--- title: "The Abyss: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-abyss/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-abyss" critics_score: 52 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Abyss (1989): what the critics said Critics' score 52 from 11 reviews: 5 positive, 2 mixed, 4 negative. The reviews are divided on The Abyss, but praise consistently gathers around its underwater photography, practical effects and claustrophobic suspense. Even several detractors admire the technical work and the grip of the early action. The central relationship also earns support, with Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio singled out for strong performances. The Guardian places the romance above the spectacle, treating the film’s emotional generosity as a strength. The main disagreement is over how much that craft compensates for a crowded plot and an increasingly sentimental later stretch. Several favourable reviews acknowledge problems with the ending, while the harsher assessments find the dialogue, characterisation and cosmic themes difficult to tolerate. Time Out rejects the performances and dialogue that other reviews praise. Different cuts also complicate the picture: The Independent finds that the special edition’s additions worsen the sentimentality. The spread is wide, despite substantial agreement about what works underwater. ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2019. The critic views The Abyss as a technically ambitious sci-fi epic that underperformed on release but has gained appreciation through later cuts, highlighting its big-hearted story of human-alien contact. They single out the central romantic relationship between the leads as the film's strongest element, forged under gruelling production conditions. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/aug/09/the-abyss-james-cameron-30th-anniversary-sci-fi-epic-love) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic praises the film's tension, claustrophobia, special effects and action for most of its runtime but criticizes the soppy, optimistic ending that undermines Cameron's usual style. The first two hours deliver top-notch entertainment. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/abyss-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff (original by Duane Byrge) Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 November 2014. The critic calls the film colossally ambitious and a visual tour de force with the greatest underwater sequences ever seen, praising its technical brilliance and controlled direction while noting the plot's many elements and a potentially numbing ending for some viewers. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/abyss-thrs-original-1989-review-747564/) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1988. The review calls it a firstrate underwater suspenser with an otherworldly twist that suffers from a payoff unworthy of its buildup, as the aliens turn out friendly and the action gets soggy. Strong performances by Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio stand out alongside the elaborate technical achievements. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1988/film/reviews/the-abyss-1200427813/) ## Slant Magazine — Tim Peters Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 14 August 2014. The critic finds the plot convoluted and over-the-top with too many elements forced in, complaining it lacks minimalism or irony, while noting that the money shots and visual effects have held up well over time. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/summer-of-89-the-abyss/) ## The Independent — Kevin Jackson Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 1993. The critic praises the tension, action and wit in the first part of the special edition but criticizes the added footage for worsening the cosmic and sentimental elements, leading to bathos. The early sections grip but the later additions undermine the film. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-between-the-devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea-kevin-jackson-on-the-release-of-james-cameron-s-director-s-cut-of-the-abyss-with-a-restored-28-minutes-of-footage-plus-nowhere-to-run-and-i-was-on-mars-2324210.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Sheila Benson Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 1989. The critic finds the film a sweet but numskull hardware-cluttered story that leaves viewers euphoric despite its flaws, praising the glowing underwater effects and one jaw-dropping gimmick while calling the climax embarrassing. It is ultimately a 17-year-old’s vision lacking irony, with technical achievements that cannot fully compensate for its sappy payoff. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-08-09-ca-91-story.html) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 1989. The critic describes the film as an overwrought but spectacularly silly adventure about marriage, death, nuclear war and alien life forms that ultimately feels like E.T. underwater. Cameron offsets pretentious themes with luminous underwater photography and extraordinary special effects, though the convoluted plot undercuts its impact compared to his earlier focused action films. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/09/movies/review-film-abyss-undersea-life-and-peril.html) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 21 July 2014. The critic finds that after a gripping start the film rapidly descends into cliché, absurdity and hyperbole, scuppered by dire dialogue, histrionic performances and maudlin sentimentality. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-abyss) ## Den of Geek — Michael Reed Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 February 2015. The critic views The Abyss as a flawed but ultimately great film and one of Cameron's most personal and revolutionary works, praising its groundbreaking effects, intense underwater sequences, strong performances, and blend of sci-fi, action, and human drama. They single out the impressive practical effects and the director's uncompromising approach while noting problems with the ending, pacing, and some character archetypes. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-abyss-the-ultimate-james-cameron-movie/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2008. The critic praises the sustained tension, brisk action, sharp dialogue, and high production values in this underwater sci-fi thriller. They note that the extraterrestrial elements may strain credibility at times but the claustrophobic setting and overall execution make it effective. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-abyss-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-abyss.md