Open Water

Review by Clint Morris

As a critic, you start to appreciate anything that's different from the norm. Not just different, but something that's obviously had a bit of thought put into it.

After all, you might be able to write the synopsis of Daredevil on a hotel napkin, but Adaptation… no chance.

Open Water is another film that fits contently into the 'good-different' category.

It mightn't be Adaptation, heck, maybe not even Blair Witch Project, but it's definitely a film that deserves kudos for taking the less-travelled route when it comes to screen stratagem.

Unknowns Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis play a couple who decide its due time they went away for a couple of days in an effort to save their struggling relationship. They trek off to a water resort, and - boom, boom - eye a day out scuba-diving in the deep, dark, shark-infested sea.

Unfortunately, our titular twosome get left behind in the sea - the charterer does a head count, but didn't count them first time around so thinks he's got everyone - and are forced to shiver, shake and stare off man-eating great whites for the night. Will they survive?

For a shoe-string budgeted film, running at a short 79 minutes, Open Water is a rather tight watch. The performances are nothing short of amazing - they had to be, otherwise we wouldn't have given two hoots about what happened to our victims - and the plotting is pacey, without being hurried.

And while one can see other possibilities that could've been explored within the film, all do a fine job of making sure this Indy doesn't getting swallowed up by the cinematic temple of doom.

Open Water has surfaced as a bit of a sleeper hit over the U.S Summer - thanks to some strong word of mouth streamed from various festival showings earlier this year - and welcomingly so: it's probably the scariest film of 2004, and it cost about a spoonful of the budget of Exorcist: the Beginning. And look what happened to that little number.

3.5 out of 5

Open Water
Australian release: Thursday October 14th
Cast: Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein, Estelle Lau, Jon-Damon Charles.
Director: Chris Kentis.
Website: Click here.

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