The only way out is down.|Feb. 03, 2011|USA|108 Min.|R
Genre: Action;Thriller
Description: In the 2011 movie *Sanctum*, seventeen-year-old Josh McGuire (Rhys Wakefield), along with financial backer Carl Hurley (Ioan Gruffudd) and Carl’s girlfriend, Victoria (Alice Parkinson), travel to the Esa’ala Caves in Papua New Guinea, a site known for underwater cave exploration. Josh’s father, Frank McGuire (Richard Roxburgh), an experienced diver, has already set up a base camp deep within the cave, where the team has been working for weeks. As Josh expresses frustration with his father and skepticism about cave diving, the team prepares to explore a previously uncharted section of the cave system.
During their dive into the new area, a team member named Judes (Allison Cratchley) faces an issue with her air tank hose, losing access to her breathing mask. Frank attempts to share his air supply with her, but when Judes panics and struggles to keep the mask, Frank removes it to save himself, knowing he otherwise wouldn’t have enough air to return to the group. Josh, watching from the base camp via a monitor, blames his father for Judes’ death. Frank later reveals that Judes was already exhausted from retrieving extra air tanks, a task Josh had neglected.
As Josh climbs toward the surface with Luko, Liz, and J.D., a sudden rush of water floods the cave. A storm outside has intensified into a cyclone, triggering flash floods that begin to fill the cave system. While J.D. and Liz attempt to escape through the cave’s main entrance, Josh chooses to turn back to help his father and the dive team, accompanied by Luko. The film explores themes of survival, family dynamics, and the dangers of extreme exploration.
Cast director: Alister Grierson
Cast actor: Richard Roxburgh, Ioan Gruffudd, Rhys Wakefield, Alice Parkinson, Dan Wyllie, Christopher James Baker, Nicole Downs, Allison Cratchley, Cramer Cain, Andrew Hansen
Original name: Sanctum