleagues. The higher ups recommend her to stay.
Later, she is called to an accident at a mining facility (the Kola Superdeep Borehole). The higher ups think there's an infection involved, and she is tasked with retrieving samples before the international rescue team arrives. She goes there with her boss (), accompanied by Soviet soldiers, lead by a major (Sergey Ivanyuk as Major Sergey Mikheev).
At the site, a man approaches them, and despite the shooting, he survives long enough to throw a hand grenade at their helicopter. The crew of the station tell them that this man came from below, he was one of the survivors of the accident.
They go down to the facility deep underground, and the lead scientist (Vadim Demchog as Dr. Dmitry Grigoriev) of the facility and a local scientist (Kirill Kovbas as Pyotr Kuznetsov) leads them. However, the lead scientist modifies the lift to deprive them of oxygen, while he pulls out an oxygen mask. When they wake up, the lead scientist is gone, and he took the keys for the lift. They find further crewmembers, the local doctor, (Albina Chaykina as Kira Vitalievna), and a technician (Nikita Dyuvbanov as Nikolay), who are still waiting for their evacuation. The lead scientist takes the other lift that goes further down. The soldiers shoot him, but he is able to activate the lift.
The bottom level is extremely hot (200 Celsius), so they take protective gear, as they prepare to go down the stairs. Suddenly, a crewmember (Dasha Chagall as Olga Krylova) comes up, without any kind of protection. The soldiers are sent down, and they examine the crewmember. They find strange deformities on her back, and they find it out that it's covered by some form of parasitic organism.
When the lead scientist finds out about the soldiers going down, he blows up the pressure regulator, that will lead to their deaths in an hour.
In the infirmary, the infected crewmember breaks through the containment glass, infecting the local doctor. By the time the team gets in, the walls are covered by the parasitic growth. Spores burst out, infecting the major. The local doctor attacks the female doctor, while apologizing, telling her it's not her who is controlling her own body. They get out of the infirmary.
As the female doctor makes experiments, she finds it out that the parasite is sensitive to low temperatures, and if the host dies in a freezing temperature, the parasite dies with it. Her boss tells her to use a protective gear to cover the infected major, and get him out of the facility, so they could use the parasite as a weapon.
The soldiers they've sent down report that they have been attacked by something big, and they shouldn't open the door, not to let that creature in. They still try to find the soldiers, and bring back one of them alive. The technician is able to rig the downward lift, so while they don't have the key to properly use it, they can make the lift fall, then stop it with the brakes.
They go down, where they find the research of the lead scientist, indicating that the parasite is able to join the bodies of the infected. They can't find the lead scientist, so they suppose he went into the restricted area, that can be only be entered in a protective suit, but they have only one left. And even with the suit, it's maximum 5 minutes they can survive. The boss decides to go in to find the lead scientist. He doesn't come back, so the female doctor decides to go inside. Luckily, the boss already got the keys, and he is near the entrance, so she retrieves the key. The local scientist grabs the key from her, and forces them with a weapon to do what he wants. They use the key to go up to the middle level. There, a huge creature made up from the bodies of the victims, grabs that scientist, while he is still holding the key.
The female doctor just walks up to the creature, and takes the key. The creature tries to catch them, but the female doctor and the technician are able to reach the lift. They start it, only to find the body of the infected major inside. The female doctor wants to stop the lift, as they can't risk getting the infection outside, but the technician wants to stop her as he wants to survive. The infected major kills the technician. As they travel up, the spores infect the female doctor.
When they arrive, she is taken by soldiers in hazmat suits.
The setting
Alternate / fantasy Earth, some time between 1988-1991. Probably 1989.
There is some kind of parasitic fungus that can infect humans, and take over their bodies.
The creature
The creature is some kind of parasitic fungus.
It can infect people, then releases spores when the host is in the vicinity of other people. The spores only seem to infect the host if they are inhaled. Wearing a mask or withholding the breath seems to be an effective measure against them.
Sometimes it just fuses the hosts to walls or floors. Other times it lets them wander. Most hosts were made to fuse together into a monstrous creature.
It seems to be able to use the senses of the hosts.
It can create rapid growth. Sometimes it emits red light. It can make the hosts move against their will. It can make the hosts stronger than usual.
The parasite is hurt by cold. If it is brought to freezing temperatures, it dies.
It is able to withstand (or even thrive) in high temperatures. 200 Celsius does seem to effect it.
The large creature is able to break through concrete walls of an underground facility, that probably has quite sturdy walls.
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Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
image © Triofilm (dissolved in 2022)
Analysis of the story - Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
I liked the basis of the story, but the very slow advancement of the plot prevented me from properly enjoying The Superdeep.
The message of the story
I'm not sure there's one.
The structure of the story
The scenes of the The Superdeep film are played in sequence, following the same storyline. There are some flashbacks.
There's a single viewpoint character, Anya, the female doctor.
It has the usual arc of the dramatic structure - introduction, action, resolution.
Things I liked
- I liked the setting.
- I liked the infection.
Problematic elements
The writing on the door: Who wrote those? And why? The door seems to be made of a strong material, it would take a lot of effort to carve a single letter into that. I assume the scene is there to misdirect the audience, and use a similar scene from Event Horizon, but here I don't feel it would fit into the story.
200 degrees Celsius: It would have been more believable if the temperature were 100 degrees Celsius. (Then the protective suit would work a lot longer though.) When Anya went into the 200 Celsius, she would have a very hard time. Especially after she takes off the mask, her eyes would start to boil, making her unable to see, and her lung would start to get cooked by the hot air she breathes in.
Joining all of the bodies: Beyond the fact that we have seen this multiple times in other stories before, creating a single mass is not very effective to further their goals. Using smaller bodies, like a human or a dog, would let them get into tighter spaces, and it would allow them to use tactics beyond slowly stomping anyone in their way.
Grabbing the key from the creature: I think I get the idea behind the logic - the creators thought that if the girl becomes cold enough, she will avoid detection by the creature somehow (although the creature still have multiple eyes, and it doesn't seem to be using heat vision). However, when she pours cold water on herself, it might lover her temperature by a little, but our body works in a way that this doesn't really affect her overall temperature. Had she sunk into the ice cold water, and water, and spent there a couple of minutes until she couldn't feel her appendages, it would have meant that she was able to lower her temperature - although, then taking any action would have been pretty hard for her.
Hand grenades: I find it unlikely that the soldiers would be issued hand grenades on a rescue mission. And even if they would get some, why do they keep them unsecured? It looks like two civilians were able to grab a grenade from soldiers.
Unanswered questions
- Why does the guy in the beginning blows himself up near the helicopter? What did he want to achieve?
- How did the guy get his hand grenade?
- Who made the writings on the door, and why? It's unlikely that it was written by the infected, so this means it was written before the crew become infected.
- Why does the parasite fuse people (for example, the local doctor and the major) to the ground? This seems contrary to its goals of getting out of the facility.
- What happened to the lead scientist?
- What will happen to Anya?
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Possibilities of improvement
- Cut the prologue scene. It just adds a false start for the movie, and the events are told later anyway.
- Cut the black & white flashback scene, after entering the facility. We don't need additional reminders.
- Change the dialogue from 200 Celsius to 120 or 150 Celsius. Then, don't let the girl move that long - let the body of her boss be just a few steps away from the gate. That could cause the burns we see on her, but she wouldn't be cooked by the heat.
- Cut the scene when the scientist takes the key from the technician. The whole thing could be switched around, and put it after they arrive in the middle level. The scientist threatens them, he shoots the technician, the girl tries to get away, then suddenly the creature gets the scientist, so the girl escapes. This would allow cutting the part when she takes the key from the creature, that's utterly ridiculous.
- Make a new render of the bad CGI effects.
How it could have been better?
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How does it compare to the other works of the creators?
I haven't seen any other works of the writer / director (Arseny Syuhin).
I haven't seen any other works of the writer / co-director (Sergey Torchilin).
This is the first and only feature film of the writer (Milena Radulovic).
I haven't seen any other works of the writer (Viktor Bondaryuk).
How does it compare to the original source?
In the "Well to Hell" urban legend, it's mentioned that the people could have heard the wailing of the damned - this is included in the movie, as they hear the cries of the fused hosts.
The Hell part of the story is not taken literally, although the vistas really look like Hellscapes.
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Behind the scenes
Thoughts about the reviews of others
The date: Many reviews say that the movie is set in 1984. However, as we see Mikhail Gorbachev on the TV, I assume this is happening during his reign. I checked the movie for any dates, and we do see a handwritten date, that ends in a number that might be a 4 or might a 9. I can also accept that the first scene is happening in 1984, while the rest of the movie happens some times later, after 1988.
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Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
image © Triofilm (dissolved in 2022)
Uses for the film - Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
Plot
- Set in a historical setting. / Set in a contemporary setting. / Set in a near future setting. / Set in a futuristic setting. / Set in a fantasy world.
Scenes
- The prelude scene could be used as a prologue to a story about medical research gone wrong.
- The travel by helicopter scene could be used to show travelling to any arctic place.
- The lift scenes could be used to show long travels in a lift.
Designs
Scenario ideas - Role-playing game scenario ideas
Scenario ideas - Wargame scenario ideas
Escape from the base: There are infected people on a base. There are scientists and soldiers outside who want to examine the infection, and possibly use it for military purposes. One part of the group wants to close the base, and prevent anyone from escaping. The other part just wants to get out. The escaping faction sets up the playing area, including a base in the middle with at least one entrance. The quarantine faction then sets up 6 barricades anywhere on the base. These barricades will stop people from getting through, and they have to open the barricade. Every action spent on breaking down the barricade lets the player roll a d6, and on a 1, the barricade can be removed. Then the escaping faction deploys soldiers outside of the base. Then the quarantine faction deploys their own unarmed models anywhere on the base. Then the escaping faction deploys their models anywhere on the base in a location that doesn't contain any quarantine faction models. If there's no such location, choose a location that has the least number of quarantine faction models, remove that model, remove the same number of your models, and deploy the rest of your models on that location. If the escaping models can't fit into that location, choose another location with the least number of quarantine models, and repeat this process. The soldiers won't enter the base, but they are controlled by the escaping player, and they can shoot quarantine models if they attack the escaping models. The quarantine faction wins if they capture or kill every escaping model before they could leave the playing area. The escaping faction wins if at least one of their models leave the playing area.
Armoury: It can add to the danger if there's one or more weapons locker on the base, and those weapons can be seized by the models.
The growing creature: A team of soldiers are sent to a creature lair. The creature player sets up the playing area. The creature player chooses a location where the creature hides, and writes it down. The soldiers are deployed at the edge of the playing area. If they enter the location where the creature hides, deploy the creature. If the creature player decides, they can also deploy the creature any other time. The creature is big, and it requires multiple "kill" results to defeat it. Use a number of normal human bases (2,5cm) to show its size, and it has as many hit points, as it has bases. However, if the creature is able to kill and consume one of the soldiers, it can remove one point from its wounds, If the creature is at maximum health, consuming two soldiers adds 1 to its maximum points, and grows with one base. The creature can contort it's shape with an action to move one base to another part of its body, so it can squeeze through even narrow tunnels, but it takes some time to do so. The soldiers win if they kill the creature. The creature wins if it consumes all the soldiers.
Timed search mission: The playing area is hostile to the attackers, who are looking for an objective to complete. The defender sets up the playing area, and places the objective anywhere on the board. The attackers have a number of protective suits, but less then the models they have. The attacker puts their models on a side table, and marks the models who have protective suit on. The defender deploys their models anywhere on the playing area. Then the attacker deploys as many models as they want, the rest can be used as reinforcements. If an attacker model without protective suit ends their turn on the playing area, they receive a hit. If a model in protective suit receives a hit from combat, roll a d6. On a 6, the protective suit is damaged, and from the next turn, the model counts as having no protection.
The attacker chooses the placement of the objective (easier for the attacker): The attacker can choose the place of the objective anywhere on the middle half of the playing area.
Random objective placement (harder for the players): The defender places a marker on every location on the playing area. When the attacker enters that location, roll a d6. On a 1, the marker shows the location of the objective. Otherwise, discard the marker. If this is the last marker on the playing area, you don't have to roll, it's the objective.
Entry points (harder for the attacker): The defender chooses 6 entry points on the edge of the playing area that can be used by the attackers.
Deteriorating protection (harder for the attacker): After X turns, the protective suit starts to fall apart. If the model is still in the playing area after X turns, roll a d6. On a 6, they receive a hit. If they leave the playing area, they can change into a new protective suit if they still have any, and return to the playing area in the next turn.
Miniatures - 1/50-1/60 (28-32mm scale)
Civilians: Human-sized (S3) modern (advanced) human female / male civilian.
Infected: Human-sized (S3) modern (advanced) human female / male civilian, with patches of strange growth on their bodies. You may use zombie models.
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Similar stories - Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
Graphic novels
Dept. H (2016-2018): The crew tries to investigate a murder mystery in an enclosed environment (underwater).
Movies
Alien (1979): The crew tries to survive a creature (alien carnivore) in an enclosed environment (spaceship). One of the crewmembers work against the others. The female protagonist spends the end of the movie in her underwear.
DeepStar Six (1989): The crew tries to survive a creature (alien) in an enclosed environment (underwater).
Leviathan (1989): The crew tries to survive a creature (alien) in an enclosed environment (underwater).
Lords of the Deep (1989): The crew tries to survive a creature (alien) in an enclosed environment (underwater).
Underwater (2020): People get attacked by creatures (underwater humanoids) in an enclosed environment (underwater facility), while the structure falls apart around them. The female protagonist spends the end of the movie in her underwear. Underwater is a more interesting movie than The Superdeep.
Zygote (2017): The crew tries to survive a creature (a monster made of parts of its victims) in an enclosed environment (underground mining facility).
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Frequently asked questions - Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
Will the The Superdeep movie be available with English audio dub?
Yes, The Superdeep is already available with English audio dub.
Is the The Superdeep film based on a book or comics?
No, The Superdeep is not based on either books or comics. It's based on a Russian urban legend about the Kola Superdeep creating a "Well to Hell".
Is the The Superdeep film a remake or reboot?
No, the The Superdeep film is neither a remake nor a reboot.
Is there a post credit scene in The Superdeep? Does The Superdeep have end credit scenes? Does The Superdeep have a post credit scene?
No, there's no post credit scene in The Superdeep.
Where can I see The Superdeep? What is The Superdeep playing on? What streaming service is The Superdeep on? Where can I watch The Superdeep online? Is The Superdeep available on Netflix? Is The Superdeep on Amazon?
As of 2022.10.28, The Superdeep is available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Microsoft Movies, Redbox, Vudu, YouTube.
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Resources - Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
Information
IMDB: The Superdeep (2020): Database article.
WikiPedia: The Superdeep: Database article.
Letterboxd: The Superdeep 2020: Database article.
Rotten Tomatoes: The Superdeep 2020: Database article.
Creation
: Concept art article.¤
Reviews with no spoilers - The Superdeep film (2020)
: Review video about the The Superdeep film with no spoilers.¤
Reviews with spoilers - The Superdeep film (2020)
Shikhar Agrawal (for Digital Mafia Talkies): ‘The Superdeep’ Summary & Ending, Explained – An Underground Mystery: Review article of the The Superdeep movie, with spoilers. Includes a very detailed plot summary.¤
Analysis - The Superdeep movie (2020)
: Analysis video, explaining the finale of The Superdeep.¤
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Buying the product - Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep, movie (2020)
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Have you seen the Kolskaya sverhglubokaya / The Superdeep film? How do you like the movie? Would you recommend it to others? Do you know reviews or resources you'd like to add? What further thoughts do you have about it? Tell your opinion in the comments!
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