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OPEN WATER (2004) (***1/2)

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This indie flick has been described as BLAIR WITCH PROJECT meets JAWS. I’m amazed at what was accomplished with a small budget and a director with only one other feature under his belt. Chris Kentis (GRIND) shows a lot of promise as a filmmaker to watch.

The film begins with Susan (Blanchard Ryan, SUPER TROOPERS) and Daniel (Daniel Travis, film debut) getting ready for a Caribbean vacation. We quickly find out that Susan has a very time consuming and demanding job that made the trip a last minute venture. The film works equally as a thriller and a character piece. The leads are very well observed and the dialogue is so truthful you’d think you’re watching a documentary. As the events play out that lead to Susan and Daniel being stranded out in the ocean, we really get a natural tension that is great.

Once stranded, I loved how the situation played out naturally with the characters. First they are calm then they begin to bicker and finally they must depend on each other for survival. The situation with the sharks and the cold create great tension. Then when it gets dark and crashes of lightning are the only light that allows us to see the character, the terror is real. It’s a horrifying journey that is only more frightening when you know that it was based on true events.

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Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks