Open Water

Plot synopsis:
Daniel Kintner (Daniel Travis) and Susan Watkins (Blanchard Ryan) are a couple frustrated that their hard-working lives do not allow them to spend much time together. They decide to head out on a scuba-diving vacation to help improve their relationship. On their second day, they join a group scuba dive. A head count is taken, and the passenger total is recorded as 20. Daniel and Susan decide to separate briefly from the group while underwater. Half an hour later, the group returns to the boat. Two members of the group are inadvertently counted twice, so the dive master thinks everyone is back on board, and the boat leaves the site. However, Daniel and Susan are still underwater, unaware that the others have returned. When they resurface, the boat has gone. They believe the group will soon return to recover them.
Stranded at sea, it slowly dawns on Daniel and Susan that their boat is not coming back for them. They bicker, battle bouts of hunger and mental exhaustion, and realize that they have probably drifted far from the dive site. They also realize that sharks have been circling them below the surface. Soon, jellyfish appear, stinging them both, while sharks come in close. Susan receives a small shark bite on the leg, but does not immediately realize it. Daniel goes under and discovers a small fish feeding on the exposed flesh of her bite wound. He does not tell Susan. Later, a shark bites Daniel and the wound begins to bleed profusely. Susan removes her weight belt and uses it to apply pressure to Daniel's wound. He appears to go into shock. The tight-fitting neoprene wet suits are apparently keeping them from fully realizing they have been sustaining small bites. After night falls, sharks return and attack Daniel during a storm, killing him. The next morning, Daniel and Susan's belongings are finally noticed on the boat by a crew member. He remembers the couple and realizes they must have been left at the dive site. A search for the couple begins.
Susan realizes Daniel is dead and releases him into the water, where sharks attack and pull him down in a feeding frenzy. After putting on her mask, she looks beneath the surface and sees several large sharks now circling her. Susan looks around one last time for any sign of coming rescue. Seeing none, she removes her scuba gear and goes underwater to drown before the sharks can attack. Elsewhere, a fishing crew cut open a newly-caught shark's stomach, finding a diving camera, apparently that of Daniel and Susan. One of the fishermen asks offhandedly to another, "Wonder if it works?"

Tags: boring

Review:
A short and sweet gimmick movie about two people who are stranded in the middle of the ocean when their scuba diving boat leaves without them and then face the ordeal of slowly dying (of dehydration and/or exposure) or quickly dying (gobbled up by sharks).The obvious question of course is: can a director pull off a visually interesting film when the bulk of it consists of two people sitting immobile in the water?
The film does a good job of creating a dreadful feeling in the pit of your stomach, not because we care all that much about these particular people (the characters aren't developed enough or likable enough for that) but because the situation they find themselves in taps into any number of visceral fears that just about anyone could relate to.And kudos to the writer and director for having the guts to go for the grim, nihilistic ending.Grade: B.
Open Water is a film that asks its viewers to place themselves at the heart of the movie; to feel the desperation, the hopelessness and the absolute terrifying ordeal.
There are plenty of super low budget films made with passion that ended up being terrible, and others, such as The Blair Witch Project (1999), which made an exorbitant return, but which, for me at least, didn't work very well.The triumph of Open Water is that writer/director Chris Kentis constructed a disarmingly simple film that ends up being incredibly effective in its goals--to present an intense, thrilling, suspenseful life or death scenario with horrific implications and subtextual commentary on appreciating and living life to its fullest, even when faced with the power and non-judgmental potential brutality of nature.You can tell that Open Water is unusual from the first frames.
For example, while heading out on the boat, he has the cast engaging in small talk, none of which the viewer can quite make out--just as if you were a passenger watching these events unfold.Once our protagonists are left behind to fend for themselves in the open water, the thoroughgoing realism doesn't stop.
In fact, Kentis actually filmed his in the ocean, occasionally surrounded by real, wild sharks, which were only controlled by a shark wrangler (or "shark choreographer" as he calls himself) strategically tossing food into the water to hopefully direct their attention.
While trying to survive, mired in their realistic but horrific situation, Susan and Daniel run through a plethora of emotions and conversations, all completely believable.Kentis occasionally relieves the tension by presenting more abstract images--various shots of water at one point, clouds at another.
Their emotions are very real which really adds to the tension.I'm pretty sure the director (Chris Kentis) will go on to make some good bigger budget movies.
something we like to call hope.You may have entered Open Water willing to eat all your popcornand coming out of the theater telling jokes and feeling life is hereforever.
Open Water is a film aimed at a realistic account of a couple left out in the ocean and the emotions, struggles, and challenges brought about by that situation.
I was amazed at how unique this film was.It is Movies like these that keep you wanting more and more of suspense..
I just finished reading a book about the USS Indianapolis and believe me there are terrifying stories for you to imagine about survivor's experiences with the sharks, but for the very first time someone made me feel like I was really among them myself and also someone made me feel very scared of them.
Open Water has gotten a bum-rep with horror fans because either they were expecting a Jaws-esque type film or they wanted it to be something it never set itself out to be.
This has all the key ingredients for a film like this, but still, some inevitable problems come into play.The story is loosely based off of a true story that happened in 1998 where an American couple named Tom and Eileen Lonergan went out on a scuba-diving trip and were accidentally abandoned at sea.
To this day we don't know what happened, but we can assume they drowned or something of that nature.The characters are Susan and Daniel (Ryan and Travis), an couple who is frustrated with their hectic lives that makes it so they can not spend quality time together.
The film manages to capture the fear and helplessness in Susan and Daniel's eyes without having them utter any obscenities in a redundant and uncontrollable manner.Even with its low budget, Open Water manages to pull through effectively proving that independent films are like the quiet kid in school who never fights.
Just by watching the first few minutes of Open Water, you can tell immediately that the film isn't of a Hollywood breed and simply works off of what it has.Inevitably, some problems come into play, like I mentioned before.
That is one of the greatest challenges in claustrophobic films; making due with what you have.In Adam Green's Frozen, about three teenagers trapped on top of a ski-lift in the dead of winter, what kept the movie going was its setting, its characters, and the dialog they recited.
A very good movie in real time that demonstrates how the basic instincts come out after being left in the ocean.
And they can go wrong in a sense that the smallest little thing goes wrong and you think it's no big deal, you'll be out of that situation soon, and then it's like a domino effect, it goes more wrong and more wrong, and then you think to yourself, 'I can't believe this is happening, I might die in this situation, this can't be happening, this was just a simple little mistake, how did it go this far?' That's kind of what Open Water is in a nutshell, a simple mistake that seems like it will be fixed soon, but in the end, that's not the case.
Based on the actual disappearance of an American couple in the Pacific who were scuba diving and were left by their guide boat (a story that has some crime/conspiracy addicts claiming the couple is either still alive somewhere or there was a murder/suicide: take your pick), Kentis and Lau created a similar tale.Newcomers to the movie screen, very pretty Blanchard Ryan plays Susan and Daniel Travis, Daniel.
Actually it's at the point where some motion sickness-sensitive moviegoers might well need the little pill themselves as the digital cameras rise and fall, rise and fall, rise and fall.Perhaps because Ryan and Travis are so inexperienced as actors there's a certain innocent believability in their behavior and conversation.Blanchard Ryan said in an interview that she didn't mind doing a nude scene early in the movie because she thought no one would see it.
This movie proves you can make anything look good with a decent trailer.I feel like not only asking for my money back but also putting in an invoice for the hour and a half i wasted on this tosh.
I think they are only sour because they were tricked into paying good money to get bored out of their wits, and want other people to share the misery.I watched this movie with my then girlfriend, actually I dragged her to see it as I was reluctant to go home although it was late in the night.
If you can't relate to this, then don't write a review telling how awful the movie is, because Open Water is exactly the opposite.Based on a true story, Open Water is a terrifying (once again, for those of us who can actually relate) experience, with the emotional horrors of loneliness.
People say that the movie is boring because there is no other setting other than the ocean for an hour and a half, but you have to truly love the ocean and it's beauty in order to find where the heart of the film lies.
This is most likely not true, but I'm just giving you some harmless knowledge.Overall, Open Water is a completely realistic (they used real Bull Sharks) insight to loneliness, fear, and coming face to face with the ocean itself.
I have an abundance of experience, and take it from a dive bum himself: no other movie tells the truth of fear like Open Water..
While vacationing in Barbados, a married couple (Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis) are left out at sea by their scuba diving boat, leaving them at the mercy of the elements including a few hundred very hungry sharks.Open Water is a love it or hate it type of movie.
However, it worked for Open Water and the movie was a little more believable.
There were times when nothing was happening and the film was kind of dull.This shouldn't really be surprisingly considering the movie is really just about people floating.
That's the only way I can explain the preponderance of comments like "this movie was disgusting" and "worst kind of boring" and "the sharks didn't do anything." To the latter: they behaved the way real wild animals would, nipping Daniel's leg so he would bleed out, die, and provide an inert feast for whoever's hungry.So the acting and dialogue were a bit on the amateurish side, and the plot buildup to the couple being stranded gets a tad boring.
That way you've got a real story to tell.Next time guys, use a real camera (like film!) with a real sound recorder.
The movie could have been improved if the sharks ate:the directorthe actorsThe advertisers for spending movie to advertise that p.o.c (piece of crap)the boat and the home video camera that was used to make the movie.A better title for this movie would have been, "please, open crap" or "please open the theater's cash register, so that I can get my money back."Please save your time, eyes, ears...and most importantly your Mind..
Independent thriller is a great spine-tingling treat for those who can appreciate its terrific style, apparently many reviewers were expecting Jaws (1975)!Young couple is left behind while scuba driving, and the waters around them are filled with killer sharks.Based upon an actual tragedy, Open Water isn't a feel-good film by any means, but it is a very well-made and effective thriller.
He makes Open Water a very believable film and it's realistic in a way that few films (even those based upon true stories) ever are!
The film builds to a nicely operatic finale and a haunting conclusion.Stars Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis are great in their believably played roles.Open Water is a film that won't be for all tastes, in fact those seeking an action-filled Hollywood thriller shouldn't bother.
"Open Water" is all about a DINK couple who goes on a SCUBA diving trip only to find themselves stranded in the ocean swimming with the sharks.
The rest of the movie consists of about 8 minutes of half-baked suspense separated by over an hour of pointless boring filler where the actors are floating in the water, talking about nothing of consequence.By far the worst part of the movie is the ending.
We aren't given enough time at the beginning of the film to get to know these two people; so consequently, who cares what happens to them?
The only good thing about this movie is the sound; the music ratchets up the tension without being overbearing, and the lapping ocean water really gives you the feeling of "being there".
Despite some weak scenes towards the beginning of the film, Open Water proves to be a rather tense, involving experience.The film's plot is rather unsophisticated: Susan (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel (Daniel Travis) are going on a vacation together on a warm Caribbean island.
The digital video photography is also a double edged sword: at times it gives the film a sense of verisimilitude, at others it makes it feel like we are watching something filmed by your buddy who is an aspiring filmmaker with his camcorder on a five dollar budget.Most of these gripes disappear once the divers are stranded alone in the ocean.
There was a bit of media hoopla when Open Water was released concerning the fact that the actors were filmed in waters with real live sharks, but the material works wonderfully.
We really believe these two are in danger and the imagery of sharks in the water hasn't contained this kind of power since Jaws.Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis both had very limited acting resumes before this film, and their early scenes reveal a somewhat amateurish feel to their performances, but the two acquit themselves fairly well in the latter scenes in the water.
The sense of dread is palpable in this scene, and director Chris Kentis should be given credit for assembling a very tense piece of work.Open Water is by no means a masterpiece, it's a little rough around the edges at times, but overall it is a involving piece of cinema that is worth a rent..
I mean, how do you make a movie about a couple floating around in shark infested water for 2 hours?
I've seen bad movies, but none that leave me squirming praying to a God I don't believe in for it to end.This is all not to mention how stupid it is to make a film that is "based on a true story" that no one can prove.
They only call it a true story to reel in the people with true story fetishes (such as I) to the theaters.How they made a sequel I do not know, and I'm sure as hell not making the mistake of renting it just for s's and g's this time around.Terrible God-Awful Movie.
A movie filmed with (or like) a personal camera!!
The rest is a C-movie!!I think good for US young people (that, in fact, love movies like "Fatal Destination") but not for European: this is not a FILM in the real and complete sense of the word.
This movie entertains you more than any other Friday night crap including spidey 2 and the like.Open water is just based on a simple adaptation .
Its remarkable how such a simple low budget film can have so much force and effect and can give the viewer so much to think about .Roger Ebert might have goofed up "Gladiator" worse than my board exams , but with "Open Water" he is definitely right ."Rarely but sometimes , a movie can have an actual physical effect on you .
The fact that it was shot without a real film crew on a really low budget is the only good thing about it.
all it seemed to be was a total waste of the actors and film crews time, not to mention the people that actually paid hard earned money to go and see it.
but in a "holy crap i could have made a better film." sort of way.Two of the worst actors i've ever seen get left in the middle of the ocean...
And importantly, it's a realistic interpretation of what really happened (wikipedia the movie after watching the film, it links to the real deal).Also not gonna tell you anything about the story, as I feel going into it without knowing the premise amplifies the effect.
The more sharks that show up, the more claustrophobic the film feels, a real testament to the filmmaker's ability in setting up atmosphere since the story takes place in the most open space imaginable!
What film were they watching- not this one- this is a great, stand alone movie which shows exactly what you can do with a good script, good actors and tight direction.
In fact, if we believe the hype that came with the film, it does - all the time.Young couple on holiday go scuba diving in the middle of the ocean and get abandoned and left behind in shark-infested waters due to a confusion on their tour boat.I'm really quite surprised by some of the negative comments on the IMDb so far.
With all their hopes set on the boat coming back to rescue them, they try to keep themselves safe, especially when sharks start to appear.Made for half a million, starring mainly two people in the ocean from the entire movie, "Open Water" is great for what it has.
It's a slow paced movie and it's like that for the entire film.
I also liked the performances by the two main leads, Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis.Overall, if you think you would be bored seeing two people stuck in the ocean for the most part of the movie, you probably shouldn't watch it.
See this if you like a real "horror film," I guess people would call it..
It will make you grateful for each other and the life you have together.The movie, based on a true story, tells of the absolutely harrowing ordeal of a young couple left behind after a scuba dive.
I watched "Open Water" in the cinema back in 2003 when it was released, as the trailer made the movie look rather interesting, and my wife wanted to go to watch it.
I do like shark movies, so of course "Open Water" was given a chance.When I came out of the cinema I felt so depraved of money and time.
I can't believe that so many people didn't like this film, with the key word being film, not movie.
The end of this movie was possibly one of the most saddest things i have seen in a film.
Roger Ebert said that after watching this movie he had to sit for about a half hour and just think...i didn't understand that at the time but now i know exactly how he felt.
Also several times in the movie they see a boat, but they never swim to it!The only good thing in the film is the completely unnecessary nude scene.
I admire that the actors got into the water with their "co-stars" but I didn't like the film.
OPEN WATER is not a movie I will even attempt to watch again.