Horror Review: Open Water

[Drace]

Re-starting of the series
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It has been a while since I last saw the film Open Water, but I feel like it has to start again with this film. The one which started the original series of horror reviews, which sadly did not last long due to my laziness. Nonetheless, I will give it a go again, reviewing horror films no matter how good or bad they are. Using my memory and preview review as reference, I will try to give my best two cents about this film.

You have been warned for spoilers.

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Open Water

Released in 2003, Open Water is the self-claimed "horror hit of the year", at least that's what the back of the case tells me. Having an astounding 5.9/10 on the IMDB, I had to check it out. However, the first time I tried watching this film failed. For reasons I will explain further on, I had fallen asleep. Sure, this could happen, so I decided to give it another try. Resulting in the same results as before, me falling asleep. It took me three evenings, but I finally finished Open Water. My opinion, however, did not resemble it's claims or the ratings on the IMDB.

Story
The backbone of most films is the story, the tale about the horror element or the events involving the horror element. Susan and Daniel, your average happy couple, are on vacation. Sunshine; beautiful beaches and your average tourist habits aside, the real story begins twenty minutes in. Having gone on a diving trip, the poor couple soon come in despair. After a mix-up with the number of tourists back on the boat, the unfortunate two get left behind. Alone together, far away from civilisation, far away from dry land.

I'd like to add that this is at twenty minutes in the film. The total screentime caps 77 minutes, leaving about 55 minutes for the rest of the film. Fifty-five minutes I could easily sum up in less than ten sentences.

- They try to find the boat
- They wait
- Susan gets seasick
- They argue, a lot
- Susan gets a bite injury by a barracuda
- Daniel gets bitten by a shark
- Daniel dies
- Susan drowns herself

Wait, you might think. The film is about sharks, right? Well... that's what the case told me. Hell, even the cover has a shark fin on it. Sadly, I did summarise it correctly. Claiming to equal the suspense of Jaws has been a huge overstatement and a harsh lie.

2/10

But hey! A film with a weak story can still be a good film, right? Sure it can. There are enough elements to make it awesome. Acting, camera, sound.

Acting
Side characters aside, who were not important / had too little screen time, the characters were average. My mind is a bit foggy about this and I did not review characters in the previous review, but I'm pretty sure they were average. If they were awesome or horrible, I would have remembered. But to nitpick, I did found some issues.

The first being the overall acting. It wasn't horrendously bad, not at all. It just wasn't convincing. I didn't feel their pain, feel their suffering. I did not believe that the characters were actually in a horrible situation. Daniel, played by Daniel Travis, did leave a more convincing feeling than his counterpart Blanchard Ryan, who played Susan. I believed him a bit more than I believed her.

The second nitpick is about is one of the scenes that take place, Daniel's dying scene. After being bit by the shark, I can't remember him saying much more. Or do much more, to be more exact. From what I saw, his wound was far from life-threatening. Yet he still passed away after this. I'm not a doctor, maybe the cold water had something to do with it, I don't know. But the thing I want to nitpick about, is when Susan decides that Daniel has passed away. She feels his pulse, in his neck. Logical, sure. Does it work? Absolutely. Slight change that it doesn't, but I could forgive her if it wasn't for the fact that she was wearing very thick gloves when doing it. I honestly don't believe she could've felt his pulse even if it had beaten like a madman with gloves that thick. And afterwards, she pushes him away to be shark food. Lovely.

4/10

Camera

Filming style, camera usage, editing, visual effect. It can make or break a film. The quality in Open Water, I dunno. It felt off.

I don't really know what it is, but I felt lonely and slightly depressed when watching the film in the camera style it was filmed in. Perhaps a bit good, seeing as that's the purpose of this film, but it still felt off. If I would have to describe it, I would say it was either a high quality home video style or a pornographic video style. No joke.

Some random scenes here in there, boring, sure. Adding something to the story? Not really. Forgiveable, but useless.

Besides this, I can't say much. My mind is too foggy.

4/10

Sound

I honestly can't remember anything of this and my previous review was too angry about it. I'm leaving this one out of the total score.

Conclusion

Overall a boring film, not bringing anything new with it and certainly not the horror hit of 2003. At least I hope it isn't. If you have to watch it, just to see for yourself, please, don't pay a lot for it. Rent it if it's cheap, buy it if it's cheap, download it if you don't want to waste money on it. But don't let the ratings fool you.

3.3/10

Funfact
Chris Kentis (writer and director) wrote the original draft of the screenplay in under six days. That does explain a lot.

[supasora]

wait! there's only 1 shark?

[Drace]

wait! there's only 1 shark?

Well, there were more. Two or three, perhaps. But like said, they didn't do a lot.

[Red Fox]

Urgh I hate that movie. Never seen it. But when I had the "Sound & Music in horror movies" course we got a silent scene from the movie. We had to make music, sound and voice acting for it. I had to voice the female -_-''

[Valiere]

I heard the sharks used in this movie were real. I wonder, did they just toss the actors in there and hope for the best?

[Drace]

I heard the sharks used in this movie were real. I wonder, did they just toss the actors in there and hope for the best?

Sure looks like that. Damned sharks should have eaten the actors.

[Archem]

I heard the sharks used in this movie were real. I wonder, did they just toss the actors in there and hope for the best?

Sharks aren't that dangerous. Look into them fancy-pants shark facts sometime. Hell, Discovery just finished their Shark Week special last week (I think). Sharks aren't much of a threat to people.

Plus, you know, special effects these days.

[fruckert]

Plus, you know, special effects these days.

But...special effects in 2003?
Yeah, I know, it was only six years ago...but that's quite the while in technological terms.

[supasora]

But...special effects in 2003?
Yeah, I know, it was only six years ago...but that's quite the while in technological terms.

they had a speacial on this movie back on the shark week of 2003. I belive they just through them in cause effects werent as good as today.

[Archem]

But...special effects in 2003?
Yeah, I know, it was only six years ago...but that's quite the while in technological terms.

You know, green screens aren't all that new.

[fruckert]

Yeah, I know, but they wouldn't be lifelike realistic, like how a couple of movies nowadays can look.

[Drace]

Note: This film didn't use any special effects. I checked to be sure. That's their reason for using real sharks.

[Valiere]

Sharks aren't that dangerous. Look into them fancy-pants shark facts sometime. Hell, Discovery just finished their Shark Week special last week (I think). Sharks aren't much of a threat to people.

Plus, you know, special effects these days.

Oh, I know they aren't hyper-aggressive, but there's always a chance a curious little scamp will take a nibble at your toes. Apparently they outfitted the actors with chain mail, which......protects you against sharks......I guess.

[Archem]

It certainly helps a lot.



I've tried some crazy **** in my childhood.

[supasora]

Oh, I know they aren't hyper-aggressive, but there's always a chance a curious little scamp will take a nibble at your toes. Apparently they outfitted the actors with chain mail, which......protects you against sharks......I guess.

Yeah, If you'd rather have your bones crushed from the extra pressure it adds on. But Im guessing they problably weren't that big. And I would prefer a crushed arm over no arm.