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Open Water

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Open Water (2004)

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Reviews Counted:187

Fresh:134

Rotten:53

Average Rating:6.6/10

Consensus: A low budget thriller with some intense moments.

Runtime: 81 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:Aug 6, 2004 Limited

Box Office: $30,500,882

Synopsis: Proving that the power of imagination is much more terrifying than what meets the eye, OPEN WATER is Chris Kentis's intensely realistic deep-sea drama, "based on true events." The film's leering... Proving that the power of imagination is much more terrifying than what meets the eye, OPEN WATER is Chris Kentis's intensely realistic deep-sea drama, "based on true events." The film's leering digital video camera allows viewers to float like shark-bait, stranded in the middle of the ocean with Susan and Daniel (Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis), a bickering married couple who have just been abandoned by their scuba-diving boat in the Caribbean. As the tension escalates between the troubled twosome--who are cold, tired, dehydrated, and more than a little scared--the tragedy of the situation is exacerbated by a series of very unfortunate conditions. While a current sweeps them far from where the boat left them, and deep dark clouds pass menacingly overhead, the sea-life just below the surface is clearly not of the friendly variety. Yes, those are real sharks, folks. Meanwhile, Daniel, who watched Shark Week on television, is no stranger to the perils at hand, and finds himself battling shock. Minutes pass like hours, with the light shifting on the water and the constant motion of the waves adding to this unfathomable nightmare. The shimmering blues of wide expanses of sea are offset by dazzling underwater photography, yet the mood remains bleak. And while no special effects, abrupt developments, or abrasive gore are present here, the film instills such fear that viewers will be frozen awaiting the surprising conclusion. A day at the beach will never be quite the same again. [More]

Starring: Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein, Estelle Lau

Starring: Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein, Estelle Lau, Michael E. Willimson, Christina Zenarro, Jon Charles

Director: Chris Kentis

Director: Chris Kentis
Producer: Laura Lau
Studio: Lions Gate Films

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Nov 30, 1999

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Reviews for Open Water

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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Stunning and harrowing.

Full Review Source: FilmsInReview.com | comment Comment
08/12/04
Victoria Alexander
Victoria Alexander
FilmsInReview.com

Jaws... has nothing on this thing, which features up-close underwater photography of a school of sharks brushing up against our hapless divers' legs.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
08/06/04
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

an expertly modulated horror movie

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Alternative | comment Comment
09/30/04
Jay Antani
Jay Antani
Los Angeles Alternative

Writer/director Chris Kentis ekes genuine tension from little more than a pair of luckless yuppies and a relentless, unforgiving body of water.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
08/02/04
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

'Creatividad y un guión inteligente reemplazan la falta de presupuesto para crear un producto de buena calidad'

Full Review Source: Moviola | comment Comment
04/04/05
Jorge Avila Andrade
Jorge Avila Andrade
Moviola

No special effects, no gimmicks, a tight 79-minute running time and REAL sharks is all that's needed to make viewers squirm to the edge of their seats.**

Full Review Source: Sympatico.ca | comment Comment
08/23/04
Angela Baldassarre
Angela Baldassarre
Sympatico.ca

An unnerving 'What if?' scenario that you won't be able to shake -- from either your dreams or your waking thoughts.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
08/20/04
Joe Baltake
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee

Its micro storytelling style makes Jaws look overblown and dull by comparison.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
08/08/04
Lewis Beale
Lewis Beale
Film Journal International

This example of minimalist stunt filmmaking doesn't add up to much, but the filmmakers deserve credit for their diabolically simple, inexpensive and effective premise...

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
08/20/04
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

Open Water delivers enough to make it worthwhile for those jonesing for a chill.

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Weekly | comment Comment
08/19/04
Josh Bell
Josh Bell
Las Vegas Weekly

Despite its flaws, I welcome Open Water with great enthusiasm, because it offers genuine scares and chills without the self-aware, packaged feel of many horror/thriller films.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
08/03/04
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Kentis keeps it simple and direct, and the effect is devastating.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
08/06/04
Jami Bernard
Jami Bernard
New York Daily News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I'm here to tell you that Jaws is nothing. Jaws is now merely Flipper: Episode 127.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
08/06/04
Michael Booth
Michael Booth
Denver Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

As a self-proclaimed shark-movie junkie, Open Water brilliantly taps into that ultimate fear of what lurks down below.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
08/03/04
Kit Bowen
Kit Bowen
Hollywood.com

This is the stuff nightmares are made of. It's also a lesson in how shoe-string budgets need not mean limited dramatic effect.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
07/10/04
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

Forget those vague, attention-grabbing warnings from the White House about Al-Qaeda operatives in our midst. For a true Terror Alert, look no further than Open Water.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
08/19/04
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

Open Water is not the terror masterpiece that many are claiming it to be.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
08/05/04
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

Lo mismo ya lo dijo, mucho mejor, Steven Spielberg hace 30 años.

Full Review Source: Uruguay Total | comment Comment
04/26/05
Enrique Buchichio
Enrique Buchichio
Uruguay Total

A fantastic gimmick - too bad nobody ever bothered to develop it into an actual, like, movie.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Weekly | comment Comment
08/05/04
Sean Burns
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly

It's ridiculously cheap and terrifying at the same time.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
08/06/04
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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