12 Feet Deep

Suspend your disbelief a bit here, but what movie doesn't require it? It is basically 127 Hours or Open Water in a swimming pool.

Two sisters visit a public pool the eve before a long holiday weekend. One loses her engagement ring in the pool so both swim down for it. Unaware the sisters are still under the water, Tobin Bell closes the fiberglass covering, trapping the sisters underneath.

Unlike most trapped movies, this is differently NOT a horror movie. Or a horror-thriller. In the end, this film is a drama about the demons three women face over the course of 12 hours.

If this film has a big issue it's that we aren't given a sense of a ticking clock. We are not made aware what time they get trapped, or how long they have been under the covering as time goes on.

Above I said the film takes place over the course of 12 hours, but that is a guess, there is no way of knowing. Other than it's still night when the end comes (I think, there are no windows).

What a trapped-thriller NEEDS is a ticking clock.

We need to know how long the trapped have been in this situation. We need to know how long it will be before we can expect rescue. The film only states the pool will be closed for the holiday weekend, which basically means long enough for them to die. Not good enough.

That small - but major - issue aside, this is a tight thriller.

Well-made and slick at every turn. The leads are likable enough and the actresses give them simple human touches that many might overlook.

The film's villain is the best part but I won't spoil who that is here. Wish there had been more with the villain.

The final scenes leave a bit to be desired as the film opts for the opposite direction of most trapped-thrillers. I'm going to leave that vague, but the film ends with a Pixar whimper, instead of a Blum house bang.

And we all know which one of those studio's movies we prefer.

So is the ending bad? Not by any means. It's just not what this guy expected. But that's sometimes a welcome change of pace. As a guy that can count out every beat of every movie as I'm watching it, this flick surprised me with its ending.

And that's something.

I'll keep this review brief. The movie can help you pass the 90 minutes. The concept is intriguing, the setting is terrifying, and the older sister (Bree) is a good actress. So it's not that bad.

But there are many instances where you will get frustrated or roll your eyes. First, the main characters make a lot of idiotic choices when they are trapped. I won't spoil anything. I'll just say that they spend too much time arguing with each other nonstop instead of working together intelligently. Secondly, the movie adds a villain, the night janitor. The villain's plot is unworkable, unconvincing. And the movie does not adequately explain her feelings and motivations.

Don't bother watching this terrible movie.

"Inspired by true events" is an absolute lie and the director admits it's not based on a particular story.

This is by far the worst movie I have seen in YEARS.

So many things wrong in this movie.

Standing on the grate she's trying to lift up.

Both gals diving in for a ring instead of telling the manager.

Bringing up old unnecessary family drama instead of focusing on the task at hand.

Conveniently has a serious medical issue.

A heated pool that once turned off instantly hits freezing temperatures.

And don't forget to throw in a sadistic janitor.

This was god awful/ lazy directing. I regret having watched this.

Oh boy where do I start, the whole film is based on extreme human stupidity.

The actual film is OKish, nothing we haven't seen before where people get stuck in a box and the whole film is about discovering the characters, finally them getting out or dying, however this film relies heavily around the main characters behaving like little children.

Without going into too much detail there isn't really anything to say besides what you see on the cover, the story is just non existent, seems more like a demo for the producer.Budget wise it doesn't look cheap but surely it didn't cost more than $50k to make.

The hero of this film was the guy that lost his pants in the pool... literally, I am not even kidding.

On the surface the movie has a simple plot. Two young women, sisters, are trapped inside of a pool, unable to leave while a thick fiberglass cover was put in place. However, the distressing situation turns heated when the two begin discussing their unresolved issues. Skeletons come out of the closet, teeth are bared, and hatchets are dug up for review! Before long though their predicament turns dire and a rogue third element is introduced which puts their love for each other to a test.

This is the epitome of a character driven story. It proves you don't need to have a large cast, expensive effects, or a heavy use of CGI to have a compelling story told. I found it to be wonderfully entertaining and well acted. I did lose a little interest about midway through, but this was likely because I had a hard time relating to any of the main characters, but towards the end I was firmly entrenched in seeing to their welfare.

Excellent job!