Deep Water Review
If I had a nickel for a survival movie with sharks released this year, I’d have two nickels. It isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice given Thrash’s recent release. Oftentimes, shark survival films can end up going one of two (or three) ways. They can either be as compelling and dramatic as Steven Spielberg’s Jaws or they can go wild and crazy like those Sharknado movies. Of course, there’s a line that balances the spine-tingling tension with the jaw-dropping kills of everyone’s favorite sea creature. Director Renny Harlin tries to experiment with that balance in Deep Water, but the film almost plays itself too safely.
Deep Water follows a group of survivors after their plane crashes in the middle of the ocean. Aspiring plane captain Ben (Aaron Eckhart) tries to lead everyone to safer waters, but they’re split up and trapped in different circumstances. From one group being stuck in a floating midsection to several more surrounded by rising water, Ben must do what he can to ensure everyone survives. Unfortunately for them, they’re all surrounded by bloodthirsty sharks who want to eat them all up.
This isn’t Harlin’s first time directing a shark-centric dramatic thriller as he directed 1999’s more scifi-focused Deep Blue Sea. Although that film had a different tone, you have to admit that it helped hone Harlin’s skills in some way. Just like how Harlin handled the suspenseful elements of Deep Blue Sea with some ease, so too does he do it again with Deep Water. Here, Harlin utilizes a balance of topside shots of desperation with those brooding underwater cuts adequately to increase that much-needed tension. Just watching those CGI sharks silently stalk their prey, whether it be a Ben’s flight attendant friend to those that fall out of those rafts, just unsettingly eases you in.
That said, Harlin makes it very clear who dies and who lives due to the conventional dialogue and setups. A few scenes prior to said plot beats try to make you feel bad for where these characters, particularly with Ben Kingsley’s pilot character, end up. These scenes even try to provide a bit of optimism in the moment, like a wistful goodbye at the beginning of the second act to a grandmother spiritually “letting go” upon her demise. Yet, the way that the dialogue and the camera try to set these scenes up almost feels somewhat generic for a thriller. Sure, we do feel somewhat sympathetic for where most of these characters end up, but we only spend so much time with them to feel something.
This is because Deep Water tries to do a lot of things within its narrative. Harlin packs in several different storylines, from siblings trying to reunite to a rivalry between different sports teams. Harlin and his screenplay team, which consists of four writers, even tries to fit in a romance story between geek Matt (Angus Sampson) and flight attendant Zoe. This storyline does connect back to the sibling reunion story, but it has little chemistry build-up to justify why this side story needed to be added. It’s a good thing that Eckhart gets into the heroic leadership position his character is in quickly, or else these storylines would’ve felt all jumbled up.
The many characters of Deep Water also suffer from a lack of substance and some of the decisions they make may feel weird. The emotional core of this film is supposed to come through Cora (Molly Belle Wright), but Harlin makes some decisions that are somewhat weird. In one scene, she tries to call out to her dad (who, at this point, has been killed off), dragging herself into the water to be saved by Ben. Later on, after the raft she’s on gets flipped over, she’s later found all alone, standing on a piece of the plane. I understand that she’s supposed to be the “humanity” of the group, but Harlin and his writers seem to see her as more of a damsel-in-distress.
There’s also two boys from different sports teams: Hutch (Lakota Johnson) the wrestler and the captain of a Singaporean esports team. Their rivalry arc is played out as conventionally as possible, which will feel certainly familiar for viewers. They initially hate each other thanks to a little airport bump-in because of Lilly (Rosie Zhao), but after a few saves, both of them make amends. Most characters, like Hans (John De Luca), provide little input, often just getting a bit quirky here and there.
One character that stands out is the douche played by Angus Sampson is cartoonishly devious. Harlin makes it clear this guy only cares for himself, even going so far as to dump some of the survivors out, but he’s the one that’s caused all of this. Of course, as all group survivor films go, karma gets satisfyingly dished out. In a way, the way that it’s done almost reminds me of last year’s Dangerous Animals, which had a much more sadistically evil antagonist.
Although Renny Harlin has shown that he’s capable as a director, Deep Water has shown that he’s in a position of complacency from a writing standpoint. The film doesn’t try to do anything original to stand out from similar movies, save for a few shocking kills, and has much to pack into its narrative. There’s still so much potential that Harlin can utilize, but there’s also too many stereotypical tropes and beats that hinder what could have been.
Rating: ★★⯪☆☆
Deep Water releases in theaters on May 1.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.