Survive

First, I have to say the events in Survive were quite different from what I expected based on the trailer. The basic plot-of the ocean suddenly retreating and the main characters finding themselves at the bottom of the exposed seabed-was as advertised, but pretty much everything that happened afterward took a different direction. On the plus side, it turned out to be a post-apocalyptic survival movie, and it was far more unpredictable than I imagined.

Overall, the acting is decent, but the main characters are absolutely beyond annoying. They frustrated me so much that I couldn't help but shout at the screen while watching. There are two things I really dislike in post-apocalyptic horror/action thriller/disaster movies: extremely irritating characters who do everything they shouldn't, and the tendency for survivors to turn on each other. Survive has plenty of both.

I really liked the core idea of the retreating sea and the characters going on a survival adventure on what used to be the ocean floor. It's a somewhat unique concept, and it reminded me of a sci-fi comic book I read as a kid that had a similar premise. However, the actual execution of the film wasn't great. The special effects are solid-I have no complaints there-but the story had so much untapped potential.

Survive also includes plenty of subtle nods to iconic blockbusters. For example, the family's boat is named Orca, just like the one used to hunt the shark in Jaws. At one point, a character says, "We're all going to die down here"-a line made famous by the Resident Evil series and overused in many other films. There's also a scene with a submarine and a massive wave that reminded me of Interstellar, and so on.

That said, the biggest surprise for me was that most of the dialogue is in French. This wasn't obvious at all from the trailer-they probably compiled most of the English lines into it. So, be prepared to read subtitles if you don't understand French.

Overall, I expected more, but Survive wasn't that bad. In fact, I think the rating it has should be a bit higher.

This movie is entertaining if there is nothing else on. The plot is silly; the magnetic poles somehow reverse and the ocean drains to the other side of the earth? And the speed at which it happens is comical. Miles of water goes missing in a matter of hours? Sure....

The family is pretty stupid as well, especially the mom. She spends most of the time being hysterical and moaning. Terrible actress.

The movie itself is frustrating to watch in that for a while they are speaking English, then about halfway through they switch to French. To make matters worse, the captioning for the movie is the worst I've ever seen. Often makes no sense whatsoever.

The ending of the movie is unsatisfying and pretty stupid.

I give it a 3 at best. Okay if you have absolutely nothing else to watch.

So many stupid plot holes and stupid scenarios it starts to drag early in.

The stupid father, the really stupid kids who continually get themselves into trouble, the daughter in particular is really annoying.

The herd of carnivorous rampaging crabs is so ridiculous it is laughable, they move at a breathtaking pace and eat meat ? Where did they come from ? Outer space ?

Other stupid bits : within days of the disaster everything looks a 100 years old, the few humans that survive all want to kill each other, on sight, immediately, without thought. Where did all the dead fish go ? How did one little boat survive ? When will the family stop crying & screaming ? Way too much emotion, over and over. When did the mum become a crack shot ? How many triumphant moments within moments of despair can one film have ?

And then the sea comes back to round a fun holiday off, just silly.

The story isn't great, but it's better than people on here are saying. It kept my attention and it wasn't predictable, and that's all I was hoping for. The characters are obviously not native English speakers, and they go from English to French randomly throughout the movie. It is a good depiction of how tragedies bring out the best in some people, and the worst in others. The acting is better than I thought it would be, as were the effects. It kept you on your toes and you're never quite sure what's going to happen next. I've definitely sat through much worse than this. It's worth a watch if you've got some time to kill.

I watch this movie because it is the last one starring the poor Emilie Dequenne, before her death in March 2025. Surprising science fiction, dystopic, a new kind of films since several years, one decade now. And I am afraid that will increase in the future. This film is rather brave, daring for a French film, but that's not the first of this kind. I don't remember the other titles, but this plot sounds familiar to me. The feature ENFIN SEULS, starring Gilles Lelouche, seems to be rather close to this one. Curious film, but worth the watch. French film industry does its best to propose modern topics. RIP Emilie. Your last film was a modern action woman character, a role that you never had before. I will miss you very much.