The Chamber (2016) User Reviews

Sub sea level/par feminist movement

[imatosser182 · 4/10 · 29 March 2017]

A steely looking Tom Hanks lookalike lends his expertise and sea craft to a small special ops team on a recovery mission.

We soon realise he is just a proto-main character and he quickly makes way for the female team leader to take charge of the storyline and screen. The mission quickly becomes a fight for survival as she makes one cretinous decision after another.

Eventually she is challenged by her right hand man who is three times her size and has already knocked out a similarly sized character with a single punch. This is no problem for her though as she rips his shoulder out of it's socket then strangles him with her bare hands, but not before delivering some edgy put downs.

In a final twist, her henchman rises from the dead and attacks Tom Hanks who by this time has been reduced to a useless damsel in distress. Not to worry. Our tiny heroine is on hand to save the day and kill him a second time! By this point I got the impression the audience was supposed to be rooting for her, which wasn't easy after her moronic actions had effectively killed everyone on board.

Inevitably, the female is the only survivor and ends up stranded in the middle of the ocean. Couldn't have happened to a better person.

Great if you're still not tired of the slowly dwindling feminist/sjw agenda.

Chamber of blandness

[TheLittleSongbird · 3/10 · 19 November 2019]

There was no intent on hating on 'The Chamber' before seeing it, and actually do wish that it was a halfway decent film. Would never watch any film, television series etc. with that attitude, do find that an immature way of judging a film, and actually did like the concept. And despite how some of my reviews may sound, this is somebody who tries to be encouraging when rating and reviewing a film, while offering any necessary criticism, and hates hating on them.

Even when trying to see it with an open mind, 'The Chamber' just didn't work for me. It is not a completely awful film, irredeemable films are not an awful lot, though not exactly rare, compared to the billions of films that exist as of now. From personal view (again), 'The Chamber' is also not a particularly good film at all, mind you this is agsin a very subjective opinion that is, and there is a lot that works against it that outweighs the little that works in its favour.

Starting with the least bad things, the acting was serviceable, with an engaging lead performance from Johannes Kuhnke in particular. The visuals also to me weren't too bad, have seen far cheaper-looking films, the sets are limited but the photography shows some skill and atmosphere and the editing has coherence.

Audio wasn't too unappealing either, it didn't sound too loud or like it was placed too predictably.

On the other hand, 'The Chamber' badly suffers from a complete lack of tension and suspense, and some of it does get rather on the ridiculous side. The pace never really comes to life, so too much of the film is bland and dull. Despite the best efforts of the actors, the characters' illogical character behaviours and sketchy character developments did work against them, a shame because the actual performances were as said not bad at all.

Furthermore, the story is completely flat and has no tension or suspense whatsoever, it's little more than a dreary muddle with absolutely nothing felt throughout. Pancakes have more life than the script and more natural dialogue has been found in an episode of the worst of Cartoon Network or something, not that that is much of an endorsement.

In summary, weak but have seen far worse. 3/10

TROLL KINGS OPINION

[christianloteyro · 4/10 · 10 January 2018]

If you are into thriller, watch it. But, I guarantee you that the flow of the story was not good. Script was not executed clearly and so many changes of emotions, like it was skipping time but it wasn't. Red is always changing characteristic casually, and the other character are a bit of over acting. I'm not a hater, but The Chamber isn't thrilling or something interesting. It's like written geniusly at the start and the end, but the body is not that convincing.

Pretty Difficult to Sit Through

[joe6629 · 2/10 · 23 March 2017]

I can't really fault the sets or effects as the entire set is pretty limited. Cinematography is OK, Audio is OK, Sound Track is serviceable and thankfully not annoying.

Kuhnke (as "Mats") does a pretty solid job given a pretty weak script. Salt (as "Edwards" aka Stick-Girl) and McArdle (as "Parks" aka Dough-Boy) are both unsuitable to be cast as "military personnel" and unforgivable as "SEALs". Why IN THE WORLD did they cast a woman as a SEAL Team Commander? Seriously?... and a pallid, anorexic one at that? If you're as tired of the SJW/Feminist pandering that goes on in film as I am, you might want to pass this one up .... otherwise be prepared to see yet another 85lb supposed "super woman" with arms about the size of my 2-year old's throwing around a guy three times her size - eventually killing him with her bare hands.

Right.

SO believable.

Additionally, the lack of discipline in both conduct and language coming from these supposedly "elite" soldiers is laughably bad - watching the two "SEALS" argue is like watching an old married couple fight.... and they fight a LOT. Since the writer apparently didn't seem to know any military personnel, he at least could have watched "The Abyss" a few times before writing his highly pressurized SEALs ;)

I can't help but think that if the movie had been cast with believable characters, it would have added a star or two to the rating - even with the hideous dialog.

There isn't a lot more to the movie, so I'll close with the suggestion that if you want to see a movie similar in many ways to this one, yet superior in every way, check out "Pressure"(2015) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3029476/

Useless

[shreeree · 2/10 · 25 March 2017]

It's been a while since I watched a film that just ticked me off. I'm thinking foreigners must think Americans are bullying idiots if they have movies like this and our current politics to go by.

This is a "Why Did I Bother" film.

First thought is who choose to take a civilian on a covert mission? Would they have had to kill anyway because of what he's seen and heard while down there? Otherwise it's not likely to be found if no one saw it go down in the first place and if they had, they would have salvaged it before America came in to save the day.

Also, their is two likable character in the movie of four people and of course they both die just because of film directors budget cuts or a "oh, well let's wrap this up and forget it not having any substance" attitude.

Knew one of the likable character was dead when he started easing her from any guilt. Look this witch has every reason to feel guilt for all her bad decision, starting with lying to a civilian and using them. All I could think in the end was good, I hope she suffers and die slowly.

I guess you can see by my review, I did not like this film and it wasn't the actors. The actors did fine with what they were working with. No, there was just not enough debt of importance written into the situation to make it worth dying for. So you're thinking, just go back get a better sub now that you know what you are dealing with and go back later.

This is how I would have written it: The owner of the submarine should have lied to them about how great his submarine is to get there money, like the Captain in JAWS and the Captain in ANACONDA and they get on it and find out it's a lemon and proceed with the story. But this is a very honest man, he explains several time how his ship is old and has to be treated so gently they couldn't even wear their boots in it.

It would have given her a reason to be make bad judgment calls, as it stood you're thinking she is not intelligent enough to be a high rank an official as she is pretending to be.

So everything that takes place after his dire warning about the delicate should be retired sub was just stuff that ticks you off.

A fair undersea thriller -- until you get to the last twenty minutes

[prs-35291 · 3/10 · 17 December 2019]

I've seen my share of "trapped in a sub at the bottom of the ocean" movies. In general, they're pretty good overall and they generate a good amount of tension.

However, the ending of this movie really sinks it (pun intended). After spending ninety minutes with the two characters that you come to like, one dies as they finally make their escape and the other surfaces only to find herself smack dab in the middle of a vast and empty ocean. Yes, one can say that the very final scene shows her starting to swim -- but folks, she's not going anywhere -- especially since the bends are going to kick in pretty fast.

There will be many who disagree with me about what I'm going to say -- and that's fine. I've had this discussion/argument with many friends over the years. But my feeling is that after investing ninety minutes or so in a tale of survival, there's gotta be some redemption. Fine, have three of the four people die. (And frankly, the first one to die -- the nice guy called Holmes -- had "I'm gonna die first" tattooed on his forehead from the beginning of the dive.) But don't have the final character -- after overcoming all the challenges she's been presented with -- just end up with certain death coming in the next three or four minutes.

Is my theory about redemption right in every case? Of course not. I can come up with many movies that ended with all the main characters dying at the end -- but were still fine works of cinema. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" is one example. (And if you want to get really crazy, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" certainly qualifies.) And there are many more. But again (in my opinion), to be a successful film where the main characters die, there has to be something more in the telling of the tale to make the sacrifices understandable and worthy of the watching.

Okay, the point I'm trying to make is not one that I can explain in a review. And I'm sure, again, that there are many good arguments in opposition to mine. But the bottom line on "The Chamber" is that I'm sorry I spent the time watching it.

Anomaly after Anomaly

[heaterpistol · 5/10 · 20 April 2023]

The Norwegian whose sub was used as a cover was not aware that explosive charges had been stowed on the ship.

The Norwegian captain caused trouble before they found the target, so they tied him up. He was untied and then caused trouble after they found the target.

They mentioned that this sea next to N Korea was 300 meters deep and the search for their target would be difficult, yet they found it in fewer than three minutes.

The military chaps were said to be rough and ready Seals, but these were the most emotionally unbalanced Seals in existence.

The skinny leader "Red" because of a twist in the story was made to kill a man three times her size, which was implausible.

Awful

[jamesjxdsmith · 1/10 · 8 June 2023]

The Chamber is a tedious, suspense-free thriller that wastes the talents of its cast. The film follows a team of special ops agents who commandeer a research vessel and its submersible to locate an item at the bottom of the Yellow Sea. When an explosion causes the sub to take on water, the crew members quickly realize that not all of them are going to survive.

The film's biggest problem is its lack of tension. The characters are one-dimensional and the dialogue is wooden. The action scenes are poorly staged and the special effects are subpar. The film's only saving grace is its cast, which includes Johannes Kuhnke, Charlotte Salt, and James McArdle. However, even their best efforts are not enough to save this sinking ship.

The Chamber is a disappointing film that fails to deliver on its premise. If you're looking for a suspenseful thriller, you'll want to look elsewhere.

Here are some of the specific problems with the film:

The characters are one-dimensional and underdeveloped. We learn very little about them, and as a result, we don't care about them.

The dialogue is wooden and unnatural. The characters often say things that don't make sense, or that they wouldn't say in real life.

The action scenes are poorly staged and the special effects are subpar. The film's climax is particularly disappointing, as it is both boring and visually unappealing.

The film's pacing is slow and plodding. The film takes its time getting to the point, and by the time it does, you're likely to be bored out of your mind.

Overall, The Chamber is a disappointing film that fails to deliver on its premise. If you're looking for a suspenseful thriller, you'll want to look elsewhere.

Decent deep sea thriller......

[s3276169 · 7/10 · 22 March 2017]

The Chamber is a deep sea thriller, that's surprisingly watchable.

The premise is a simple one and in spite of the "confinement" this films premise is built upon, it works quite well. Take a group of US military types on a secret mission, throw in a Swedish submariner and there you have it.

This film is carefully paced and builds the tension well. The other reason it works, is the quality acting and interplay between the cast members.

In short, not an easy film to make well but that's exactly what you have with The Chamber. Seven out of ten from me.

Very tense :) Very good.

[jelstudio · 8/10 · 21 November 2019]

I just watched "The Chamber" (2016)

I had never heard of that movie, not even seen the trailer, so it was a gamble when I started it.

The poster-image and short synopsis just made it look like it could be interesting and worthwhile. It didn't actually say much about what to expect from the movie, other than that it was about some people being trapped at the bottom of the ocean in some small, but otherwise un-defined, chamber.

It didn't really give a clue as to what this chamber was. A sunken boat or ship? An alien city? Underground caves? It just said 'a small chamber'.

Ok, why not, I've been pleasantly surprised before by unknown movies, so I figured it was worth a shot :)

The movie begins... somebody comes walking in semi-dirty socks... on some ship of some kind... clearly not first class or anything remotely 'blinged up' (I first thought it was a fishing-boat actually, simply because of another movie I watched recently, which was an Alien-clone movie taking place on a fishing-boat starring Lance Henriksen (you know, the knife-wielding robot in Alien2 who preferred to be called 'artificial person' :) ))

Anyway, it turns out it's not a fishing-boat but some kind of research-vessel... and that the guy with the semi-dirty socks speaks swedish...

Hang on, I think to myself, the other day I started an unknown movie that begins with somebody speaking danish... now I start one that begins with somebody speaking swedish... deja vu or what? :)

I kind of hope so at that point, because the one that began with somebody speaking danish turned out to be awesome, so how cool would it be if this movie actually repeated that.

And then the movie just takes off :)

It doesn't wait around to build up or lead on before it gets going. It just takes off. Just like that :)

I suppose they could have made it 2 hours long and have it go at a slower pace, but the anti-procrastination of this movie actually works pretty well for its style and story. By doing it this way we (the audience) are kind of put in the same boat (pardon the pun) as the lead-character who doesn't really know what's going on. He's just being thrust into a situation he doesn't know anything about, and so are we along with him.

It was a very tense 1½ hour that followed :)

It's really only 4 people in the main bulk of the movie, but they are superb. I have seen the swedish actor before, but I didn't know the other 3. But they were cast exceptionally well. The tension was really palpable. No nonsense of any kind (No silly VFX or pointless jump-scares or lame senseless dialog), but just clean images and tight acting and well thought-out story-line all the way through.

And the music was perfect too, really getting your heart racing and your nerves sweating :)

It really felt like we (the audience) were there, like we were the 5th person along with the 4 others, being given the real deal, that our lives were really on the line with every decision made, in this movie, and not just watching it from a safe distance like some kind of theater-play. In that way the format the director chose for this film was simply brilliant.

The story is very cool, but I won't say what it's about (Find out for yourself :) )

And just to cement it; the cast is crazy-good :) Their performances were A-list good.

And the ending... damn... I can't really say anything without giving it away, but damn, very strong :)

I recommend this movie.

Closing in

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 5 March 2017]

I don't think I have to tell you, that if you have claustrophobia, you probably shouldn't watch this. On the other hand, maybe you like to face your fears. This is a thriller of course, that really drives off of certain things. Especially the fact, that we as viewers know as little as the driver of the vehicle.

You may have seen him in other productions, especially a drama surrounding an avalanche (great movie), but here he has to endure a different kind of struggle. And while there are certain clichés that will get picked up and carried (no puns intended by the way), the overall movie is more than decent enough. If you like thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat, you definitely can watch this one too

CLAUSTROPHOBIC TERROR

[kirbylee70-599-526179 · 7/10 · 9 July 2018]

While most movies like to expand the views of the audience taking them to gorgeous vistas on seaboard coasts or to the wide ranging deserts around the world, other tend to compartmentalize the situations they place their characters in. Some of these have resulted in some truly inspiring films that make the best use of their locales. Consider ALIEN as an example, an entire movie located on a spaceship where you have no place to escape from. Now make that an even smaller location, remove the danger from a creature and continue with the thought of danger sitting next to you. If you do you might be watching THE CHAMBER.

With a small cast and an even smaller location to shoot from director writer Ben Parker takes the feeling of claustrophobia up a notch and combines it with a thriller story line to make an effective film. Mats (Johannes Kuhnke) is the operator of a small deep sea submarine aboard a Norwegian ship in the Yellow Sea off the coast of North Korea. The ship and submersible has been hired out for a secret program and he's not happy about it. Knowing every square inch of the sub, he knows it's long overdue for retirement and being required to take 3 passengers on board is not safe but he has no choice.

The three person team arrives on ship led by Edwards (Charlotte Salt). Accompanying her are Parks (James McCardle) and Denholm (Elliot Levey). Mats is not given any information about what their operation involves or what they are searching for, he's simply told to drive the sub into the designated area they tell him to.

He tries to begin more than one conversation with the trio in the hopes he can figure out what they're doing. All fall short and they instead tell him to concentrate on his job. He explains to them the dangers of the craft, how old it is, how the least little thing could rupture the already weak hull. They listen but later it becomes all too apparent that they weren't paying attention.

Eventually the reason for their being there is revealed. A spy vehicle was downed and the location where it landed on the ocean floor is within the waters of North Korea. The vehicle contained information vital to the protection of the US as well as a program that if it fell into the hands of the North Koreans could decimate the security of the country. Their job is to download the information and destroy the vehicle if possible.

It doesn't take long before things go sideways. This starts when they find out the ship above has been boarded. Best case scenario it moved off, worst case it was destroyed. With no contact with the ship it means the means by which they can access and locate the downed vehicle is limited but they do achieve that goal as well as get what they need. But a situation rises where they're damaged and the sub is now turned upside down and resting on the top where the pressure release is located. With only two suits that would allow them to escape the question of who survives is called into question.

Shot in the minuscule set of the inside of the tiny sub makes the feeling of claustrophobia an additional character to this movie. It sits there perched on your shoulder with every scene in the film. The tension between characters can be felt as well with Mats trying to be the voice of reason, Edwards the die-hard mission is of the greatest importance character, Parks the most unpredictable character thinking only of himself and Denholm that most logical of the three team members. That combination of location and volatility among the characters makes you squirm as you watch things go from bad to worse, wondering if any of them will make it out alive.

I've read reviews of this film that were highly critical but those condemnations seem to be misplaced. Yes there are definitely some plot holes that could have been patched but they're not major enough to ruin the film. And if you go into a movie that takes place on a mini-sub thinking there's going to be non-stop action that's not a rational thought.

Instead we're presented with a thriller that holds your interest even though nearly the entire film takes place in what amounts to a room perhaps not larger than a large bathroom. To be able to keep the suspense going in that amount of space, to be able to act and react as a character in that small location is an achievement. The fear that each one feels is palpable. And while some characters might annoy you with their behavior one has to place oneself in the shoes of those characters and wonder how you might behave given the situation.

While not a great film the movie is entertaining and will keep you guessing as to who if any will survive. It provides enough information to hold your interests from start to finish and keeps you wondering from one minute to the next. It might not be a movie you'll want to add to your collection but it's definitely worth watching.

A quality debut.

[The_Real_Llew · 8/10 · 28 March 2017]

As far as debut features go, this is one of the best. You can tell it has a low budget, but what Ben Parker manages to achieve with that low budget is great. In my opinion, it's up there with the likes of El Mariachi for making the most of it's little funding. It is by no means a perfect movie, but where it throws around the words "tense" and "claustrophobic", it delivers 100%. Ben Parker is a director to look out for.

The soundtrack, provided by James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers, is good too. Adds quite a bit to the atmosphere of the movie, even if the volume of it could have been lowered a little in places. Again, it's a great first soundtrack for James, even if he has been in the music industry since the late 80's/early 90's. Hopefully this won't be his only one.

Seriously, ignore the naysayers and check this one out for yourself.

Punch it!

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 18 December 2017]

The film opens reminding us North Korea is still there. A Norwegian ship operating precariously close to N.Korean waters has its own two man submarine of ancient design. Three Navy SEALS and one civilian driver of the sub, Mats (Johannes Kuhnke) take a top secret dive. The SEALS are lead by Alice "Red" Edwards. They over load the sub with people and special equipment then debark. There are immediate personality conflicts. Mats, who is steering the sub, is in the dark about the mission, as are we the audience. About halfway into the film, it goes from mission oriented to survival (see DVD cover).

It was a fairly intense drama/thriller, although I was uneasy about the plausibility of the plot. The film consists of 4 people in a two man sub getting on each others' nerves very quickly.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity. Ocean picture without sharks.

I liked

[fiorentino-679-288600 · 7/10 · 22 March 2017]

Despite low rating at the time (now is 5.1),I am found of sea-related movies and submarines. I found a well done movie, non banal plot, good recitation and story. I suggest to see this movie to the sea-lover as me. Definitively some discrepancies arise in dialogues, and some stops (boring) happen during some dialogues. So i conclude not a perfect movie, but it tells a story. My thumbs are up

A truly claustrophobic experience

[info-31034 · 10/10 · 20 January 2017]

The chamber is a really competent British movie, not so much horror more thriller despite the labelling. The story revolves around an oil rigger seconded by a military outfit to find something deep on the ocean floor.

The film is a great combination of psychological cleverness and claustrophobia, it was very well put together clearly shot on a tight budget, but with the added bonus of being mainly shot in one location. One location should surely be boring, but it's not it's really cleverly done.

Excellent performances and a really good thudding score make this movie a real classic of our time, I look forward to encountering the Chamber again.

Attitude Problems

[slaughlin-97625 · 6/10 · 22 May 2021]

Besides the only woman being a complete annoyance and everyone else arguing over who's package is bigger. It was an okay movie.

Decent but runs out of steam

[jmbovan-47-160173 · 6/10 · 20 March 2020]

Retread of other similar films. 4 people one a sub under the sea. Political or government choices make bad decisions the norm. Then more problems ensue. Decently acted but doesn't do much or bring anything new to the genre.

I think someone intentionally gave this movie low score

[FTHustla420 · 9/10 · 4 March 2020]

The dialog is captivating from start to finish. They are in the same little crevice the entire movie and I'm still on the edge of my seat. 8/10 easy. The lead dude actor is a cool sob. What a great actor.

Claustrophobic and tense

[selfdestructo · 8/10 · 29 March 2022]

A special ops team hire a makeshift submarine and its Swedish captain for a top secret mission (which remains top secret), venturing into North Korean waters.

The setting is claustrophobic and volatile for 90 minutes, which is my kind of movie. A confined space and a kick-ass chick are always good ingredients. A little disappointed the actual mission is never revealed (though it is implied it may be something trivial), nevertheless the movie had me on the edge of my seat for its duration.

I also really liked how this ended -- From the desert to the ocean.