Sisters May (Luise Krause) and Drew (Sophie Lowe) arrive at a deserted, semi-wild beach for their traditional diving trip. But what starts as a recreational dive quickly turns into a desperate fight for survival when a rockslide traps May beneath a massive boulder, pinning her to the seabed. With their oxygen dwindling and no help in sight, every minute counts. Drew is the only one who can free her sister from this deadly trap, but doing so means risking her own life.
Luise Krause as May in a still from “The Dive”
“The Dive” is a remake of the tense Scandinavian thriller “Breaking Surface” (2020). The original film set its underwater struggle for survival against the backdrop of a snow-covered Norwegian archipelago. The winter season and frigid landscape added a chilling dimension to the story. In contrast, the German version unfolds during the summer, using sun-drenched Malta as its location. While the on-land scenes in the new version are visually appealing, they fail to create the same sense of dread and foreboding. However, this is not the only reason why “The Dive” falls short of “Breaking Surface.”
Luise Krause as May in a still from “The Dive”
Diving into the Differences
Unlike the exemplary source material by Swedish filmmaker Joachim Hedén, German director Maximilian Erlenwein’s version plunges the viewer into the heart of the plot almost immediately. The rockslide occurs around the tenth minute, leaving little time to connect with the characters. All we know about the sisters before the accident is a brief summary of their past jobs and the fact that they are somewhat estranged. Their characters are superficially drawn: May seems serious and discontent, while Drew is carefree and more emotional. This provides too little context for empathy.
Sophie Lowe as Drew in a still from “The Dive”
Lost in Translation: Emotional Depth
Empathy for the central duo never materializes, even in the final act. The flashbacks, scattered haphazardly throughout the narrative, are uninformative and lack meaning. Moreover, at one point, the sister trapped underwater becomes bitter and rude towards the only person risking her life to save her. Such behavior is more alienating than sympathetic. In the Scandinavian version, the relationship between the sisters was warmer, and biographical sketches of each sister individually enhanced the connection with the audience. It seems even the dog from the original received more personal backstory than the main characters in the new film.
Stripped Bare: The Missing Elements
Essentially, only the skeleton of the original story remains. All the interesting details and intriguing plot twists are gone. The problem is that the remake fails to fill these empty spaces with anything substantial. The biggest disappointment is the scene with the jack. If you’ve seen the 2020 version, you probably know what I’m talking about. Here, this plot point is simply wasted. While the Swedish director explained all the cause-and-effect relationships, his German counterpart offers only dry facts without context.
Sophie Lowe as Drew in a still from “The Dive”
Final Verdict: A Missed Opportunity
“The Dive” attempts to follow in the footsteps of survival thrillers, but it’s unclear who it’s for. Genre enthusiasts have likely seen the original, against which the remake pales in comparison. The average viewer will probably not even notice this visually appealing but ultimately empty film. In any case, even as a standalone work, the film unfortunately doesn’t work. “47 Meters Down” or last year’s “Fall” are far more engaging.
The only value of “The Dive” is that it may spark renewed interest in the unfairly overlooked “Breaking Surface.” It’s not worth wasting time on the remake, but checking out the original is an excellent idea. While the Scandinavian source material isn’t perfect, it’s a captivating watch and well-made within its genre. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the German remake.