Sitting in the Dark

The oceans hold unfathomable mysteries and horrors in their lightless depths. In this episode, Kyle Olson returns to lead the hosts of Sitting in the Dark—Tommy Metz III, Ray DeLancey, and Pete Wright—as they dive deep to confront three tales of terror from beneath the waves.

They begin with 1989's DeepStar Six, recounting the ill-fated mission of an underwater military base beset by a monstrous intruder. The claustrophobic setting evokes our deepest fears of the unknown. Next comes Leviathan, another 1989 underwater thriller with corporate greed unleashing abominations from the abyssal plains. We probe the human hubris that lies beneath these aquatic nightmares.

Finally, we reach 2020's Underwater, finding glimmers of hope amidst oceanic alien beasts. Kristen Stewart anchors this thoughtful look at sacrifice and humanity's relentless spirit of exploration.

While the terrors lurk in every murky depth, so too does wonder, adventure, and our indomitable need to understand. Join us as we plumb the lightless parts of ourselves and emerge stronger. The ocean calls to us with ancient songs of fear and freedom. Will we have the courage to listen?

Watch the movies discussed:
  • (00:00) - Welcome to Sitting in the Dark • Terrors of the Deep!
  • (02:47) - The Abyss: The Hall of Fame Entrant
  • (05:00) - Deepstar Six
  • (14:13) - Leviathan
  • (20:38) - What is your underwater job?
  • (32:19) - Underwater

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What is Sitting in the Dark?

Sitting in the Dark is a podcast about horror, but not the kind that hides in a single shadow. Each month, hosts Tommy Metz III, Kynan Dias, and Pete Wright pick a theme — an idea, a trope, a nightmare that keeps winding back — and explore it through three films that share its DNA. Sometimes the connections are obvious, sometimes they’re unexpected, and sometimes they lead you deeper into the maze than you expected to go.

One month might bring The Drac Pack, three wildly different takes on cinema’s most famous vampire. Another, a journey through The Bride, the Boy, and the Firetruck, unpacking coded queer horror across decades. We’ve explored maternal terror in Mommy Acts This Way Because She Loves You, broken into the home-invasion subgenre, tiptoed through haunted houses, and stared down both classic monsters and blockbuster franchises.

What ties it all together is a love of horror as a labyrinth — a twisting path where every turn reveals something new about our fears, desires, and cultural obsessions. With smart conversation, dark humor, and a willingness to look behind the curtain (or under the bed), Sitting in the Dark invites you to settle in, turn down the lights, and find out what connects the nightmares.