Review of 47 Meters Down (2017) by Kendall C — 15 Jun 2017

I don't think it's a coincidence to see 47 Meters Down released almost exactly a year after a similar shark movie, The Shallows. In fact, it's been said that '47 Meters' only got theatrically released because of the latter's success. Both films contain some popcorn fun, though there was a distinct difference in style. While 47 Meters Down is harmless, it doesn't quite bite as much as it could have.

By far the silliest and most ridiculous thing about 47 Meters Down is the fact that every event that happens is because the main character, Lisa, wants to prove to her ex-boyfriend that she can be fun and "not boring". Lisa (played by Mandy Moore) proves to be a formidable female character, but I feel like such motivations are extremely dated. This plot point proves to be pointless anyways, because once the story gets going with Lisa and her sister trapped in the ocean, the boyfriend is never mentioned again.

The premise is very simple, two women become enamored with two men in Mexico and agree to accompany them in swimming with sharks in the ocean. Seems like a pretty normal thing to do on your vacation, right? Well, once you get past that, there's actually plenty of fun and thrills to be had. I don't think this film has the consistent tension that The Shallows had, or the unique style, but trapping two characters 47 meters deep into the ocean abyss is a pretty terrifying concept. Using the ocean waters as a tool to create jump scares and a complicated horror environment was neat, especially when you consider how much is unknown in the deep blue.

However, there are a few late 3rd act decisions that I found to be particularly manipulative and convenient. I can see where they thought these decisions could be effective, but they ended up hurting the film more than they helped it. In all though, there isn't a whole lot to be upset about with this film, it's more so a matter of a few small things that could have been adjusted. 47 Meters Down is far from the next Jaws, but it contains more good than bad. In today's age of blockbusters, I can't be disappointed.

+Use of environment to scare.

+Jumps, thrills.

-3rd act decisions sometimes compromise the integrity.

6.3/10.