Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Abyss

  • 19891989
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 20m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
177K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,669
318
The Abyss (1989)
Theatrical Trailer from 20th Century Fox
Play trailer2:47
2 Videos
99+ Photos
AdventureDramaMystery
A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
177K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,669
318
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • James Cameron
    • Writer
      • James Cameron
    • Stars
      • Ed Harris
      • Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
      • Michael Biehn
    Top credits
    • Director
      • James Cameron
    • Writer
      • James Cameron
    • Stars
      • Ed Harris
      • Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
      • Michael Biehn
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 494User reviews
    • 109Critic reviews
    • 62Metascore
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 9 wins & 15 nominations total

    Videos2

    The Abyss
    Trailer 2:47
    The Abyss
    'The Abyss' | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:21
    'The Abyss' | Anniversary Mashup

    Photos249

    Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in The Abyss (1989)
    Ed Harris in The Abyss (1989)
    Michael Biehn in The Abyss (1989)
    Ed Harris and Joe Farago in The Abyss (1989)
    The Abyss (1989)
    Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in The Abyss (1989)
    The Abyss (1989)
    The Abyss (1989)
    The Abyss (1989)
    The Abyss (1989)
    The Abyss (1989)
    Jimmie Ray Weeks in The Abyss (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ed Harris
    Ed Harris
    • Bud Brigman
    Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
    Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
    • Lindsey Brigman
    Michael Biehn
    Michael Biehn
    • Lt. Coffey
    Leo Burmester
    Leo Burmester
    • Catfish De Vries
    Todd Graff
    Todd Graff
    • Alan 'Hippy' Carnes
    John Bedford Lloyd
    John Bedford Lloyd
    • Jammer Willis
    J.C. Quinn
    J.C. Quinn
    • 'Sonny' Dawson
    Kimberly Scott
    Kimberly Scott
    • Lisa 'One Night' Standing
    Captain Kidd Brewer Jr.
    Captain Kidd Brewer Jr.
    • Lew Finler
    • (as Capt. Kidd Brewer Jr.)
    George Robert Klek
    • Wilhite
    Christopher Murphy
    Christopher Murphy
    • Schoenick
    Adam Nelson
    Adam Nelson
    • Ensign Monk
    Dick Warlock
    Dick Warlock
    • Dwight Perry
    • (as Richard Warlock)
    Jimmie Ray Weeks
    Jimmie Ray Weeks
    • Leland McBride
    J. Kenneth Campbell
    J. Kenneth Campbell
    • DeMarco
    Ken Jenkins
    Ken Jenkins
    • Gerard Kirkhill
    Chris Elliott
    Chris Elliott
    • Bendix
    Peter Ratray
    • Captain
    • Director
      • James Cameron
    • Writer
      • James Cameron
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Contact
    7.5
    Contact
    True Lies
    7.3
    True Lies
    Sphere
    6.1
    Sphere
    Total Recall
    7.5
    Total Recall
    Event Horizon
    6.6
    Event Horizon
    Stargate
    7.0
    Stargate
    Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    7.6
    Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    Piranha II: The Spawning
    3.7
    Piranha II: The Spawning
    The Running Man
    6.6
    The Running Man
    Starship Troopers
    7.3
    Starship Troopers
    Pitch Black
    7.1
    Pitch Black
    RoboCop
    7.6
    RoboCop

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Real oxygenated fluorocarbon fluid was used in the rat fluid breathing scene. Dr. Johannes Kylstra and Dr. Peter Bennett of Duke University pioneered this technique and consulted on the film, giving detailed instructions on how to prepare the fluid. The only reason for cutting to the actors' faces was to avoid showing the rats defecating from momentary panic as they began breathing the fluid.
    • Goofs
      While Lindsay's drowning scene in the submersible was obviously played for dramatic effect, if they were really concerned about reviving her it would have made much more sense for her to take a deep breath and for Bud to then immediately began towing her back to the rig. She would have then drowned on the way there and there would have been less time between her drowning and the start of the resuscitation attempt, thus increasing the chance that she would be successfully revived.
    • Quotes

      Lindsey Brigman: We all see what we want to see. Coffey looks and he sees Russians. He sees hate and fear. You have to look with better eyes than that.

    • Crazy credits
      In the cast list, Super Seal Rover is credited as Big Geek and Mini Rover Mk II is credited as Little Geek. These are the actual models used for the unmanned submarines.
    • Alternate versions
      The end credits were famously shortened to run under 5 minutes in 1989 in order to hit a target runtime and maximize daily showings; doing so also made the crawl almost illegibly tiny and fast. The credits on the extended edition were almost 10 minutes, with a bigger and slower crawl, and extended/alternate music. Several home video releases of the theatrical edition on laserdisc and DVD actually use the newer credits, so they are not entirely faithful! One VHS tape (Fox Video Selections 1561), at least, uses the original short credits; though the tape is formatted for 4:3, the credits merely gain picture information above and below the intended window (which, for some reason, is very high up in the frame after the first few names). However the new HD master, which has popped up on a few HDTV broadcasts (like Cinemax) go back to the original shortened credits, plus is in the original theatrical aspect ratio, making it the most faithful version available.
    • Connections
      Edited into No Feat But What We Make: 'Terminator 2' and the Rise of Digital Effects (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Willing
      Written by Lowell George

      Performed by Linda Ronstadt

      Courtesy of CEMA Special Markets and Capitol Records, Inc.

    User reviews494

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Wow that was a fantastic movie!
    I like short reviews so I will try to keep this short!

    Let me begin to tell you this movie is original! Not to many movies are being made that have an underwater setting.

    The movie is about a drilling team who operate a high tech underwater drilling station deep under the sea. As soon as they become cut off from the surface in a storm near an underwater crevice things are getting a weird.

    Strange in a way that the movie slowly shows that something scary and silent is there with them on the ocean floor. It builds suspension gradually until it ends within a climatic ending of the movie which I really liked (but some people have other opinions about that!)

    Acting is great and the story very original with just enough action!

    **** out of five!
    helpful•61
    25
    • Stitchthingy
    • Dec 16, 2003

    FAQ17

    • When will there be a Blu-ray release?
    • What is "The Abyss" about?
    • Is "The Abyss" based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 9, 1989 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Abyss - Abgrund des Todes
    • Filming locations
      • Cherokee Nuclear Power Plant, Gaffney, South Carolina, USA
    • Production companies
      • Twentieth Century Fox
      • Pacific Western
      • Lightstorm Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $70,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $54,461,047
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $9,319,797
      • Aug 13, 1989
    • Gross worldwide
      • $90,000,098
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Abyss (1989)
    Top Gap
    What is the Hindi language plot outline for The Abyss (1989)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in August
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Back to top
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.