47 Meters Down, Movie Review

Check out Brandon Vick's full review of 47 Meters Down here!

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Jaws debuted in the summer of 1975, and our everlasting fear of sharks was ingrained in our minds and never forgotten. But unlike 47 Meters Down, a shark flick look-alike from any of the past forty years, Steven Spielberg built tension and dread by showing you very little. Not so much with director Johannes Roberts. It’s all front and center where suspense doesn’t seem to exist within this story—if there’s blood in the water then sharks will come sniffing. They sorta have a reputation of liking its scrumptious taste.

Lisa (Mandy Moore) and Kate (Claire Holt) are sisters vacationing in Mexico, and the last thing they want to be is boring. Lisa’s boyfriend left her for being just that, so danger is calling her name. With the help of some handsome foreigners, the sisterly duo choose to go diving with the sharks. On a rusted-out boat with a crane that could fall to pieces at any moment, there’s no swimming back to shore now. Decked out in their scuba gear, Lisa and Kate jump in the shark cage to get a closer look at some gigantic Great Whites.

Nothing but harmless fun since the cage is only heading 5 meters down; but they’re about to get more than their money’s worth. The piece of shit equipment falls apart, sending the ladies all the way down to the ocean floor with hardly any oxygen to spare. Possibly the only ingenious part of 47 Meters Down is making most of the movie take place underwater. There’s a terrifying sense of panic that leaves you gasping for air. You’ll fit right in with Lisa and Kate. Yay!

I almost don’t even hold the loss of logic against 47 Meters Down. Dumb people doing dumb things is inescapable for all shark movies. It’s the norm now for stories such as these. Even so, there needs to be an attempt to prove to the audience that this scenario is different and these folks really do matter. Personally, that’s what made last year’s The Shallows a standout—a primitive shark survival tale, supported by a single stirring performance, that’s lean with stunning scenery and thrills that kill.

Roberts lets most of those key ingredients disintegrate in to the water from the get-go. The only thrill you’ll get out of this is a brief yet bona fide shocker that sinks its teeth in in the final few minutes. What’s left is what’s been chewed up and spit out. The rescue of 47 Meters Down from straight to DVD/VOD release last year should’ve been called off.

Check out the latest episode of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast, on which we chat about some of the notable shark movies from our lifetimes:

Listen to “Ep. 56: Shark Movies” on Spreaker.

Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.

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