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Submergence

Submergence

Love has no limits

2017112 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Director
Wim Wenders
Starring
James McAvoy, Alicia Vikander, Celyn Jones, Alexander Siddig

While James More is held captive by terrorists in Somalia, thousands of miles away on the Greenland Sea, his lover Danny Flinders prepares to dive herself in a submersible into the deep bottom of the ocean, tormented by the memories of their brief encounter in France and her inability to know his whereabouts.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Submergence?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Submergence streaming on Pluto TV (free), Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Submergence?

Submergence earns 6 badges, led by Visual feast and Overhyped.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Submergence worth watching?

Submergence's Midcredits score is the 20th percentile of all films, from 17K ratings across 6 sources. 30% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

20th percentile

Better received than 20% of films

15th percentile among Drama21st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)21st
Approval (how many liked it)23rd

52 /100

21st percentile of all films

16th percentile among Drama23rd percentile among 2010s

Critics 38 · Audience 53

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.6 — solid but not unanimous.

30% liked it

23rd percentile of all films

17th percentile among Drama22nd percentile among 2010s
30% rated it 7–1070% rated it 1–6

Critics 22% · Audience 31%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 2 noms overall

88th percentile

17K ratings across platforms

90th percentile among Drama89th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 3% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$15M
Worldwide gross$852K

Returned 0.1× its budget — 58th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree Submergence is visually gorgeous but structurally disjointed, with the love story failing to earn the weight the film demands.

Fans praised

  • mesmerizing chemistry between McAvoy and Vikander
  • stunning cinematography and scenic beauty
  • thought-provoking philosophical depth on love and existence

Detractors panned

  • non-existent ending leaves every storyline unresolved
  • leads lack romantic chemistry; forced and unconvincing
  • pretentious script with shallow ideas drowned in slow pacing

What stands out

Cinematography85

breathtaking landscapes and underwater visuals

AtmosphereDivisive70

haunting tone and beautiful settings partially compensate for weak narrative

ActingDivisive67

McAvoy widely praised; Vikander divisive—fans see subtlety, detractors see woodenness

DialogueDivisive40

some poetic lines but heavy-handed technobabble and clichés

CharactersDivisive35

thinly drawn, lacking depth and believable motivations

Pacing25

glacial and meandering; many scenes feel extraneous

Plot and story20

disjointed two-storyline structure that never coheres

Ending10

abrupt, ambiguous, universally unsatisfying

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is Submergence like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something serious.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moods
TenseRomantic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Tender · 13% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.In medias res · 1% of films: Opens mid-action, then fills in how we got there.
ToneThe film plays its romantic and thriller elements straight, treating both storylines with earnest emotional weight.
The rideThe film sustains a dual tension from both confinement settings, balanced by romantic flashbacks that lighten but never fully relieve the pressure.
StructureThe story alternates between the present-day crises (captivity and deep-sea dive) and flashbacks to the beach romance, opening in medias res.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe contrast between the characters' dangerous presents and the memory of their brief love leaves a poignant mix of loss and enduring hope.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe narrative uses the memory of a transformative romance to sustain two characters in desperate circumstances, framed as a rebirth through love that offers healing.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% (this title) · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsSurvivalIsolation · 5% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe central theme is the power of a brief, intense romance to sustain two people through extreme isolation and peril.
StanceThe film affirms the redemptive power of love as a source of strength in the face of mortal danger.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalWildernessIn transitRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Fernando Velázquez
SettingEast African hostage cell and Greenland Sea submersible, with flashbacks to a beach in France
MusicThe score likely underscores the emotional contrast between the crystalline ocean depths and the harsh captivity.

Content guide

Is Submergence okay for kids?

Not Rated

Submergence is not rated. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (48/100), sexual content at mild (32/100), language at moderate (36/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (29/100) and frightening material at moderate (50/100). Its violence, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 13 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • Germany12
  • JapanG
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Austria12
  • Czechia12+
  • Hungary16
  • Russia16+
  • SK15
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 41%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 45%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
too few votes to rank (8 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (57 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Submergence have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Submergence?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

James McAvoy
as James More
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Alicia Vikander
as Danielle Flinders
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Celyn Jones
as Thumbs
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Alexander Siddig
as Dr. Shadid
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Alex Hafner
as Mr. Bellhop
Harvey Friedman
as Bob
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jean-Pierre Lorit
as Captain Anctil
Loïc Corbery
as Étienne
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Adam Quintero
as Gustavo
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Julien Bouanich
as Jonas
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Submergence?

Movies like Submergence include Dear John (2010), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) and Adrift (2018). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films that start mid-action, and several are films set in the wilderness.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its subject: romantic love. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Submergence?

824 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: terrorist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.