I am the world’s worst person to scare, simply put, I am a hitter with a very heavy hand. So, when I was asked to review 47 Meters Down I was honestly expecting a generic shark movie that couldn’t be anymore frightening than anything that’s come out since Jaws 3-D.
However, Entertainment Studios, who snatched this one up for distribution have an underwater thriller that is truly curl your toes, throw your popcorn four rows back and clinch your butt cheeks into the chair so tight that you might take it when you leave, scary.
Thank you Mandy Moore and Claire Holt for adding to my anxiety and paranoia, especially since I live in Huntington Beach and our waters were dealing with a shark infestation while screening this flick.
I absolutely love that you barely see the sharks in this thriller and all the tension is built up from knowing that you aren’t allow but having no clue where your attacker is and how they could get at you virtually anytime they wanted. It doesn’t help that the two characters are also panicking while having to pay attention to their oxygen levels.
“We were in a 20 tank and had professional divers 6-feet away off camera, to help easy our nerves,” said Holt who plays Kate, the calmer of the two.
What the two actresses were thankful for was that co-writer and director Johannes Roberts wasn’t married to to the script and allowed them to ad lib some of the more intense scenes.
“We got to improvise more, which was great because I had to really have those reactions of panicking under water and what it was like to be sucking up all the oxygen even in a secure environment, things could still go wrong, but luckily they didn’t,” said Moore who plays Lisa.
There are a couple of nitpicky things on my part like how there are too many extreme close ups and if the movie had just ended 45 seconds earlier, it would have had the perfect cut to black scene with the sound still on, but other than that, I absolutely adored 47 Meters Down. In fact, I’m heading out to the theaters again tomorrow to see another shark attack movie…yes, while still living by the beach. Although, I’m not going swimming anytime soon, that’s for sure.
47 Meters Down is out in theaters now.
47 Meters Down
- Overall Score
The Verdict
47 Meters Down, might allow you to wade in the water, but you’re definitely not sticking you head in to see what’s under. It is a near perfect shark attack movie.
Thank you – can’t wait to see it – from NB