62
Metascore
33 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80EmpireEmpireThough it perhaps inevitably lives in the shadow of some subgenre masterpieces, Black Sea is a superbly shot men-on-a-mission thriller with chest-tightening tension and a striking contemporary resonance.
- 80Time Out LondonTrevor JohnstonTime Out LondonTrevor JohnstonBlack Sea runs a few fathoms short of classic status. But its blend of old-fashioned storytelling values and zeitgeisty relevance make it a worthy addition to sub-aquatic cinema’s nerve-juddering legacy.
- 70The DissolveKate ErblandThe DissolveKate ErblandNot content simply to make a finely tuned undersea action film, Macdonald reaches for something more significant and comes up short, trapping his own treasures under a tidal wave of thwarted ambition.
- 63Slant MagazineChris CabinSlant MagazineChris CabinAs much as the film is primarily a genre workout for director Kevin McDonald, the script makes room for a tough-minded, psychologically corrosive depiction of vengeance.
- 60CineVueBen NicholsonCineVueBen NicholsonCertain sequences are handled exceptionally... but others feel overblown and some characters underwhelm. That’s not to say that Black Sea is not an enjoyable – and at times, enthralling – aquatic adventure, it just never quite thrills as much as it spills, and flounders during some of its more emotional beats.
- 50The PlaylistOliver LytteltonThe PlaylistOliver LytteltonIt'll pass a couple of hours on a rainy afternoon without too much trouble. But whether as an adventure tale, a thriller, or a morality play, Black Sea never quite makes a compelling enough case for its existence when better examples of the submarine genre are already out there.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterNeil YoungThe Hollywood ReporterNeil YoungDirector Macdonald, in his sixth outing of the decade including documentaries, likewise handles proceedings with a self-effacing, uninspired competence.
- 50Village VoiceStephanie ZacharekVillage VoiceStephanie ZacharekBlack Sea is so almost-terrific that it's ultimately more disappointing than a movie that's merely badly or carelessly made.