47 Meters Down

47 Meters Down is a highly claustrophobic shark movie starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Modine but it's flaws are quite unique.

Telling the story of two girls who go into a shark cage in Mexico to see the great whites but fall into peril when the chain snaps and they're plunged into darkness.

Let me say that visually the movie is incredible and is one of the most claustrophobic heart pounding films I've seen in years. You feel for these ladies, the movie gets across the panic, severity and time restrictions very well and it taps into something which makes me personally feel very uncomfortable.

But, and it's a big but the movie's logistics are dumbfoundingly stupid and defy logic. What I mean by that is that nobody involved bothered doing any research into oxygen at these depths, what is done here not only isn't possible but is to moronic science fiction levels. It quite frankly insults the intelligence of the viewer.

If you can get past that (And I couldn't) it's quite a memorable little film that looks great, has passable performances (I've always liked Moore) and is fairly unique.

If they'd done some research and applied it to the film then this would have been a lot better. However if they had then this would have had to be a different film altogether to be even remotely realistic.

The Good:

Looks incredible

Sets the tone perfectly

Mandy Moore

Unique stuff

The Bad:

Offensively unrealistic

For a scary shark flick I found it totally worked. Of course the intro, party scene & boys are what you'd expect for this genre, and had me wondering if I'd make it to the end due to all the cliché.

But it did take off from there nicely, had some genuine holy f*ck moments, a good pacing and had me wondering all the way if the girls would make it to the end...

The camera work was great and the sharks well done (a bit too aggressive for total realism, but hey). The ending was also original, for once!

Compared to The Shallows, I'd say it's equally solid in terms of entertainment value and getting the viewer hooked until the end.

Overall a solid 7 in my book.

How often do you watch a film from this genre and are made to watch 90 minutes of bad acting, unrealistic sharks, poor camerawork etc, my expectations weren't too high, and I for one was pleasantly surprised. This film is actually really well made, it's very solid, it's well acted, and it manages to generate both terror and claustrophobia, in a way I wasn't expecting. That ending also, talk about out of the Blue ;-) Beautifully filmed, superb location work, sharks that although maybe a little out of character to say the least certainly looked good, and of course added to the terror.

Pleasantly surprised. 7/10

Before we sit down in the theater, we know pretty much exactly what happens. Two girls go scuba diving in a shark cage and wind up a trapped in said cage 47 meters below the surface. Since they aren't experts, we know how they will react. Then sharks show up. Since they are sharks in a scary movie, we know how they will react. There is no real room for surprises.

If you expect rampant plot twists and character development, you must not see this type of movie often. It is what it is and it knows that. Despite the only real mystery being which of the girls survives, if any, or perhaps both, the movie actually manages to provide a refreshing twist.

That may sound bold to say when talking about a powerfully simple shark attack movie, but take some time to think about it. The twist is secretly ingenious and explains away many of the ghastly errors in believability.

I'm surprised to find myself defending a movie that I didn't really like all that much. But I am. It's not that movie doesn't deserve criticism. It certainly does. The acting performances earn failing grades across the board. The dialogue is laced with embarrassing over explanations and repeated lines, most of which involve warnings from the captain about the bends. Other times this takes the form of the girls obnoxiously narrating the menial tasks as they carry them out. Once or twice might have been fine, but it's tough to stomach after about the 10th time or so.

My thought on this is maybe the filmmakers knew that it was too dark to see what was going on for most of the movie, so they made the girls say aloud everything that they did. This solution makes about as much sense as going on a five-mile run after knowingly drinking spoiled milk. If one problem is easily avoidable, avoid the problem. Don't attempt a remedy that almost certainly won't help the situation.

All that said, I defend the movie because I think it executes its mission reasonably well. I shifted to the edge of my seat and felt uneasy on many occasions. The movie managed to scare the audience and it did so with fewer jump scares than expected.

Instead, the movie built to moments that would normally climax with the infamous jump scare then simply opted not to deliver one. The goal is still achieved. The moments still induce a sense of dread from the audience, but without the cheapness of frightening viewers by essentially saying "boo." I'd like to see other movies emulate this tactic.

My advice: if you are going to watch this movie, understand what you are getting into. The movie likely won't surprise and that wasn't its intention. Be reasonable with your expectations. Accept the movie's strengths and weaknesses. Empathize with how terrifying the situation would be if it were you stuck in the shark cage on the ocean floor, and don't hesitate to laugh at the movie's weaknesses.

Do those two things, and you may walk away satisfied. If you are unwilling to do that, stay out of the water.

I actually caught this in the theater and again a year later at home. Reviews are mixed with this film, but I actually enjoyed this movie. Mandy Moore's acting is always a breath of fresh air and Claire Holt didn't have trouble carrying the film along. Yes it's a shark movie, but what makes this flick a stand out, is the fact the sharks aren't the only threat to the girls survival. It got a few jumps and a sudden episode of claustrophobia from me. Which I guess is a good thing. Moore's freaky smile in the end makes one lasting impression but one burning question though for me is... WHERE THE HELL DID THE SHARKS DISAPPEAR TO IN THE FINAL RESCUE SCENE ?!?