Movie Review: ‘The Chamber’ Is An Impressive Debut For Director Ben Parker

Review by James Lindorf

Writer and director Ben Parker made an impressive debut with his claustrophobic thriller, The Chamber. A three-man Special Ops team on a secret recovery mission commandeer a commercial research vessel off the coast of North Korea. While taking the ship’s submersible and its civilian pilot to the bottom of the Yellow Sea, the four become trapped after an explosion leaves the small craft crippled and slowly filling with water.

Johannes Kuhnke, a Swedish born actor, makes his return to acting after his critically acclaimed performance in Force Majeure. Kuhnke stars as Mats, the submersible pilot who is forced to risk his life for a mission he doesn’t understand for a country of which he isn’t a citizen. Through Kuhnke’s strong performance and Parker’s writing, Mats is brought to life as a real three-dimensional character. He is smart, a talented pilot, and extremely stubborn, frustrating his passengers while simultaneously earning their trust.

Charlotte Salt (The Musketeers) plays Red, the leader of the Special Ops team who is determined to carry out her mission at any cost. After forcing her way into the training program Red has had a one-track mind. She must complete each mission completely in an effort to prove that she belongs, more to herself than Parks and Denholm, her two subordinates. The team works well together but Parks and Denholm seem a tad redundant, as there is not enough variation in their roles on the team. Red is clearly the leader and the best fighter of the three. Parks is a computer and communications expert, while Denholm is a computer and munitions expert. I think it was the right choice to have four people down in the sub, and the two characters have different personalities, but there isn’t a reason shown to us that says they both need to be there.

The film was well shot and makes good use of its space, but if I had to wager a guess, I would say that they are on a set and not filming in a real sub. I can’t imagine a two-man sub would have room for four adults to move around freely, but I am no expert. The movie is filled with tension, between both the people and the elements, and between the characters. I wish that they would have focused a little more on the man-versus-nature element and less on the interpersonal tension, because a slow leak seems to go from no big deal to a major issue very quickly with little attention being paid in between. There is a slightly predictable love story element that I would have preferred Parker take out in order to focus on other elements. The ending is a bit ambiguous about who survived and what will happen to them next, which I know isn’t for everyone. I liked the ending; however, I did feel that it was a bit rushed.

Overall this was a strong film and a phenomenal debut for Parker, who will be added to my list of who to watch out for. If they had a larger budget to allow for more shooting and editing time, as well as some improved special effects, I think The Chamber would be set to make a big impression when it releases on February 23rd.