Review of The Bay (2012) by Dan F — 19 Nov 2012

Levinson returns to the ocean and, like Sphere, we are denied the true horror pay off. What we get instead is a well crafted contemporary documentary that, while produced by Oren Peli and the Brothers Strause, doesn't so much as imitate their directorial efforts as exceed them.

But that's not exactly saying much. It does focus heavily on its ecological message- but why is that such a crime? It does a far more convincing job of addressing the consequences of our abuse of nature than the much lauded 'Avatar' does, and yet that seems to be the issue that critics have with it, that the director is trying to make a statement.

However obvious the statement is, it's still a very important issue, even if the outcome is hugely exaggerated. There's a gripping sense of tension, a perversely believable sequence of events that is marred by cinematic trappings (incidental music).

There's an opening for exploration; perhaps a funded, corporation documentary made as a counter to this faux guerrilla piece. All in all, it's an intriguing film in a genre that is often exploited by filmmakers with a lack of vision, in a genre that needs that maverick creativity more than any other to succeed.