Director
Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring
- Blake Lively as Nancy Adams
An energetic, nail-biting horror thriller, The Shallows is entertaining in many ways. Originality is checked at the door and we are vibes a fun and at times terrifying fight for survival between woman and beast. This is the first entry into my Month of Horror.
Nancy Adams is a medical student who has traveled to Mexico in the wake of her mother’s death. She goes to a beach she knows her mum loved in order to honour her memory and avoid dealing with her father, who it seems is distant from her. She takes to the surf and is relaxing in the sun. After encountering a dying whale, a monstrous Great White Shark attacks her. Nancy’s leg is injured, but she manages to clamber up onto some rocks. Being a medical student, she treats her wound the best she can as terror sets in. Being miles from land and knowing that the tide will soon wash her away and her safety, she has to embrace an inner toughness and fight back in order to live in the face of the shark. The question is, just how long can Nancy survive as the tide turns and the shark comes looming?
Building on a simple prestige of the lone female being menaced by something horrible, Jaume Collet-Serra ratchets up the tension from the start. He drip feeds smidgeons of foreshadowing that something bad is going to happen among the glorious cinematography. The Shallows deserves kudos for its visual appeal, especially in the lighting and scenery. The lush surf is rendered gorgeously as a paradise before the predator comes calling for food. Plus, the technique of showing us the time and connecting Nancy with others, in this case a videophone, leads to some wonderfully nifty shots. Added to this are frequent close-ups on her face that display her resilience and terror in the face of horror. Now The Shallows isn’t a perfect movie, some areas lag, but it isn’t trying to be the best movie out there. What it wants to do is scare and excite, which it does with ruthless efficiency. It’s a B-movie with a little bit of that something extra. And it has touches of humour in the form of a Seagull that gravitates to Nancy and earns the nickname, ‘Steven Seagull’. The score is excellent at slowly carving out scares and the perilous journey that Nancy attempts to go on in order to survive the shark that is menacing her.
One of the best things in The Shallows is Blake Lively. Getting to grips with the physicality of the part, she also displays courage, heart and fierce steel as she does battle with the shark. Lively is a beauty and often her acting gets overlooked, but she shows here that she’s definitely more than a pretty face. In the hands of someone else, the part could have been just eye candy, but that’s not the case with Lively. It’s a commendable piece of work because the film largely rests on her athletic shoulders. Luckily, she is up to the task of it.
A tense and thrilling survival horror with a fine lead performance and terror at almost every corner, The Shallows is a movie that truly entertains and scares in equal measure.
beetleypete said:
I haven’t seen this, but it got a lot of really positive reviews. I might wait for it to pitch up for free, on Film 4. 🙂
Cheers, Pete.
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vinnieh said:
It’s worth your time. Not original, but thrilling and exciting.
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nscovell said:
I couldn’t get past the ending where she veers to the right so the shark swims by her and impales itself.
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vinnieh said:
I have heard some criticism of that.
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Keith said:
I was really surprised by this movie. It looked cheesy but it certainly wasn’t. Really been wanting to give it another look.
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vinnieh said:
It took a simple premise and did wonders with it. It was very tense and had me panicking throughout.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Great review Vinnie! I thought this was one of the better shark movies out there.
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vinnieh said:
I concur with that opinion, Kim. I found it very energetic and it was beautifully shot. Plus, Blake Lively really gave it her all.
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Nidhi said:
Good review👍
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vinnieh said:
Thank you for reading my content.
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fragglerocking said:
I haven’t seen this but I will put it on the ironing list, love the Steven Seagull 😀 Nice to have you back doing your reviews V~man.
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vinnieh said:
It’s good to be back. That seagull really owns the scenes he appears in.
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raistlin0903 said:
Wonderful review vinnieh! I absolutely loved this movie, and you are so right: Blake is a terrific actress. She definitely is much more than eyecandy. A great role, and a truly tense and great film 😊
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vinnieh said:
She shows her chops and mettle here. And it’s a tough job carrying a film for almost the entire duration.
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J. said:
I spotted this was on Netflix, so I added it hoping for some good shark fun. Sounds like it ticks all the right boxes.
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vinnieh said:
Good shark fun is an apt description. I think you’ll have a good time with it.
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The Vern said:
I would gladly swim with 2 great white sharks for one night with Blake Lively. This was actually good except for the very last moment. No Spoilers It wasnt needed
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vinnieh said:
Haha, I’m sure many of us would do what you said to spend anight with Blake Lively.
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keepsmealive said:
Blake Lively and sharks? I’m in.
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vinnieh said:
A killer combo.
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