Kristen Stewart’s Biggest Box Office Flop Is Actually an Underrated Sci-Fi Gem

Even though the name of Kristen Stewart is mostly associated with the awkward and somewhat cringey Bella Swan, the actress managed to make a number of far cries from that iconic role. These include her hits Café Society (2016) and Love Lies Bleeding (2024).

More than that, the Twilight star also entered the genre of sci-fi flicks, but this attempt was not so well-received as it was hoped to be. However, this movie is now being massively revised and is claimed to be an overlooked must-watch by Reddit.

The film starts by introducing us to a group of workers of a drilling facility at the bottom of the ocean. Both their usual day and their station get ruined by an earthquake that causes water crashing through the walls of the destroyed facility.

Led by their captain, the crew tries to survive not only drowning, but rather an attack of hostile deadly creatures that emerge out of nowhere. It’ll be a long, long night for them.

The movie appears to be reminiscent of our favorite sci-fi classic, Ridley Scott ’s Alien (1979). Indeed, there is also a ship, a courageous female lead (and be sure Stewart is as convincing as Sigourney Weaver here) and mysterious creatures hiding in the dark.

Besides, you’ll definitely enjoy it if you’re a fan of science fiction flicks set in the ocean, for example, Ed Harris’ The Abyss (1989), Charlie Hunnam’s Pacific Rim (2013) and Jason Statham ’s The Meg (2019).

Titled Underwater, Stewart’s sci-fi was a box office failure, as it grossed only $40.9 million against a budget of $50–65 million. It is also panned by critics, who claim it lacks character development and sometimes relies on the genre’s staples too heavily.

There is no doubt, however, that 2020’s film assembles a strong cast, that also includes Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick and John Gallagher Jr. Moreover, Underwater displays a curious mix of genres, as it blends science fiction, horror and action elements.

“Decent flick. The monster design and Stewart's performance was good,” concludes Redditor @peter095837

Check out if Stewart’s sci-fi heroine can beat Weaver’s Ripley, as Underwater is now available for streaming on Prime Video .