Ready To Get Wet, Dr. Adams?

The Shallows

It’s funny to me on how movies can have such an emotional response to a lot of people. I mean, people in the 60’s were so afraid to go into the shower after watching Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Psycho. Fifteen years later an up and coming director gave the world a movie that scared people away from beaches for quite a while. Jaws wreaked havoc on people’s psyche so much that ocean water was just as scary as a serial killer on the loose. Of course, since then Hollywood has been trying to recreate that same fright from shark movies ever since. However, everyone has always come up short and every shark movie will always be compared to one of Steven Spielberg’s most iconic films. Though you can’t blame Hollywood for trying and in 2016 Hollywood tried yet again with the Blake Lively (Age of Adaline) starrer The Shallows.

The Story: After losing her mother to some sort of disease, Nancy Adams (Lively) has decided to find herself again and get her life back on track. To do this Nancy has taken a trip to find a secluded beach in Mexico that her mother brag about constantly. Basking in the seclusion of the beach Nancy takes this opportunity to surf the incredible Mexican waves. Her intentions for her trip quickly change when she is attacked by a shark and instead of relaxation; Nancy suddenly turns to survival instead.

The Good: So in all honesty, I actually really enjoyed this film. There is a lot about this film on paper that most movie goers would scuff at, but the complete product is actually quite good. Starting with the script, it is a minimalist story that keeps razor focus on where it is going. You are given just the right amount of information to sympathize with Lively’s character and that is where Lively takes over. Lively does a wonderful job of making the most of such a simple story. Really bring the audience along with her on this survival journey.  Director Jaume Collet-Serra (Run All Night) gives us beautiful images and aerial shots of the ocean, all the while giving the audience a very intimate very of what Nancy is dealing with during the film.

The Bad: If I really had to nitpick this film, I think it would have to be the suddenness of when Nancy finally wants to try and make it back to shore. Lively spends a lot of “time” on stranded 200 yards from shore and the more time she spent out there the more the story started to become unbelievable. Then in a moment’s notice, Nancy decides she wants to live because her injuries are going to become permanent and so she needs to get back to shore as quickly as possible.

The Verdict: Overall, I think that The Shallows was a good watch and that Lively was superb holding this movie all by herself. Surely this isn’t Jaws and it won’t have the same emotional impact as that movie had in 1975, but it is a good survival film that I thought (in hind sight) is a slightly underrated movie of 2016.

Worth Your Time.