Leviathan is a 1989 science fiction horror film about a hideous creature that stalks and kills a group of people in a sealed environment, in a similar vein to such films as Alien (1979) and The Thing (1982). Leviathan was directed by George P. Cosmatos, and stars Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Daniel Stern and Amanda Pays. The film’s story was written by David Peoples and Jeb Stuart. Stan Winston was the producer for the creature special effects.
On the dark and forbidding ocean floor, the crew of a deep-sea mining rig discovers a sunken freighter that harbors a deadly secret: a genetic experiment gone horribly wrong. With a storm raging on the surface and no hope of rescue, the captain and his team are propelled into a spine-tingling battle for survival against the ultimate foe – a hideous monster that cannot die…and lives to kill!
Leviathan is one of many underwater-themed movies released around 1989, including The Abyss, DeepStar Six, The Evil Below, Lords of the Deep, and The Rift (Endless Descent). It ended up the second highest grossing of these films with $15.7 million at the US box office.
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“It’s better than Deep Star Six, and it lacks the swollen running time of Spielberg’s sleepy-time lullaby for mainstream popcorn munchers. Plus, you get a little gore, some crazy mutations, and Peter Weller delivering one of my all-time favorite one-liners. It’s stupid, it’s pointless, but God bless him, Peter Weller knocks it out of the park like a champ. Cosmatos may suck at directing everything else, but he managed to make Leviathan a fun, light-hearted attempt at sci-fi horror.” The Film Fiend
“Now here is the dilemma I face: Is this film mediocre because of its implausibility and accompanying predictability, or is it a result of its blatant similarity to its superior counterparts? Fortunately, the film is entertaining enough to recommend, so you should discover for yourself.” The Parallax Review
“Something of a minor cult favourite amongst sci-fi-horror fans, Leviathan is a film which doesn’t have a shred of originality running through its body. But it’s a polished production with enough goo, gore and gratuitous hamming up by some of the cast to keep it entertaining, rarely dull and with an odd moment which promised a whole lot more.” Popcorn Pictures
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