Candice Landau
Last Updated on May 2, 2024 by Candice Landau
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Where to watch Breaking Surface: Amazon Prime >>
I’ll admit, I was not frothing at the bit to watch Breaking Surface, not after 47 Meters Down made a mockery of dive physics. And though Sanctum—another popular diving movie—had a good storyline, it too went a little sideways throwing in a good few “mercy killings” and a dose of admittedly accurate old-school-diver bravado. Come on James Cameron, I know you can do better for our dive community!
On the flipside are the films like Thirteen Lives (about the 2018 Thai cave rescue) and Diving Into the Unknown (about four Finnish cave divers in Norway) but they fall into a slightly different genre as they’re based on true stories.
When I finally sat down to watch Breaking Surface I was prepared to grit my teeth and take a big swig of whiskey.
Firstly, subtitles on. The film is in Swedish. Don’t worry, I barely noticed it.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a bad production that got me sipping, it was actually the tension. Most good things start in media res, and Breaking Surface was no different. I won’t give too many spoilers away but the beginning (a near drowning) set the stage for what was to follow, casting an ominous and riveting tension from the outset.
The acting and character development was excellent, the diving good, the diving exposure protection and gear accurate (well, mostly). While I could have used a little more frog kick, I’ve seen even experienced divers fin in styles that defy explanation. I’ll let it slide for now, even though the one gal had a set of doubles on her back.
As with most diving films, expect full face masks. Without it, dialogue is going to be limited. I’d still like to see someone produce a diving movie without relying on dialogue when underwater. It’s possible. After all, the action is what matters and I think being able to communicate doesn’t actually portray the feeling you get when something does go sideways and you can’t communicate verbally.
The blase nature of full face mask use is another thing that annoys me. You use air quickly on these. They’re not a breeze to use (you really do need training). Comms don’t work that well, well, not unless you’ve got miltary grade stuff.
If there’s anything I learned from the film it’s this: carry a backup mask (always)—thankfully I do; stash your keys for the car somewhere on land, maybe not deep within your drysuit; carry duct tape in your car; have a knife; wear doubles (more air, more time); and for heavens sake, tell someone where you’re diving and when you’ll be back!
Written and Directed by Joachim Hedén, this survival thriller is a must-watch for all divers. The IMDB summary does not do it justice: “A winter diving trip in Norway turns into a desperate race against time for two sisters when one of them becomes trapped at the bottom of the ocean by falling rocks.”
I won’t give too much more away but I will say you won’t be disappointed. It’s a tense watch. Have your whiskey or tea prepped.
And, once you’re done, join me on my next watch: The Dive, a remake of Breaking Surface for an English audience. Let’s see how it holds up…high hopes given the director was involved in this and another I’ll shortly be writing about.
What else should I be watching?!
