This is my review after seeing it in theaters and I still feel the same way (a great, highly underrated gem):
OPEN WATER (2004)Based on true events,
Open Water is the story of Susan (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel (Daniel Travis), a workaholic couple that is in desperate need of a vacation. But the one they get isn't exactly the one they had in mind, as their tour boat leaves them behind while scuba diving and they are now stranded in shark-infested waters in the middle of the ocean.
I had been dying to see
Open Water ever since I first heard about the raves it got at the Sundance Film Festival. Being scared of the ocean, I found the premise terrifying. No, I'm not scared of the shallow stuff off the beach, but of the huge deep, dark ocean a ways out there. I'd find it scary enough being out there with a boat and a group of people, but the thought of being abandoned out there with no way to call and let anyone know that you're there, being so helpless, is even scarier. There's nothing you can do but be taken wherever the current takes you and hope that sooner or later, someone will find you and you'll be able to go back to the life that might not have seemed so great before, but seems like heaven now. If you put yourself in the place of the couple in the movie, and just imagine what they'd be going through, it's scary. The day would seem endless. You could try and play a game like the couple in the movie attempt to do, but like Susan (Ryan), it's likely you just won't feel like playing. Even though worrying about the situation you're in would only make the time go by slower, it would be impossible to think about anything else, and impossible to be able to just relax and play a game. You'd have nothing to do but think about the sharks swimming around you and wonder if the boat will come back for you. And as it gets later and later, you'd be faced with the realization that it might not be coming back, that you might not be rescued, and the panic-inducing thought that you're going to die out there. Which then makes you think about how you won't get to see your family and friends ever again, and won't be able to tell them how much you care and that you love them. To top it off you'd be dying of thirst and getting more and more dehydrated. Sure, you're surrounded by water, but you can't drink it. Drinking some of it can make you sick, and drinking enough can be fatal. You'd be hungry too, but won't have any food. It would make you long for the luxury of being able to open the fridge at home and grab something to eat, something you take for granted when you can do it whenever you want. And could you imagine if you were in a hurry and decided to skip breakfast that morning? You'd have no water to drink, no food to eat, and swimming can be tiring enough as it is, but when you have weights on you and a big oxygen tank on your back, it would be even more exhausting. With no food and water to keep your body going, you'll just keep getting weaker and weaker, and more and more helpless. Then when night comes, and it's pitch dark and you can't see what is around you, the fear of not knowing what's there would be almost unbearable. You wouldn't dare let go of the other person, because if you drift apart, you might not find each other again with it being too dark to see. And as bad as it would be being stranded out there with at least one other person, it would be even worse being stranded alone. You'd have nobody to keep you going, nobody to keep you calm. Thankfully this couple has each other; I couldn't begin to imagine how frightening it would be alone.
As dangerous as it is, the idea to use real, untrained, wild sharks is brilliant and makes it scarier. I applaud them for having the guts to do this. The actors went through a lot for this movie, and didn't even receive a huge paycheck like A-list stars do for making movies not nearly as dangerous. The two actors here didn't have the luxury of getting to sit around between takes and be pampered. They sacrificed all of that for the film, and they deserve tremendous credit for it. Spending day and night in shark-infested waters doesn't exactly sound like a pleasant experience.
While Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis have done a few little roles here and there before, this is the movie that will really get them recognized. They have to carry the entire movie on their shoulders, and are on screen 95% of the time. The movie relies on their performances in order for the movie to work, and the movie couldn't have turned out better, as they give exceptionally realistic performances. They have a great chemistry together, and are really believable as a couple. What surprised me is how downright likable they are. It's amazing how much you end up caring about them. They are such a likable couple and you can tell that they really love each other. You find yourself wanting, needing for them to get out of this alive. I was so engrossed in what was going on and in these characters that whenever they got upset and would have a breakdown, I almost cried for them. The movie is so intimate that I could feel their pain, their sense of hopelessness, and their love for one another. This is a very effective and emotionally draining experience. Ryan, who looks and seems a lot like Charlize Theron, and Travis, both give two of the best performances this year in their respective categories of Best Actress and Best Actor. I'm looking forward to seeing them in a lot more roles in the future.
Before seeing it I had heard that some loved the ending and some hated it. This made me worry that it might end up being an abrupt ending, or something stupid like they see a helicopter in the sky and the movie ends without us knowing if they get rescued for sure or not. My imagination ran wild thinking of what could possibly make some people hate the ending, and other possibilities I came up with were that a helicopter does rescue them and then once they're in the air and being brought in the helicopter blows up, or that there's a twist and we find out they were left behind on purpose. It's funny that out of all of the things I imagined happening, I wasn't even close to what actually happens. Thankfully I didn't know the ending before seeing it, because that would have ruined the experience and made the outcome less shocking and the trip to get to it less intense and effective. It's best to see this movie knowing as little as possible about the things that happen in the movie. Even if you're curious, DON'T FIND OUT. Wait until you see it. Of course, even if you knew the main outcome of it, but didn't know the details, you're still likely to be surprised by how things play out. If I had heard the ending before seeing the movie, I most likely would have thought, "Well that's a stupid ending." However, it works so well in the movie, and I'm glad I didn't know beforehand because it would have thrown me off from seeing it. The ending makes the movie all that more memorable.
When seeing movies, even if there is stuff during the end credits, most people still get up and walk out. But nobody got up during this movie, even once the stuff was over people didn't hurry up. Everyone just sat, stunned, and too dazed to move. Most people didn't talk on the way out, other than a couple positive comments. Surprisingly I didn't hear any negative comments. While walking out I felt worn out, unable to clear my head and think of anything else but the movie I had just witnessed. And on the way home, I was in a daze. I couldn't stop thinking about the movie. I was excited about the amazing experience I had just had, but my body was too tired for me to do much of anything other than smile. It's very thought provoking and a great conversation movie.
Open Water isn't for everyone. The main people that will dislike it are young, immature teens and other closed-minded people that were expecting a violent shark attack movie. It's not like that at all. It's not very bloody, and it's not constant shark action. The sharks are certainly there, but this is not a blood feast. It's a quiet film that starts out being kind of funny with the characters cracking a few remarks about the situation they're in, but as it goes along and they're out there longer and longer, the tension increases more and more. It's not filled with a bunch of boo scares, and only had one part that made me jump. Instead it works by creating a nervous, uncomfortable feeling in your gut, and keeps you on edge. As the suspense built, I started to sweat more and more. This is a mature film for adults or the more mature teens. It's just too bad the people going into it expecting something else and don't end up liking it are going to bad-mouth it and keep others away. It's people like that that are going to cause this movie to become underrated. However, I wouldn't let any of those comments discourage you from seeing it in theaters. As long as you know what to expect, and are fine with that, then you shouldn't have a problem with it. I don't recommend waiting for video, because it wouldn't be the same at all. It's more effective when you're in the dark with more people and are able to be consumed by the screen, without the distractions you might get at home with the phone ringing, people talking, or whatever else going on. And this wouldn't be a movie you'd want to get distracted during, or that you'd want to stop to take a break and get a snack or something, because by doing that you're cutting the tension that was building and it will take you out of the movie, and it just won't be the same once you come back to it.
Not many movies can pull off being so startling, but
Open Water succeeds on all levels. It works at being a dramatic and exhausting experience, and provides the viewer with a real sense of dread. This is definitely a scary movie, but not scary in the way people have come to expect movies to be scary, by having loud spine chilling music and boo scares to make you jump. This put a chill down my spine without the help of music, it did it by providing a genuine, human terror. Forget the overrated
Jaws and
Deep Blue Sea;
Open Water is the stuff real nightmares are made of. Easily the best shark movie of all time, and I'm very confident that I will never see this one topped in my lifetime. So far this is the best film of the year, and there's a good chance it could stay that way.
Open Water is an unforgettable film that is not to be missed.
Grade: 9/10 (A)
*************************SPOILERS*************************The ending was so shocking and tragic. It was heartbreaking enough when we learn Daniel is dead, and we're thinking, "He just can't be!" But then Susan kills herself. It was so sad and disturbing. But it was really realistic. They had been fighting for so long, and by now you'd be incredibly weak, and without that other person there to help get you through it, you just don't have much of a reason to live anymore. You're too tired and weak to try and keep fighting. And after being out there almost 24 hours and nobody coming for you, you'd have lost all hope. So rather than going through this all alone and most likely eventually getting eaten by sharks, you give up, too physically drained to try and fight it. It was a very powerful ending. Shocking and unforgettable!
Also, during the part where we see the boats, one teen girl in the audience said, "Swim to the boat!" While that might seem like a good idea off the top of your head, if you think about it, it's not. With the heavy equipment on your back, you would have to swim lying on your back, and it would be extra tiring. By the time they got to the boat, it probably would have been gone. If I remember correctly, it wasn't long after that the boat left. They wouldn't have made it. And if they didn't, then they would have made themselves even more worn out, and without food and water to drink, they wouldn't have been able to last as long. They weren't left with much choice but to wait and hope someone comes for them.
***********************END SPOILERS*********************
