The Shallows - Gefahr aus der Tiefe (The Shallows)
U.S.A. 2016

Opening 25 Aug 2016

Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writing credits: Anthony Jaswinski
Principal actors: Blake Lively, Óscar Jaenada, Angelo Jose

Nancy (Blake Lively), in the middle of a life crisis trying to find healing for her sorrowed soul, makes her way to a secret beach where catching “just one more wave” ends up in a disaster for not only herself. SHARK! Not just any shark but the great white from JAWS, times 10 in intelligence, and a lot more vicious, is on to her. Poor thing saves herself to a rock, oh but how she does it, unbelievable! It made me gasp! Blood gushing from her ripped leg, Nancy is far from giving into fate, but fights to survive, and most importantly fights against that shark, if only the tide wasn’t rolling in to swallow up her safe spot on the rock. If you think hanging out on that rock can’t be all that exciting, well boy, you have no idea… Up until the very last second I could hardly hold myself in my seat. The awesome digital effects will make you shiver and scream. I screamed. And I liked it.

Alone on a rock: If you think the romance is missing, who really cares, when bombshell Blake Lively has problems fitting all that junk in her wetsuit and leaves her zipper open just enough for every woman in the audience to envy every single inch of that cleavage and every single man, just drooling over the thought of it.

You inevitably start imagining what you would do or be capable of if you were in a situation like that. I realized I’d be gone with the first wave. I wouldn’t’ even make it up to the surface. What Nancy manages to do seems superhuman and just a tiny bit unrealistic but then again, who cares. MacGyver meets Little Mermaid, meets Jaws meets Finding Nemo, meets Eat Pray Love.  Only four stars though as it’s just too unrealistic. There was just a tiny hint of Sharknado to it. (Karen Eve Malinowski O’Shaughnessy)