Director: Johannes Roberts Starring: Mandy Moore, Claire Holt, Matthew Modine .USA/UK. 1h 25m
There seems to be a modern push to make a shark film that’s more frightening than Jaws (1975) and 47 Meters Down attempts to put a couple of holidaying party girls in the driving seat against a deadly toothy beast resulting in a laughable popcorn “thriller”. Initially there’s no real build up as with the classic Jaws so really the connection should stop being made? It seems that after being jilted by her lover for being boring, a young girl is talked into going on an adventure swimming with sharks. “Think of the pictures’ ‘ It’s never clear if this is supposed to win her ex back or just make him jealous but think about all the other health implications too Karen!?
After being sailed out into the perfect location by Matthew Modine, the chum launched into the sea, the girls are slowly lowered into the shark infested watered in a bulky rusty cage just in time for things to go horribly wrong. Basically they get trapped in a cage that can’t be raised,. the boat owners are afraid to go for help because they aren’t licensed so they just hang around in case the girls make it out alive… or maybe to just make sure there are no witnesses! lol
It’s not like Jaws in the slightest once you get past that it’s pretty enjoyable for a series of cheap thrills, there’s no devious skilled minds against a super predator, just a couple of scared females against a hungry shark, obviously it would have to be a couple of girls poised as victims, and the fight back is frantic and skittish, everything you’d expect from a couple of girls.
No help above, no hope below
The shark is more of a tool in this bloody adventure, where’s the toothy for in the classic had a sort of personality, a dark and psychotic presence on screen, to be fair the shark was a total tease at times, Sadly 37 meters down uses the present of the dark as nothing more than a catalyst for keeping the girls in the water and constantly struggling to find oxygen.
Sammie: Oh, it’s like you’re going to the zoo – except you’re in the cage.
One step up from the average indie creature feature, it’s enjoyment lies in the frequent jump scares, the shark pops out of NOWHERE and there’s a really cool reality bending faux ending to behold, sounds a bit silly right, well it’s a fantasy horror adventure so it’s allowed to be. If there’s anything which you remember from the movie when you next step into the ocean you’ll be thankful that you’re not swimming in chum.
Rating: 4/10
Related: 47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019), Open Water (2003), The Reef (2010), The Shallows (2016), Resident Evil : Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
Lists: Shark Scares
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