Open Water (2003)

Written by Tejas Nair on October 18, 2020

You are in for a disappointment if you are expecting this to be a shark movie. Open Water, which reminded me of Force Majeure (2014), is instead about the tension brewing between two husband-wife divers who are left to adrift by their crew in the middle of a reef. Based on an odd true story, it is about the delirium, the panic attack, and the sheer fear of being shark food when you are in the middle of an ocean infested with sharks, stingrays, and barracudas than about being preyed on by sharks, which makes it a slightly dull movie to watch, especially if you are a shark movie connoisseur like me. There are hardly any jumpscares or thrills here, their lack of which is aggravated by some odd humming music and found footage-like camera work. But it does have some brilliant dialogues that are tinged with humour and wisdom, which is supported by some level of suspense, making it a worthwhile watch if you like natural survival films. Give it a try. (Grade C+). TN.