Since 1975 any film with a great white shark in it is
inevitably compared to ‘Jaws’. The Steven Spielberg directed horror yarn made
audiences afraid of the water with its chilling depiction of primal
terror. Similar movies have had to live up to the kind of suspense ‘Jaws’
generated with many failing. In spite of the occasionally outlandish
moment, ‘The Shallows’ is a rare example of one that works. An effective chiller
filled with many nail-biting moments that carves its own niche amongst the
plethora of shark-infused tales.
Nancy (Blake Lively) is a keen surfer always on the lookout
for nautical adventures. When surfing near a secluded beach she receives
more than she bargained for. Trapped only 200 metres from shore, she
becomes hunted by a great white shark. Using her skills and ingenuity,
Nancy attempts to free herself from the deadly predicament. Faced with
rising tide and lurking danger of the watery beast, Nancy’s future looks bleak
with each passing second.
‘The Shallows’ is a shocker making much of its limited
budget. It looks a million dollars due to the excellent photography with
each crest of the wave over-lapping Nancy like pleasurable rainbows. This
aids in creating the scene of both beauty and horror she witnesses. How
she tries to out-smart her insidious foe is part of the macabre ‘fun’ refusing
to let go until the final reel. Basically playing the only character you mostly
see in the film, Lively excels in showing the terror and courage her character
endures.
The rendering of the CGI shark is well handled, looking
incredibly vicious in its ferocity. Making it less effective are the
increasingly silly scenarios placed with Nancy. ‘The Shallows’ almost
veers into ‘Jaws: The Revenge’ territory, with a seemingly super-human creature
able to correctly predict Nancy’s actions. How it is able to leap
obstacles is far-fetched, taking away from the early realism for which the film
apparently strived.
Despite an uneven tone, ‘The Shallows’ is a fair horror
flick teasing out what it can from the surrounds. It may not linger in
the memory like ‘Jaws’ but is a reasonably entertaining slice of hokum sure to
make viewers think twice about taking a dip into the ocean.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 6
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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