Monday, September 5, 2011

The Reef (2011)

For any of you that has followed the Monday Movie Meme for awhile, you know I'm a big fan of "Jaws".  It made a pretty big impression on me at a young age, to the point where I don't even feel comfortable today getting into the water much past my knees.

Another frightening shark movie was "Open Water", where a couple gets accidentally left out in the middle of shark-infested waters on a scuba trip. 

This weekend, my husband and I discovered a film on our Netflix streaming that was a perfect splice of these two movies..."The Reef".  When was this in the theaters?  It was totally off my radar. 

Based on a true story, the premise is this.  Two couples and a captain head out on a sailboat for a holiday at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.  At low tide, the boat hits part of the reef and the boat starts to sink.  Knowing that the waters are full of sharks, the captain takes his chances hanging onto the slowly sinking boat.  The two couples take off swimming with a couple of kickboards to an island about 10 miles away.  To get there, though, they have to avoid an aggressive, hungry shark or two.

There aren't many surprises in the movie.  In fact, I was loudly declaring which person was going to die first.  You can always tell.  But it was still intense, with all of the shots of the sharks taken sans CGI or robotics.  The scenery of The Great Coral Reef was gorgeous.  And it was a true story, which ratchets things up a bit for me.  If you like "Jaws" or "Open Water", you definitely need to add this one to your queue.  







10 comments:

Beth F said...

SOunds like a good one even if predictable.

Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chick said...

What?! How did I miss this one? I would have gladly been there on opening weekend - I love a good scare, which I don't know why, since it sits with me well after I've seen a scary movie or read a creepy book. I'm thinking I might need to watch this one soon - perfect for the fall season!

Side note: Jaws made a huge impression on me as well, and swimming in dark water always freaked me out. Pretty tough since I grew up in Maryland! But, I haven't gotten into the water since 2006, when I happily strolled the beach in North Florida with my husband and then saw a baby hammerhead shark swim by, caught between the beach and the sandbar. Mmhmm. Not goin' in anymore.

rhapsodyinbooks said...

I love Jaws - I watch it probably once a year. Haven't heard of this one though!

Zibilee said...

I always get so freaked out by these types of movies, and can't help but put myself in the character's shoes while watching. There is something so viscerally scary to me about shark attack movies, and no matter how blase I try to be with them, I always end up uneasy and scared by them. But that doesn't stop me from watching them!

bermudaonion said...

Not my kind of movie - I'd probably never even get in a pool again if I watched it!

Jo-Jo said...

I've noticed this one on the shelf at the video store and have been very curious about it! I loved Jaws and Open Water so I think I will have to check this out!

Heidenkind said...

I've, uh, never seen Jaws. D: I know, I know.

Jenners said...

I've still not recovered from Jaws!

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Both Jaws and Open Water were terrifying... but so good! I'm adding this one to the queue.

caite said...

having just watched too much of Shark Week, I am not sure I am ready for this yet..lol