Review of Open Water (2004) by Derek H — 25 Feb 2012

***1/2 out of ****.

In 1998, an American couple - claiming the names of Tom and Eileen Lonergan - along with a boat filled with people went scuba diving for a good day; the twist to this tragic story is that these two individuals never returned from the trip. Apparently, as a result of an inaccurate, lazy headcount on the group supervisor's account; the boat that they came in on left them behind while they were still submerged underwater. Onlookers of the sad, sad tale have come up with several theories surrounding their disappearance; it could have been suicide, it could have been the sharks that infested the waters that they found themselves stranded in for possibly days on end, or it could have even been a big ol' hoax. All we know, at this point, is that the bodies were never found; although some of the duo's scuba gear washed up on a beach.

Filmmaker Chris Kentis was inspired by this story, and sought to make a realistic shark feature that was free of all Hollywood clichés and all irrationality. In the end, he made "Open Water"; an incredibly tense, realistic drama-thriller that pits man against animal, but without a clear struggle. A few names were changed - the couple now goes by the names of Susan Watkins (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel Kintner (Daniel Travis) - and so was the location (the story is now set in the Atlantic Ocean instead of the Pacific). There is no typical "character development". A movie like this simply does not need any. Once the boat takes off and we realize that these people are essentially left for dead; we can't help but feel their pain and turmoil.

"Open Water" is all about technique. In a world where most films involving sharks are riddled with CGI renditions of the great sea-dwelling beasts; Kentis uses real, live sharks to evoke a sort of realism, and damn, it works quite well. The problem that these two people face is resonant for a number of reasons: the sharks, the danger, and the camerawork that gives the film its style. "Open Water" was filmed entirely on digital video; which just helps to make it feel even more authentic. The actors filling in the roles of the couple, respectively, also give the film some dramatic weight; there are scenes of emotional intensity that will perhaps one day go down in history as some of the most utterly effective.

The movie is pretty short, running at only mere 79 minutes; and that's all it needs. While that might not seem like a very demanding length for any film, the ways in which Kentis presents the journey from the beginning to the end of the ordeal make it feel so much longer. In case you didn't pick up such a notion from just about every plot synopsis regarding the premise; this is a deep, dark, depressing hole of cinematic sadness and emotional suffering. It's virtually bloodless (most of the time), yet it's made more disturbing than any of those silly "Saw" movies. Whether you go along with it or not - and some people were expecting a Disney movie, so I can understand if one doesn't enjoy it -, it's guaranteed to get right under your skin.

This isn't a movie for everyone. It isn't a movie for a lot of people. Heck, I'm not even sure if it would be right of me to recommend it; for some people might not want to see it at all. But...I'm going to judge it based on how well it works, for what it wants to be or do. "Open Water" wants to be a gritty, believable drama that feels not much unlike a real-time documentary; and that's precisely how I would describe it after sitting through the draining, intense experience. To call it a killer shark movie would be doing one of the best suspense thrillers of the past decade an injustice; one could indeed call it just a "shark movie", and at that, quite possibly one of the greats. Damn, it's been a long time since we got one of those.

My hope is that one of these days; Kentis will come out from under his shell and make yet another movie. I'm also hoping that if he does this, it will be just as good as his first outing. He has successfully taken me on the sort of cinematic journey that is seldom taken; because it's almost as if there are no longer original, daring, or particularly skilled filmmakers. Even on a minimalist style, Kentis is able to achieve more than most Hollywood hacks would have if they had taken a stab at the premise. His execution is flawless; and his spirit, unending. This is the work of a master filmmaker; able to summon fear and tension, seemingly out of thin air. No matter how gruesome or perturbing it gets; one cannot look away. Most of the time, this is a good thing. So get ready to resent the ocean and the fishies alike once again; for "Open Water" might even be able to give "Jaws" a run for its money.