Open Water- review

Can you guess what that sound is Highness? Those are the Shrieking Eels.

            It’s a 2004 horror movie shot on a shoe-string budget about the true story of a vacationing couple that went scuba diving in the Bahamas and were left out in open sea.  The movie portrays what folks suppose happened to them using no name actors (with the exception of Steve Lemme of Broken Lizard fame who plays an uncredited diver) and cameras without filters which give the movie an incredibly cheap feel.

Two guesses why this actress was picked for this role.

            The dialogue is tossed around like a cheap college movie and the cheap use of the camera do not help.   The Netflix sleeve said it was a mix of “Jaws” and the “Blair Witch Project”.  I think the only way you can say that is there is a shark eating a person in this and there is a camera with out a filter being used throughout.  Though you have to ask why since it’s not giving the appearance of a POV shot like other movies when they choose to go that route.   

            I’ll admit the ocean can be super creepy.  When I imagine swimming in open water it gives me the sort of tingly fear that I’d feel if I were floating in space.  Except, here there be giants living in the dark lurking and possibly hunting you.  For all the build up it felt like it should have just been a special during “shark week” on the  Discovery Channel rather than made into a feature length movie about  two folks with horrid fortune bobbing in the water for over an hour.

I spy with my little eye, something blue.

            Is it worth seeing?  No, there are movies that are considered, “loosely based on truth” and involve a lot more drama and are much more horrific.  If you are looking in the horror genre check into “Wolf Creek” or the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (a real stretch I know) and if you are looking into drama on the high seas look no further than “The Perfect Storm”. 

            Look I am aware that not every movie has to have a budget to be decent.  “Paranormal Activity” was made for very little and it raked in cash. In my opinion it’s one of the best horror movies I’ve ever seen.  The writing helps this and the writing for “Open Water” was piss poor.  So if I were you I would not waste your time.