A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 9 wins & 16 nominations total
Captain Kidd Brewer Jr.
- Lew Finler
- (as Capt. Kidd Brewer Jr.)
Dick Warlock
- Dwight Perry
- (as Richard Warlock)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaReal oxygenated fluorocarbon fluid was used in the rat fluid breathing scene. Dr. Johannes Kylstra and Dr. Peter Bennett of Duke University pioneered this technique and consulted on the film, giving detailed instructions on how to prepare the fluid. The only reason for cutting to the actors' faces was to avoid showing the rats defecating from momentary panic as they began breathing the fluid.
- GoofsWhile treating Jammer, Ensign Monk says that he is "just a medic, which is mainly about patching holes." SEAL medics have previous medical training before being trained as combat medics, and since they work with a scuba diving unit, he would also be well trained in any facet of diving related injuries and or maladies. However, Jammer is in a coma, and unless it is a medically-induced one (which it is not), he will have to wake up on his own. No medic can treat a natural coma, no matter how well trained.
- Quotes
Lindsey Brigman: We all see what we want to see. Coffey looks and he sees Russians. He sees hate and fear. You have to look with better eyes than that.
- Crazy creditsIn the cast list, Super Seal Rover is credited as Big Geek and Mini Rover Mk II is credited as Little Geek. These are the actual models used for the unmanned submarines.
- Alternate versionsThe end credits were famously shortened to run under 5 minutes in 1989 in order to hit a target runtime and maximize daily showings; doing so also made the crawl almost illegibly tiny and fast. The credits on the extended edition were almost 10 minutes, with a bigger and slower crawl, and extended/alternate music. Several home video releases of the theatrical edition on laserdisc and DVD actually use the newer credits, so they are not entirely faithful! One VHS tape (Fox Video Selections 1561), at least, uses the original short credits; though the tape is formatted for 4:3, the credits merely gain picture information above and below the intended window (which, for some reason, is very high up in the frame after the first few names). However the new HD master, which has popped up on a few HDTV broadcasts (like Cinemax) go back to the original shortened credits, plus is in the original theatrical aspect ratio, making it the most faithful version available.
- SoundtracksWilling
Written by Lowell George
Performed by Linda Ronstadt
Courtesy of CEMA Special Markets and Capitol Records, Inc.
Featured review
A claustrophobic survival thriller marred by the fantasy ending. Nonetheless, the movie deserves an 8 for the sheer achievement, hard work n performances.
I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs.
Revisited the 171 mins version recently n completed the movie in one sitting.
Inspite of the runtime, the film is engrossing n visually breathtaking.
The dark trench and Ed Harris' character going down way below is more scary than most horror movies.
James Cameron is a genius n there's no doubt bah it but i am surprised that most fellas havent given credit to H. G. Wells, as he was the first to introduce the notion of a sea alien in his 1897 short story "In the Abyss".
Ed Harris n Michael Biehn both gave memorable performances.
Biehn's character is downright creepy.
The CPR scene is a bit far fetched n melodramatic.
Revisited the 171 mins version recently n completed the movie in one sitting.
Inspite of the runtime, the film is engrossing n visually breathtaking.
The dark trench and Ed Harris' character going down way below is more scary than most horror movies.
James Cameron is a genius n there's no doubt bah it but i am surprised that most fellas havent given credit to H. G. Wells, as he was the first to introduce the notion of a sea alien in his 1897 short story "In the Abyss".
Ed Harris n Michael Biehn both gave memorable performances.
Biehn's character is downright creepy.
The CPR scene is a bit far fetched n melodramatic.
helpful•398
- Fella_shibby
- May 8, 2021
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Abyss - Abgrund des Todes
- Filming locations
- Cherokee Nuclear Power Plant, Gaffney, South Carolina, USA(two tanks - underwater scenes)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $70,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $54,981,151
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $9,319,797
- Aug 13, 1989
- Gross worldwide
- $90,520,202
- Runtime2 hours 20 minutes
- Color
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