Now Showing: Creature from the Black Lagoon

Creature from the Black Lagoon
Adventure/Horror
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Boyd Holbrook, Matt Smith, Demian Bichir, Christopher Eccelston, Brian Tee, Andy Serkis

Plot: After workers at a copper mine in Brazil uncover fossilized evidence of the existence of a creature that could be the possible direct link between land and sea animals, a scientific expedition is put together by Dr. Carlos Maia (Demian Bichir) to investigate and uncover more evidence. He goes to see his former student, ichthyologist Dr. David Rollins (Boyd Holbrook). Rollins has experience out in the field from his expeditions studying the lungfish in Africa and South America. Maia manages to get Dr. Mark Wallace (Matt Smith) to contribute significant funds to the expedition in exchange for a portion of credit for any of their findings.

When Rollins boards the research ship, captained by Capt. Lowell (Christopher Eccleston) that will take them down the Amazon he meets the last minute additions to the scientific team: his ex-girlfriend marine biologist Kay Lawrence (Scarlett Johansson) and paleontologist Dr. Ken Tanaka (Brian Tee).

When they get to the mine, they set up a camp and get to work. On the first night, an amphibious humanoid creature (Andy Serkis) emerges from the water and kills two lab assistants. When the bodies are found, Capt. Lowell suggest it was most likely done by a jaguar.

The team becomes frustrated when further excavation of the area around the fossil discover turns up nothing. Wallace is about to give up on the expedition when Lawrence suggests that the remaining pieces of the fossil could have been swept up in water and washed down river. Maia says that the tributary they're on empties into a lagoon that the natives call the "Black Lagoon" - a paradise from which no one has ever returned.

The scientists decide to check it out, unaware that the amphibious "Gill-man" is watching them. The creature follows the boat all the way downriver to the lagoon. Once the expedition arrives, Rollins and Tanaka go diving to collect rock samples from the lagoon floor. After they return, Kay goes swimming and is stalked underwater by the Gill-man, who then gets briefly caught in one of the ship's drag lines. Although it escapes, the creature leaves a claw behind in the net, revealing its existence.

Subsequent encounters with the Gill-man claim the lives of Lowell's crew members, before the creature is captured and locked in a cage aboard the boat. It escapes during the night, attacking Tanaka, who was guarding it. Kay smashes the creature with a telescope, driving it off, but Tanaka dies from his wounds. Following this incident, Rollins decides they should return to civilization. Wallace, obsessed with capturing (or killing) the creature and the fame and fortune it would bring, objects. As Lowell starts the boat to leave, they find the lagoon's entrance blocked by fallen logs. While the others attempt to remove the logs, Wallace is mauled to death while trying to capture the creature single-handedly, underwater. It then abducts Kay and takes her to its cavern lair. Rollins, Lowell and Maia give chase, and Kay is rescued. The creature is riddled with bullets before retreating to the lagoon, where it sinks into the watery depths.