This Swedish film inspired by a real disaster is a hit on Netflix. And yet, spectator reviews are rather mixed.
Sometimes there are hits on Netflix that can’t be explained. And the latest thriller at the top of the most viewed films on the streaming platform of the moment, whether in France or around the world, proves it once again: while it was number 1 for feature-length films for several days – films of the moment, he is knocked out not by the press, but by the spectators.
On paper, however, we understand that The Abyss is a real success. This Swedish thriller directed by Richard Holm tells a catastrophic true story: the Swedish town Kiruna, home to the world’s largest iron mine, threatens to collapse due to cracks caused by tillage and shifting of the earth . This film pitch is, however, very real since the city of Kiruna actually threatens to be buried as in this thriller.
Released on February 16 on Netflix, several months after its release in Sweden in September 2023, The Abyss is enjoying astonishing success in the ranking of the top 10 films to see at the moment and has been rising in the world and French rankings since February 19.
It’s difficult to explain this unexpected success when we look at the opinions posted by Netflix subscribers on this disaster film. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film only received 22% positive reviews from the public, while the film only received a rating of 2.1/5 on Allociné and 2.5/5 on Letterbox. On the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), same refrain, The Abyss barely averages with a score of 5.4/10.
Among the criticisms made of this Swedish disaster film, Internet users on Rotten Tomatoes criticize the film for its “cheesy acting” and the fact that it is “totally predictable”, while others advise subscribers to “not lose [leur] time”. On Allociné, users judge the scenario “not very original” where “everything rings false”. Other Netflix subscribers who shared their opinion on the various review sites, however, found the film “entertaining”.
But then, how can we explain such success? Already perhaps by the fact that it is a disaster film, often popular on the streaming platform like The Circle of Snow, The World After Us Or Don’t look up. Then, the fact that it is a true story is enough to make spectators curious. Finally, let’s not neglect the word-of-mouth effect and the power of suggestion of the Netflix home page, which highlights the film. The Abyss is a Swedish film available on Netflix since February 16.