Sanctum

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
Sanctum Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Shallow adventure movie about deep caves.

R 2011 109 minutes
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Parents say

age 14+

Based on 11 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 17 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this intense 3-D adventure movie set in the world of cave diving was produced (though not written or directed) by James Cameron and feels very much like a smaller-scale version of one of his epics -- like Titanic and Avatar -- and is just as focused on spectacle. There's plenty of heavy language (including many uses of "f--k" and "s--t"), and the violence includes fighting and blood, plus gruesome drownings and dead bodies -- all of which is amplified by the 3-D. You can also expect some drinking and smoking and a little innuendo.

Community Reviews

thomas1foot
thomas1foot Adult
January 25, 2012
age 12+

A Must See

Sanctum has a lot of swearing as the most commonly used word is the F-bomb. Characters drown realistically and one has his head bashed on rocks: His head is covered in blood and one eye has been closed..... permanently. One character get her hair caught in caving equipment and is "scalped" before drowning. One of the divers stabs another and is lit on fire, before also drowning. A teenager drowns his own father to put him out of his misery (he was the victim of the stabbing) Over all this movie is a must see but may be more suitable for 12 year olds or mature people who are younger,

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
joshua martinez
joshua martinez Adult
July 7, 2011
age 15+

15 and up.

sanctum is an awesome action adventure movie but parents you need to know that sanctum has a lot of violence some disturbing images that maybe hard to watch characters used strong language and there is a little bit of smoking and drinking the message is about the struggle to overcome the odds and survive The characters must learn to work together and solve new problems at every turn The secondary theme involves an emotionally distant father and his son finding a connection.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

A group of cave divers prepares to explore one of the world's biggest caves, perhaps becoming the first humans to discover a new underwater passage to the sea. Among them are expert caver Frank (Richard Roxburgh); his estranged son, Josh (Rhys Wakefield); and Carl (Ioan Gruffudd), the weekend-adventurer/millionaire paying for the whole expedition. Unfortunately, a typhoon hits harder and faster than expected, stranding the five explorers inside and slowly filling the caves with water. Now they have no choice but to find their secret passage or die trying.

Is It Any Good?

Produced by James Cameron, SANCTUM feels very much like it was entirely sculpted, shaped, and finalized by the self-proclaimed "King of the World." It includes his style of storytelling -- for example, a 3-D computer demonstration of the entire cave system -- and his brand of pretty shallow characters, as well as an obsession with spectacle. And, indeed, the cave photography here is impressive -- but that's not enough to make the movie work.

Most of the film's suspense depends on a real, natural human fear of drowning; but Buried and 127 Hours play on similar fears to much better effect, with stronger characters and performances to boot. Sometimes it's possible, as with Cameron's own Avatar, to overlook a movie's lack of human elements and enjoy the hugeness of the event as a pure cinematic rollercoaster ride, but Sanctum feels like too little, too late.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's violence. Is it thrilling or disturbing? How does the movie achieve that reaction?

  • Is this movie more or less scary than similar films that have clear "bad guys" -- or even monsters -- to confront? Why?

  • Is it necessary for people (like the character of Frank) to shut down their emotions in order to be expert explorers and survivors?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

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