47 Meters Down
Dir: Johannesburg Roberts
Starring: Mandy Moore, Claire Holt, Matthew Modine, Yani Gellman, Santiago Segura, and Chris Johnson
It's been more than 40 years since the release of "Jaws" and people are still afraid to go in the water. That's the undeniable quality of the film, that its effect on generations of film fans is still, firstly, fear of what lurks in the water. Since its release numerous films have tried to emulate the qualities that so richly personify the film but very few have come close
Andrew Traucki's "The Reef" effectively captured the tension, Renny Harlin's "Deep Blue Sea" crafted the creature feature quality, and Chris Kentis' "Open Water" had the character dynamics; but where each achieve their own identifying quality they are all completely influenced by "Jaws" in one way or another.
Lisa (Mandy Moore) and her sister Kate (Claire Holt) are vacationing in Mexico. Kate, the adventurous of the two, is helping Lisa cope with a recent break-up. In an effort to show her ex-boyfriend how adventurous she can be, Lisa is coerced by her sister to go on an excursion in a shark tank. Unfortunately things take a turn for the worse when their winch breaks and they plummet to the ocean floor surrounded by sharks.
It's within this atmosphere that the film takes shape, turning the murky waters of the deep ocean into the same atmosphere you might associate with a haunted house. In the same way, each time one of characters ventures into the darkness to help assist their escape from a watery tomb, the film begins to feel like you're watching someone juggle sharp knives; the element of sudden, quick danger becomes ever-present. This structure and environment are the shining elements of this film, one of the primary reasons it works.
Monte's Rating
3.25 out of 5.00
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