The Swedish thriller The Abyss, Avgrunden in its homeland, has its basis in an interesting bit of reality. The city of Kiruna in Northern Sweden is built over one of the world’s largest underground mines. So large in fact that the risk of sinkholes and cave ins became too severe to ignore. As a result, they’re moving the city centre, building by building, to a new location several miles away.
Director Richard Holm (Sex, Lies and Video Violence, Johan Falk: Lockdown) and co-writers Robin Sherlock Holm (Ticket Holders or: A Metaphysical Journey Through a Cineast’s Brain, The Woman Under the Bed) and Nicola Sinclair ask what if the authorities waited to long to start moving?
Like most disaster films, The Abyss starts small, a trio of youths partying near the mine get swallowed by a sinkhole. After that, we meet our heroine Frigga (Tuva Novotny, Annihilation, Zero Contact) who’s a safety inspector at the mine. She’s already got her hands full with her personal life, her marriage to Tage (Peter Franzén, Boudica: Queen of War, Vikings) has fallen apart, their daughter Mika (Felicia Maxime, Young Royals, Heartbeats) is protesting against the mine.
Even worse, their son Simon (Edvin Ryding, A Place in the Sun, The Master Plan) has gone missing on his birthday, which brings Tage to her door looking for him. That would be bad enough even if her new boyfriend Dabir (Kardo Razzazi, Backstabbing for Beginners, Operation Ragnarök) wasn’t visiting.
It’s in the midst of all of this that an incident in an unused area of the mine leads to the discovery of a fissure that runs directly under the city. A fissure that is about to collapse and take the city with it. Of course, the mine’s director of operations, who happens to be Tage, doesn’t want to shut down and evacuate until another tremor traps him along with Frigga and a couple of other members of the safety team underground.
The Abyss does a good, if unsurprising, job of introducing the characters and building tension through the first act. There’s the usual run of small but escalating tremors and other signs that something bad is about to happen, mixed with the character’s interpersonal drama and the hunt for the missing Simon. Unfortunately, most of the drama is centred on Tage and his reaction to Dabir’s presence, when the family obviously had plenty of other issues before he arrived.
Even worse, that drama takes the forefront during The Abyss’s second act. There’s way too much bickering about whose fault it is that Simon went missing, and the conflict between the two men is pushed to the point of them getting into a fight in church. They even add issues between Mika and her girlfriend Aila (Tintin Poggats Sarri, Charter) as if things weren’t close enough to a soap opera as it was.
When disaster finally strikes, the scenes of destruction are well staged if limited. This was obviously made on a fairly limited budget by Hollywood standards, so while The Abyss is well ahead of the usual Asylum disaster film, don’t be expecting San Andreas levels of destruction or much of a body count among the main cast. But while it is well staged, it’s also very predictable, with all the leads having to work together in the film’s climactic set piece. Its outcome is as obvious as who will still be alive when the credits roll, something you’ll probably have guessed by the film’s midpoint.
If it had widened its focus beyond the one family and worked in a few elements that took advantage of its novel setting, The Abyss could have been an above average disaster film. But the whole idea of a city in the process of being moved is never used beyond being a reason for the protests that Mika participates in. As it is, it’s a decent way to kill some time, but nothing special or memorable.
The Abyss is available on Netflix in the usual assortment of subtitled and dubbed versions. This review is based on the Swedish language version with English subtitles.
The 17 Best Luxury Makeup Brands That Are Worth Every Penny, Tested & Reviewed
We don’t discriminate when it comes to shopping for makeup—so long as the formula performs, we’re happy to wear it, whether it’s a budget-friendly pick or something from a prestige brand. But when we’re feeling a little fancy, there’s nothing like breaking out a product from a luxury makeup brand to really lean into that vibe.
Luxury makeup products are made with premium ingredients, offer advanced benefits, and come in elegant packaging. Quite often, luxury makeup brands come from fashion houses like Chanel, Tom Ford, and Hermès. That’s not always the case—some luxury makeup brands are founded by celebrities or celebrity makeup artists, others are connected to high-end skin care brands, and some still are totally independent.
Not all luxury makeup brands are created equally, though. To help you save time (and prevent buyer’s remorse) we’ve spent weeks researching and testing formulas to find the crème de la crème. Keep reading for 17 luxury makeup brands that are worthy of the investment; plus, find some of our favorite products from each.
Armani Beauty is known for its celebrity fans, including Sydney Sweeney (who happens to be the latest face of My Way Parfum) and Tessa Thompson. And though we love so many of the brand’s products, the Luminous Silk Foundation is a cut above the rest. Sweeney and Maude Apatow are just two of the celebrities who swear by Luminous Silk Foundation, even when they’re managing breakouts.
The elegant formulas aren’t the only aspects of the brand that deserve hype, however. Giorgio Armani himself is passionate about making products that are beautiful and sustainable. The brand is focused on achieving carbon neutrality by 25 percent, and it’s well on its way with packaging that is recyclable (and in some cases refillable).
Best Sellers: Luminous Silk Foundation, Lip Maestro Velvet Liquid Lipstick, Lip Power Longwear Satin Lipstick｜Cruelty-Free: No
Editors, makeup artists, celebrities—you’d be hard-pressed to find someone in this category who hasn’t tried (and loved) YSL’s iconic Touch Éclat All-Over Brightening Pen. Kaia Gerber, Zoë Kravitz, and even Barbie Ferreira are among the brand’s fans. Beyond the cult-favorite concealer, YSL Beauty leads in innovations. For example: The Rouge Sur Mesure Custom Lip Color Creator allows you to create thousands of lip shades at the tap of a button, so you can always have a personalized lip color at your fingertips.
While a lot of designer brands don’t offer perks when shopping on their sites, YSL does. You can sign up for auto-replenishment, so you’ll get 10 percent off every order and free shipping on it, plus there’s a beauty rewards club you can join for exclusive access to new products and events. If you’re into engraving, the brand offers that too, including on lipsticks, mascaras, perfume—and yes, Touche Éclat.
Best Sellers: Touche Éclat All-Over Brightening Pen, Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara｜Cruelty-Free: No
Though Dior Addict Lip Maximizer may be stealing the spotlight right now, this designer makeup brand has been churning out best selling products since it first launched—with lipsticks, no less—in 1953. One of our longtime faves is Diorshow Mascara, a go-to of stars like Anya Taylor-Joy and Kylie Jenner, as well as the gorgeous range of fragranced hand soaps (they look very chic on the edge of a sink).
We’re particularly fans of the online experience of shopping this brand—no matter what you buy, shipping is free, and you get to choose a few samples to enjoy. Plus, your order always comes gift wrapped (a complimentary service), so you feel very pampered when it arrives.
Best Sellers: Diorshow Mascara, Dior Addict Lip Glow, Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil｜Cruelty-Free: No
Charlotte Tilbury launched back in 2013 with a decent range of products and has since grown to a comprehensive collection that offers everything you could ever need, including skin care. Every product is infused with quality ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, and the brand’s signature rose gold packaging begs to be displayed. If you’re new to the brand, Hollywood Contour Duo, Hollywood Flawless Filter, and Pillow Talk Lipstick are all great picks to start with—and once you fall in love, you’ll want to sign up for product subscriptions, which will get you 15 percent off future orders.
Best Sellers: Hollywood Contour Duo, Hollywood Flawless Filter, Pillow Talk Lipstick｜Cruelty-Free: Yes
