A new disaster movie on Netflix has raced to second place in the top 10 chart – but you might not know that it’s based on a shocking true story.
Truth can be stranger than fiction, as we’ve seen time and again with movies based on real-life events. The knowledge that these tales actually occurred adds an extra layer of tension and drama, making the storytelling even more gripping and impactful.
TakeSociety of the Snow, for example. JA Bayona’s take onthe 1972 Andes Flight Disasterarrived on Netflix last December to much acclaim, depictingthe plight of the passengersand their fight for survival in an authentic way.
The true story behind Netflix’s Top 10 disaster movie
Although The Abyss is fictional, Netflix explained that the disaster movie is based on real-life events. “The sinking town of Kiruna, Sweden, and the mine located there are real,” it states.
Directed by Richard Holm,The Abysshas shot up to second place on theNetflixTop 10 chart in the US since dropping on the streamer on February 16. It centers on a woman named Frigga (Tuva Novotny), who works as security for the world’s largest underground mine.
Although the mine generates seismic activity on a daily basis, the tremors become increasingly severe and unusual events start happening, causing the town to literally start caving in on itself. Frigga is torn between her family and her job as she fights to save everyone around her.
“The threat of the town collapsing into a massive crater is also very real. Kiruna is indeed being slowly demolished and rebuilt two miles away to save the town and its inhabitants. Kiruna is home to the world’s largest underground iron ore mine – and the mining operations that’ve been happening there since the late 1800s have made the ground unstable.”
The Abyss is available to stream on Netflix now.
Daisy Phillipson is a Senior TV and Movies Writer on Dexerto’s UK Team. She’s a lover of horror, crime, psychological thrillers. After graduating with a Masters in Magazine Journalism, she’s gone on to write for Digital Spy, LADbible and Little White Lies. You can contact her at daisy.phillipson@dexerto.com
