The Abyss
Directed by James CameronMarried but separated petroleum engineers, who still have some issues to work out, are drafted to assist a gung-ho Navy SEAL with a top-secret recovery operation: a nuclear sub has been ambushed and sunk, under mysterious circumstances, in some of the deepest waters on Earth.
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The Abyss Ratings & Reviews
- madz26December 7, 2025They don't make movies likes these anymore. Too bad.
- scotchozNovember 30, 2025Awesome movie
- SamNovember 16, 2025ending was dogshit but the rest was dope
- Colorado Phillipi FamilySeptember 25, 2025Fun 80s movie
- Taz416August 7, 2025Always a good flic
- Ani GJuly 29, 2025A classic Cameron sci-fi thriller. The 4K Special Edition is the best way to enjoy it in full in a home theater setup. The upscale is truly a work of passion. The griminess of the earlier digital version is gone. The colors are rich and HDR range is spot on. Even after nearly four decades it still holds up as one of the most memorable sci-fi to come out of the 80s. Some hokey acting and dialogue; but that is also his signature isn’t it? 😅
- Paul HamptonApril 6, 2025Fresh after "Aliens", the sequel to what is by a very long shot my favorite flick of all time, James Cameron was poised to complete his next major film project and get it released, called "The Abyss". This is a film that undeniably had flaws, to be certain. Operative word: "had". At least, those were my initial first thoughts on it. I wound up seeing "The Abyss" in the theatre three times that summer, and it really grew on me more every time, especially the incredibly dangerous deep ocean frontier serving as its foundation, and the new, amazing special effects that were at the time, enough to wipe ALL other nominees for the 'Best Special Effects' Oscar off the nominee list. In fact, The Abyss' co-nominees all sensibly and quietly agreed to this idea, and very close to if not in fact during some point of the live event, because Cameron's film simply - as far as technical achievements in cinema go - stood in a class by its absolute self. Yes, this was all announced live right during the awards show when it was time to present that Oscar to the public for the first time. It was the first and only time something like this has happened at the Oscars for any category, to my recollection, yet it was completely deserving of it. The late 80's was a time when major film studios and producers still meddled in a director's finished work, especially editing, when a director turned in a final print to them. Most films were left alone, but as was the examples for both Aliens and The Abyss, studio execs for TCF jumped all over Cameron as soon as they discovered how long they were, way beyond 2 hours in both cases. They didn't want just a few minutes off, they needed realistically, about 20. This of course was upsetting to Cameron, and even more discomforting as he was faced with the horribly defeating task of, "What the hell should I take out, then?" And pressured by time, money, and the brutality that took a boatload of energy, enthusiasm and near sanity from the cast and crew, Cameron felt that without making an existing mess an even bigger one, he opted to kill one of the movie's most critical subplots. Obviously James Cameron wasn't the only victim of this, but whenever I think about these kind of things, but to my knowledge, this was the most disastrous example. Someone must've prayed whole a lot however, because the good news although not very immediate, eventually would make the yet to be launched "The Abyss", a film twice as good as its rushed theatrical debut cut. Meanwhile in context, this was not the first time Cameron was thrown under a big bus with a glaring, spotlighted 20th Century Fox logo on it. In the case of Aliens, the wonderful, introductory sub-plot - the introduction of Newt and her family - was chosen to be removed. It meshed extremely well with the film as a whole I thought, and it really did make the roller-coaster ride that followed, that much more engaging. By the time you meet Newt in the THEATRICAL edit of the film in the already-ravaged compound where something REALLY awful went down, she's a character you already care for, and you know how this really awful thing got it's start --IF you happen to that is, view the extended "intended" addition, FIRST. So again, as I mentioned, the amputated sub-plot "Aliens" suffered that wasn't seen in theaters was wonderful. There are a few other little bits and pieces also cut, but not worth casing in the context here. With all those edits trimmed, Fox execs were a lot happier as they honestly believed now the line-ups would be longer, and movie-house cash registers fuller for Aliens. With the sub-plot removed, it wasn't enough to, say ... change what the theme of the actual movie was, or anything along those lines. But folks, the same can NOT be said, for "The Abyss". Without spoiling unto you any little detail, let me say this: those 'flaws' I mentioned, were gone - had I experienced this intended edition FIRST. What was cut proved to be so monumental, that it actually redefines the purpose and overall meaning of the film as a whole. And, while doing that, it makes this Cameron classic, almost TWICE as great as a film we were forced to watch in its first theatrical run. I don't think there's ever, ever been an example remotely close to this, prior, or since. It's best explained, if you maybe have one of the many "both-version-of-the-movie" DVD's or Blu-Rays, and view the theatrical cut one night, then manage to experience the film Jim Cameron WANTED to make, and you to see, shortly after. You'll see an almost completely different film, that in its most obvious example, perfectly cuts out a head scratch-worthy MAJOR plot flaw, as the movie approaches its consummation. I cannot recommend this highly enough: if you've never seen this absolute classic of a movie, make absolute and doubly sure, you're able to experience this special, full edition of "The Abyss" (which has a final, almost 3-hour running time - 171 minutes). What was seen in theaters was merely a 145-minute cut, more than a HALF-HOUR shorter - all because of paranoid producers and their pursuit of blockbuster-fuelled wealth for a major player in Hollywoodland thinking that audiences will like a shorter film much better. I haven't spoken with a single person in many years the feels the shorter theatre edit is a better version of "The Abyss", because it positively can not hold a candle at all to the film Mr. Cameron wanted to make, and wanted you to see in the first place. I hope that original edition is thrown out and forgotten one day, and for all films who've suffered the same fate. Like most reviews of "The Abyss" you can see just about any which where, the mentioning of this is a key point to new viewers. Featured is, in my opinion, one of the absolute better performances from Ed Harris you'll ever see. In fact, what even made the theatrical edit a great film on its own, was the film's most powerful scene that is absolute Oscar-worthy PERFECTION from Harris, in fact - dare I say it - I still can't think of a single, more emotionally devastating and gut crunching 90 seconds of cinema, in all of the thousands and thousands of films I've experienced in my lifetime. More than 35 years later, I'm still completely brain-frazzled as to why Harris wasn't considered for even a nomination. He completely deserved it. In the case of "The Abyss" suffering the butcher-slaughtering edit it ultimately was forced to, perhaps the most unsettling and disturbing thoughts Cameron had, was how brutally stressful the principal shooting of this film was, spending 99.9% of the time required on principal photography submerged in underwater tanks, wearing grotesquely uncomfortable SCUBA gear and suits, dealing with hazards that were discovered seemingly every hour, to the point of a few key actors (and cameramen and other crew), almost giving up, walking off the set permanently. This was, as any of the actors WILL tell you four decades after the fact, the most flat-out horrible film shoot, in the history of film. I've seen documentaries that reflect a LOT of discontent, from many people who endured a lot of very discomforting incidents, to both Cameron and his future wife, producer Gale Anne Hurd. It's true, he's been known to push the stress levels of everybody around him, especially the actors - but a good chunk of all that is on purpose, because the film does take a turn that puts every character, in a DAMN stressful situation - and you can actually see the tensions of these characters on screen, with a seeming extra edge of it, because of something that actually occurred between that actor and the film-maker, and not just conjured expressions to make a scene requiring high levels of tension, through the way that's usually done. The same thing happened numerous times with actors on the shoot of that movie about the huge ocean liner that went down on that freezing night way back in April of 1912, directed by ... yup, Jim Cameron. The film's plot initiates quite fast, with the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard almost forcefully utilizing the resources of an elaborate oil magnate's underwater drilling platform to aid in a SAR operation involving a suddenly disappearing nuclear submarine, with every member in that drill rig completely unqualified to aid in such a task. That conundrum is quickly put to rest, when a Navy SEAL team - led by an off-his rails character very well done to a crisp by Michael Biehn, who Cameron heavily favored to play the antagonist role because he did so well as the sidekick hero previously in "Aliens". And to paraphrase lead actress Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Lt. Coffey (Biehn's character) and his accelerating, ascending levels into dangerous instability only START with him and two tag-along SEAL's being "about as much fun as a tax audit". In a rather shocking clandestine move even as the world sits nervously because of escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia, Coffey very sloppily reveals his most prioritized intentions for submerging on his 'mission' shortly after which, complete implosive underwater hell breaks loose. And during a period where things settle to almost peaceful silence, an unknown entity appears, to the amazement and awe-struck fascination of almost everyone still alive and trying to survive their ordeal - that is, everyone except Coffey, who further breaks the confidence of everyone, reaching a dangerous psychosis, refusing to acknowledge or listen to anyone with any level of common sense. By laying out some info on the 'bad guy', I hope I've been able to provide in this review, a general outline of the tale that newcomers to this film can expect to have unfold in front of them. I can't go any deeper and provide any further relationship points between any characters, but you absolutely WILL know why that was so important to not spill to you after you see the extended edition of "The Abyss" , for the first time. REMEMBER: STEER FAR CLEAR of the theatrical edition!
- ርልዪረJanuary 26, 2025Another James Cameron film that changed the way under water movies were filmed for decades. The 4K UltraHD Blu Ray recently was released in the United States, and it’s absolutely stunning (as all James Cameron movies are). No spoilers here, but if you haven’t seen the Abyss, you’re in store for a real treat! Considered one of the most difficult movies ever made, even in 1989 The Abyss was way ahead of its time! In James Cameron’s earlier days, many actors didn’t like working for him, but, only because he expects perfection. In hindsight the end result is another great film for the books! Many of the techniques used back then are still used today because they were so far ahead of their time. An absolute must see classic Cameron film!
- Desmond DaleJanuary 24, 2025Man as good as Abyss is it still feels like Cameron's infatuation with syrupy happy endings and its PG-13 rating really kept it from being a masterpiece. It has the potential to be a great horror and the situation also works as this astute personification of the love between the two protagonists in defiance of their mortality and existential crisis. The CG alien effects also haven't aged particularly well though luckily the other effects are top notch.
- Ty LeetSeptember 11, 2024With stories of its creation perhaps more interesting than the movie itself, The Abyss could barely hold my attention with its flailing storyline and unintelligent characters. I can only applaud James Cameron with pushing the boundaries of VFX, practical sets, and near-deadly shooting conditions.
- qmechanJanuary 23, 2025In the depths, James Cameron dives With the hope that the whole crew survives As they search for new life and Ed Harris' wife with a CG amoeba allies
- EnochLightNovember 10, 2024Decades after its release, this film is still a gorgeous work of art and the set pieces are an absolute marvel. James Cameron delivers an absolute masterclass in film making, and it's a travesty that Ed Harris didn't receive an Academy Award for his work in The Abyss. The story is riveting and action packed, and a roller coaster of epic design. Highly recommended!
- Mister ArnFebruary 25, 2024"The Abyss" boasts remarkable underwater cinematography, though its narrative leaves room for improvement. The film features two dramatic death scenes where characters get coaxed back to life as they teeter on the brink of the end, a concept that struck me as excessively dramatic. Despite this, it is worth watching.
The Abyss Trivia
The Abyss was released on August 9, 1989.
The Abyss was directed by James Cameron.
The Abyss has a runtime of 2h 20m.
The Abyss was produced by Gale Anne Hurd, Van Ling.
The key characters in The Abyss are Virgil 'Bud' Brigman (Ed Harris), Lindsey Brigman (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), Lieutenant Hiram Coffey (Michael Biehn).
The Abyss is rated PG-13.
The Abyss is an Adventure, Action, Thriller film.
The Abyss has an audience rating of 8.3 out of 10.