Renny Harlin returns to shark-infested waters with Deep Water, a solid survival thriller led by Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley.
Over twenty-five years ago, director Renny Harlin (The Strangers trilogy) brought an action thriller to the big screen that included sharks wreaking havoc in the ocean in the feature film Deep Blue Sea. A quarter of a century later, he offers another action thriller and shark film called Deep Water. The movie, which earned modestly positive critical reviews, sadly tanked, pun intended, at the box office. But was the movie really that bad, or are audiences simply looking for something new and different? Regardless of whether or not audiences wanted to head to the movies for a disaster/survival film, Harlin knows how to take two main ingredients, oceans and sharks, and make them rather terrifying.
When an improperly stowed power bank creates a fire in the cargo hold, it causes an explosion. Suddenly, the passengers and crew find themselves crashing into the ocean somewhere between Los Angeles and Shanghai. With Captain Rich (Ben Kingsley; Schindler's List) dead and the plane broken into pieces, First Officer Ben (Aaron Eckhart; The Dark Knight) has to take charge and try to keep himself and the survivors alive. However, with the plane sinking fast, the passengers fighting, and the water full of hungry sharks, the task seems almost impossible.
Harlin has dipped his toes, again...pun intended, into this genre before and did so successfully. Deep Blue Sea scared the heck out of its audiences, and Harlin's direction and unique camera shots made the film suspenseful and thrilling. It kept your heart pounding and had you on the edge of your seat. Deep Water does the same to a lesser extent. Sharks could come from any direction, and no one was quite sure where they would strike next. The vastness of the ocean and the feeling of loneliness also weighed heavily on the actors and viewers, despite there being other survivors nearby.
The 1080p video quality, coupled with the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, makes for some incredible visuals. Again, the ocean looks vast and unforgiving, and the details throughout the film, from airplane seats to sharks' teeth and stitching on clothing, are minutely detailed. The color palette is deep, this time...no pun intended, and rich, with excellent saturation throughout. It is often difficult to get perfect lighting when filming on the open water, but Harlin manages to do it well.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sounds almost perfect, with ambient noise hitting the viewer from all directions, especially during the plane crash moments. The sound of the ocean waves splashing against the side of the plane should bring comfort, but in this case reminds the First Officer and the surviving passengers of the precarious situation in which they find themselves. The screams of those who unfortunately fall victim to the sharks are like knife blades cutting deep into one's soul.
Unfortunately, this Blu-ray release comes with nothing more than the Blu-ray disc itself inside a case. There is no digital download and no extras. Not one. Nothing. Nada. If you didn't get the point already, this release is the bare minimum, which is truly disappointing.
I can't say for certain why Deep Water didn't fare better at the box office, other than perhaps not enough marketing. This film is another solid work from Harlin, and with not only Kingsley and Eckhart but also a capable group of female actors kicking ass against some sharks, this movie has a lot going for it. Yes, the lack of extras and the fact that the film wasn't released on 4K with Dolby Vision and Atmos technical aspects is a bummer, but the movie has a bunch of really strong moments going for it.
If you are a fan of Harlin's work, this is a worthwhile addition to your home entertainment collection.
Grade: B-
Watch FlickDirect's Deep Water Interview
Allison Rose speaks with Gene Simmons and director Renny Harlin about Deep Water, the film's shark-filled survival story, and bringing the thriller to the screen.
