A talented and idiosyncratic bio-mathematician, Danielle Flinders is staying at a seaside hotel on the coast of Normandy where she meets the British Agent James More awaiting transport to Somalia to search for Somali Jihadist leaders.

At one point (with recent bombings on his mind, and stopping the terrorists) More becomes angry with Flinders' mono-dimensional, scientific view of life on earth.

He eventually is taken away by the group's main warlord after witnessing horrible war crimes against women and Somali residents who do not abide by strict Islamic Law.

Lit with only a dim laptop, she again recites her prescient gloomy thoughts on the ultimate darkness and life and death.

Suddenly an Apache helicopter armed with missiles destroys the entire complex just as More jumps into the ocean and submerges himself against the shockwave.

Danielle's character is attracted to the biological constructs of nature, while More's purpose in Normandy was to visit the man-made World War 2 bunkers of Nazi occupation.

Presumably, because Danielle foresees her death as the deep unending darkness of the sea floor, her appearance in bright overwhelming light at the end is an indication that More survives and they reunite as he awakens in the hospital.

[9][10] The film was also shot in the Faroe Islands,[11] Madrid and Toledo, Spain, as well as multiple locations in France (Dieppe, Sainte-Marguerite-sur-Mer, Bois des Moutiers residence at Varengeville-sur-Mer) and Djibouti.

The website's critical consensus reads, "A slow-moving misfire, Submergence isn't as deep as it thinks it is — but still manages to drown its stars in a drama whose admirable ambitions remain almost entirely unfulfilled.

"[18] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 38 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".

[19] Matt Zoller-Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, writing that "the actors and the filmmaking are seductive enough that Submergence isn't a chore to sit through, but it's not engrossing, either.

"[20] Benjamin Lee of The Guardian gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and commented that "Submergence feels like a clumsy melange, a confused adaptation made by people who don't seem quite sure what they have on their hands.

[21] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "More conventional than Wenders' best-loved work, it should manage to please some old fans while reaching — thanks to star power — younger moviegoers who've never heard of him.