PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Even though I love sharks, I have always had this irrational fear that I was going to be left out in the middle of the ocean all by myself without any hope of being rescued. I used to have nightmares about this when I was a kid, so when I first saw the trailer for Open Water it really spoke to me, and I knew immediately that I had to see this movie. My wife (who is utterly terrified of sharks) went to see it at the theater when it was released, and I’ll never forget the look on her face when we were walking to our car after watching it because the movie absolutely terrified her to the point that I thought that she was going to be sick.
So, my wife was obviously bothered by Open Water when we saw it, but how did I feel about it? Did I find it as disturbing as she did? Did it keep me from taking a bath for a few months because I was worried that a shark was going to somehow pop up in the tub and get me? Keep reading to find out.
Synopsis
A vacationing couple is left behind in the middle of the shark-infested ocean by a dive boat and struggle to survive. Will they be saved, or will this be their last vacation ever?
Loosely based on the true story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, and written and directed by Chris Kentis (Silent House, Grind), Open Water is a film that is guaranteed to fray your nerves that stays with you long after the end credits have rolled.
I really enjoyed it and thought that it was just as good as I’d hoped that it would be. I thought that it was quite awesome, and it is one of those movies that I watch at least once a year because it is that good. It’s disturbing, depressing, and succeeds in being genuinely scary because this is a realistic scenario that could happen to anyone (and HAS happened to several unfortunate people). What happens to the characters in this movie is nothing short of complete and total nightmare fuel, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
The premise is simple but effective. We have a couple that is on a tropical vacation that decide to go on a diving trip that takes them miles from shore. Once there though, the person running the dive tour makes a grave mistake and ends up leaving the couple behind in the middle of the ocean to fend for themselves. As they battle dehydration, hunger, and the elements things only get worse for them as it isn’t long before the sharks start to show up (and believe me, there are lot of sharks).
It’s scary to think that the Lonergans (who were never seen again) went through this in real life and just the very thought of it makes me feel a little ill to be honest as it’s just a horrible and terrifying ordeal in general. While we may never know what happened to the people that the movie is based on, one can only assume that they experienced some of the same things that happen to the characters in this movie.
One of the best things about this movie is the fact that it has a strong cast. There are only a handful of people in the movie, and it focuses solely on the two main characters, but both do an excellent job. Daniel Travis (Thank You for Smoking, Last Time Forever) and Blanchard Ryan (Good Bones, Under New Management) both do phenomenal jobs as Daniel and Susan, and the fact that they got into the water with actual sharks really shows you how committed they were to the film. You care about both characters as a result and you want them to survive, and there is just something likable about them in general. They bring Daniel and Susan to life, and you can tell that they put their hearts and souls into their roles.
Daniel and Susan seem like your average, ordinary people that viewers will be able to relate to, so it is hard watching them go through the Hell that they must go through as the movie progresses. They should both be proud of their performances (plus I thought it was a cool little nod to Jaws that their last names were Watkins and Kintner, as these were the last names of the first two victims in that movie).
I also dug the setting as well as most of the movie takes place in the ocean. I love the ocean (even though I don’t want to be stuck out in the middle of it by myself) and thought that the setting was beautiful (though I am sure that the characters in the film would most likely disagree if they could). It’s amazing to me that the filmmakers incorporated real sharks in the movie as opposed to using CGI or animatronics, and I admire both Travis and Blanchard for having the guts to get into the water with them as I can’t see a lot of other actors agreeing to do so.
Like I said earlier, I love sharks and think that they are beautiful creatures, but I don’t know if I would be super comfortable being surrounded by them the way that the actors in this film were. I just thought that there was something cool about the fact that the entirety of the movie takes place in the middle of the ocean, and it just works in general.
I’ve heard some people complain that Open Water was boring because it was just about a couple of people floating around in the ocean, but I must disagree. As I said earlier, I think that this movie is incredibly tense and suspenseful, and my nerves were basically fried after everything was said and done. It has an overall tone of doom and gloom about it, and I didn’t think that there was anything remotely boring about any of it. I think that the people who didn’t like it expected it to feature one bloody shark attack after the other before they saw and were disappointed when things didn’t play out that way, but I for one was glad that they didn’t as I think going that route would have taken away from things.
Yes, the sharks don’t show up until later, but it works if you ask me.
As you can tell, I am a big fan of Open Water. I think that it is one of the best shark movies that has come along over the last twenty years or so and it’s one of those that I can watch over and over again that never gets boring. It may not be for everyone, but I personally think that it is quite good and is a bit underrated. If you’re in the mood for an intense, realistic thriller then give it a shot. I think that you may just enjoy it as much as I do (plus it will make you reconsider ever going on a deep-sea diving trip for the rest of your life).
