Phantom (2013)

A dramatic extrapolation of one of the four leading theories behind the loss if K-129 (whose secrets remain informally hidden by both the U.S. and Russian naval communities to this day), this is a well-acted, well-written and well-directed film.The plot is very similar to Crimson Tide, but I think this movie does a better job with the basic premise of a mutiny aboard a nuclear submarine. The dialog is much tighter and the tone is more sincere. The underlying tension is ideological, not racial, which I think lends a more sobering experience.I also appreciated that the actors didn't attempt any sort of accents. Instead, they focused on the human drama at the center of the story and really led Ed Harris knock out a great portrayal of an aging hero who must overcome a dark past to do the right thing.And, yeah, it kind of makes you wonder - what the heck happened back in 1968 that nobody to this day wants to disclose the truth? The only thing I find really odd is that I never heard of this movie until I stumbled across it on Netflix. I would have very much enjoyed watching this in the theater.Why it only garnered 500,000 during an 1100 screen release is utterly baffling. There are enough of us naval grognards who still enjoy a good sub thriller to buy tickets. My best guess is that it simply wasn't marketed.

...but enjoyable.A reasonably well put together script makes for a strong watch that is made even stronger by a great cast. Harris and Fichtner put in excellent performances and Duchovny is strong as well.The story itself is engaging and ultimately would have worked well without the whole "true events" thing...in fact definitely works better without it. Not especially accurate historically and honestly could have done without a couple of the blatant plot devices they threw in.Cinematography was decent, as were the limited special effects.Directing was sound.Overall a gem on Netflix and a good way to spend a couple hours.

I can't be as critical of "Phantom" from 2013 the way some of the more knowledgeable people here are. I read with interest the comments from an actual Russian, and I do think had they hired a Russian consultant it would have been more accurate. However, since I wasn't aware of any of that while watching it, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the film.Inspired by actual events, Ed Harris plays Demi, a Russian captain who, had he not been from a prominent family, would have been long gone after a major screw-up that lost lives. During the incident, he suffered an injury which has caused him to have seizures.In command of a submarine, he is approached by men, led by David Duchovny, who say they are on the submarine to carry out a secret mission. It turns out to be the testing of the 'Phantom' which cloaks the submarine and fools the enemy into thinking the sub is from another country.Demi knows that he's only commanding a sub because the Russians did not want his family shamed, so he also knows that no one in the KGB or anywhere else would choose his sub for a top secret mission. So who are these people, and what is their real purpose?Filmed in a submarine, while this film isn't as good as Das Boot or some other sub films, it's quite exciting, and Ed Harris, David Duchovny, William Fitchner, and Jonathan Schaech all are terrific.My only quibble is that I did pick up one thing the Russian reviewer did - there is a man with claustrophobia on the sub who refuses to do something he's asked to do. A claustrophobic wouldn't be in that job, and I don't even think would be on a submarine. I'm claustrophobic and you couldn't get me in one above water, let alone below.The subject of accents came up on the message board as these actors spoke without accents. Yes of course they did. They were not speaking English, but Russian -- not English with a Russian accent.This film is a good reason to read up on what went on during the Cold War, and a K-129 disappearance in the Pacific in 1968. There is a very scary scenario set up in this film which anecdotally appears to be true. It was a dangerous time.

I was very impressed by this Film. I felt like it grabbed me very early, kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat, and didn't let go until after the credits rolled through. I really liked Ed Harris' performance as the captain. He made me side with him while still giving the character the feel of a shady and dishonorable past. I only had one problem with this film and it is a minor one. The lack of a soviet accent by the characters, all the actors speak in perfect English. The only problem with this is that it makes it harder to identify the characters as soviets. This does not take away for the fact that this is still a very good film, it is just a minor detail I noticed. The end of the movie really brought it home for me, it was an superbly well executed ending to an all around good film. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good suspense film, people who enjoy war movies and anyone who just wants to watch a good entertaining film.