Is The Abyss Worth Watching? Breaking Down The 2023 Netflix Movie's Reviews & Rotten Tomatoes Scores (2024)

The 2023 Swedish disaster movie The Abyss quickly made its way into the streaming giant’s Top Ten, but it might not be for everyone. Netflix’s catalog of international movies keeps expanding, and among its latest additions is The Abyss, directed by Richard Holm. The Abyss is based on a true story, although partially, taking viewers to the Swedish city of Kiruna, where an earthquake that hit the local mine in 2020 triggered a series of issues for the city and its inhabitants, leading to quick efforts to relocate all its residents to a safe location.

Aside from the setting and its context, the events of The Abyss are fictional. The Abyss follows Frigga Vibenius (Tuva Novotny), the head of security at the Kiruna mines, who is in the middle of divorcing her husband, Tage (Peter Franzén). On the birthday of their son, Simon, Frigga’s boyfriend, Dabir (Kardo Razzazi), unexpectedly arrives, and it all gets more complicated when Simon is missing, and more seismic activity puts the city in bigger danger. The Abyss mixes elements from the disaster and drama genres, so it might not be for every viewer.

The Abyss Has A 22% Score From Audiences On Rotten Tomatoes

The movie's Rotten Tomatoes critics score isn't available yet.

Despite its popularity on Netflix, The Abyss doesn’t have a Rotten Tomatoes critics score yet, as there aren’t enough reviews yet for it to be given a score and a “rotten” or “fresh” certification. However, The Abyss already has an audience score on Rotten Tomatoes based on less than 50 ratings, and it currently holds a 22% score. The reactions and comments from the audience have called The Abyss “entertaining” but not achieving its full potential. Viewers have also criticized the acting, particularly Novotny’s, and the lack of chemistry between Frigga and Dabir, which made it hard for the audience to care about them and their romance.

Viewers found the elements based on real life to be interesting, but the fictional events and the story of the characters were underwhelming, predictable, boring, and some even called them “cliché”. The Abyss’ suspense building didn’t sit well with viewers, either, who felt the writers were trying too hard, making it a tiring experience where they couldn’t even relate to the characters and had no real reason to root for them. Other viewers also pointed out how The Abyss seems to forget what it is mid-way, only to rush back to its main point in the final act.

Ultimately, the reactions to The Abyss have been divisive, with some praising it as an entertaining movie and others finding it frustrating and boring due to the stoic performance of its lead actress, the lack of chemistry between the main characters, a plot that isn’t as engaging as it could have been, and an underwhelming ending.

The Abyss' Reviews Criticize Its Predictable Plot But Praise Its Entertainment Value

The Abyss satisfies as an easy-to-watch disaster movie.

Critics so far have been slightly more welcoming of The Abyss than general audiences. Some critics praised the family drama in The Abyss, but when it came to the actual disaster plot, they found that it fell short, especially when compared to other, similar disaster movies. Critics seem to agree with viewers when it comes to the characters, as they are not compelling and thus make it really hard to root for them or even want to continue following their story. Another aspect that critics weren’t totally on board with was the pace, as the characters tend to stop in the middle of the action to settle some of their interpersonal issues, which messes with the movie’s rhythm.

Another thing about The Abyss that critics agree on is how predictable it is, from how Dabir will end up helping his girlfriend’s family because he’s not only the outcast but also a firefighter, to what happens to Simon and the rest of the family and the fate of the city after all the earthquakes. However, they also agree on how impressive the special effects are and how, in the end, The Abyss serves its purpose of entertaining the audience, whether through its visuals or story, which is what a disaster movie should ultimately do.

The Abyss Is Worth Watching For Fans Of Thriller Disaster Movies

The true story-inspired movie is typical genre fare.

As mentioned above, The Abyss is not a movie for everyone as it does have various elements playing against it. The real-life basis of The Abyss can attract the attention of the audience, and some might leave or stay after meeting the characters and the fictional side of the story. For fans of the branch of disaster movies, The Abyss might meet their expectations, though it should be mentioned that, even though it’s labeled as a disaster movie, even the “disaster” part is grounded and realistic, so it isn’t a huge spectacle. The Abyss will entertain its target audience, but it might be too slow and predictable for those who aren’t into disaster movies.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes.