Kim Wall
Self
Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case
2020
1h 27m
16 · EnglishDirector: Emma Sullivan
Overview
In 2016, a young Austrialian filmmaker began documenting amateur inventor Peter Madsen. One year in, Madsen brutally murdered Kim Wall aboard his homemade submarine. An unprecedented revelation of a killer and the journey his young helpers take as they reckon with their own complicity and prepare to testify.
Cast
Reviews
5 min readThe Unwitting Witnesses
I’ve seen documentaries about killers before—plenty of them, in fact. The genre has a way of turning monstrosity into spectacle, of making us voyeurs to violence under the guise of understanding it. But Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case doesn’t feel like any of those.
It doesn’t linger on the crime itself, doesn’t indulge in the grotesque details of Kim Wall’s murder, doesn’t even give us the satisfaction of a clear villain origin story. Instead, it does something far more unsettling: it shows us the people who were there before—the ones who believed in Peter Madsen, who built his submarines and rockets, who laughed with him, who trusted him.
And then it watches, in real time, as that trust curdles into horror.
Emma Sullivan didn’t set out to make a true-crime documentary. The film began as a portrait of Madsen, the Danish amateur inventor whose DIY submarine and rocket projects had earned him a cult following among young engineers and dreamers. He was a man who built things not because he had to, but because he could—a modern-day tinkerer with a messianic streak, the kind of figure who makes you wonder if genius and madness are just two sides of the same rusted coin.
Sullivan’s camera was there for the early days, the ones where Madsen’s volunteers spoke of him with the kind of awe usually reserved for visionaries. There’s a moment in the film where one of them, a young woman, describes him as “a child who never grew up.” It’s meant as a compliment. It lands like a premonition.
The documentary’s structure is deceptively simple: it intercuts between the “before” and the “after.” The before is all bright-eyed idealism, the kind that comes from believing you’re part of something bigger than yourself. Madsen’s workshop is a mess of half-finished projects, a place where the impossible feels just within reach. His volunteers—mostly young, mostly men—speak of him with a mix of admiration and bemusement.
Audience Opinions
Limited evidence
Audience 6.7/10
"A chilling but uneven look at a real-life murder case that unsettles without going deep enough."
The documentary's subject, the 2017 submarine murder of journalist Kim Wall, is gripping and raw, but its pacing and narrative choices feel disjointed. Its approach is unflinching, yet it doesn't dig far enough into the psychological and investigative sides of the case.
What viewers praise
- Unsettling real-life story The grim subject matter and its real-world implications are engaging and disturbing in equal measure.
- Authentic portrayal The presence of Peter Madsen and the victim in the narrative adds a layer of authenticity.
Common complaints
- Disjointed pacing The structure is uneven, making it hard to follow at times.
- Lacks depth The film doesn't explore the psychological or investigative angles of the case thoroughly enough.
- Mixed execution The subject is compelling, but the delivery leaves the overall impact underwhelming.
Recommended for
True crime documentary fans Followers of high-profile murder cases Viewers interested in investigative journalism
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsThe Dark Truth Behind Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case
The 2017 murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall aboard Danish inventor Peter Madsen’s homemade submarine shocked the world. Three years later, Emma Sullivan’s documentary Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case (2020) revisits the case with chilling detail, blending true crime with unsettling behind-the-scenes access. latestnetflix.com's take is that but how did this film come together—and what secrets does it reveal?
A Documentary Born from Tragedy
Into the Deep isn’t just a retelling of Wall’s murder; it’s a portrait of obsession, both Madsen’s and the filmmaker’s. Sullivan, a British director, initially set out to document Madsen’s eccentric submarine project as a quirky human-interest story. But when Wall disappeared during a ride on Madsen’s sub in August 2017, the project took a horrifying turn. Sullivan’s footage, shot over months, became evidence in the investigation—and later, the backbone of the documentary.
The film’s most unsettling twist? Madsen himself appears on camera, offering bizarre, contradictory statements about Wall’s fate. At one point, he claims she died in an accident; later, he admits dismembering her body. The documentary doesn’t just recount the crime—it captures Madsen’s unraveling in real time.
The Filmmaker’s Dilemma: Ethics vs. Access
Sullivan’s decision to keep filming after Wall’s disappearance has sparked debate. Some critics argue the documentary exploits tragedy for entertainment, while others praise its raw, unfiltered approach. The film’s Netflix release in 2020 reignited interest in the case, with viewers divided over whether Sullivan crossed a line.
One thing is clear: Into the Deep isn’t just about Madsen’s crimes. It’s also about the media’s role in sensationalizing them. The documentary includes footage of Madsen giving interviews to other journalists, even as he lies about Wall’s death. Sullivan’s camera becomes a silent witness to his manipulation.
Reception and Legacy
The film holds a 6.7/10 rating on SensCritique, with viewers praising its tension but criticizing its pacing. Rotten Tomatoes lists Alex Wiseman (not Wall) as a star, likely due to a data error—Wall’s presence in the film is posthumous, through archival footage and interviews with her family.
Despite the controversy, Into the Deep remains a haunting exploration of a case that captivated—and horrified—the world. It’s a reminder that true crime documentaries often blur the line between journalism and exploitation.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
Related movies
More titles in the same genres and with the same cast.
