Director Jaume Collet-Serra
Genre Drama | Thriller
Cast Blake Lively, Oscar Jaenada, Sedona Legge
Rating PG-13
Release Date June 24th, 2016
“A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.”
The Shallows is an intense thriller directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the visionary mind behind Unknown, Non-Stop, and Run All Night. The film stars accomplished actress, Blake Lively, who most recently starred in Savages and The Age of Adaline. Touted as the next generation Jaws, The Shallows certainly has some very big shoes to fill.
Including serine visuals matched only by its relentless thrill factor, The Shallows is a shark attack thriller more than worthy of the big-screen. Like many other movie fans out there in the world, I also wondered how a film centered solely around one woman hiding on a rock from a killer great white shark could possibly hold my attention for over an hour and a half. Well The Shallows grabbed ahold of me and held on tight, literally putting me on the edge of my seat for the entire film. It is very difficult to make me jump (I see pretty much every single horror or thriller that hits theaters) and this one got me a few times, which is a credit to the atmosphere as well as the calm before the storm feel the film elicits. This is a true thriller.
Considering its rather limited cast, The Shallows somehow manages to create a very solid backstory, as well as a sense of attachment to a few minor characters (spoiler-alert, a seagull may or may not steal the show). Blake Lively is incredible as expected and this just might be her most impressive role yet. She brings her character to life and epitomizes what it means for a human being to persevere in the face of imminent danger. As a viewer you can’t help but think to yourself, “How would I react in this situation?” As a huge bonus, Blake Lively is absolutely mesmerizing and I am truly thankful she was given this role (damn you Ryan Reynolds for stealing her away). If the extremely intimidating great white shark had a name, I would give him a shout out as well, he certainly left quite an impression. Unfortunately, similar to the Somali pirate from Captain Phillips, he has very limited role potential, regardless of how talented he may be.
The Shallows is as intensely beautiful a film as I can remember, making it genuinely unique in its own right. Each and every frame will leave you in awe with its sheer beauty. Trying to compare the film to a classic like Jaws would be unfair to both in different ways. I mean we are talking over 40 years since the first Jaws hit theaters. What matters to me is whether or not The Shallows delivered the entertainment value that I expected from a film with a visionary director and a big name actress, and I left the theater with a damn big smile on my face. Sounds like a win to me. Do yourself a favor and check out The Shallows sooner than later because this is a movie meant to be seen during the summer (unless you’re a big sissy that is).
