Deep Rising

Right now you can watch Deep Rising in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on fuboTV and Hoopla — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Treat Williams leads a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. Start it on Disney Plus whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Deep Rising earns its spot. Deep Rising treats its concept seriously enough to follow it all the way through. A group of heavily armed hijackers board a luxury ocean liner in the South Pacific Ocean to loot it, only to do battle with a series of large-sized, tentacled, man-eating sea creatures who have taken over the ship first. Treat Williams and Famke Janssen lead a cast that makes the ambitious moments land. It was released in 1998. The world-building is meticulous enough to sustain multiple rewatches, with details early on that only make sense later. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Deep Rising fits the bill. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Treat Williams's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.