“The Shallows”

I didn’t expect it to be this good. I expected to see the same angle of Blake Lively that I always do, and I would leave the theatre with the same hate-envy because she’s so freaking perfect, but with no substance. But, The Shallows shows that she’s more than just a pretty face — she can be a bad-ass too and look hot doing it.

The film is nerve-wracking from the very start. A kid is shown kicking a soccer ball on a beach in Mexico (of which, we never learn the name of) and he discovers a banged up helmet with a GoPro attached to it. We only get a nibble of what’s on the footage, including the shark, already portrayed as a mysterious monster that haunts the sea. Who’s helmet is that? Who else has this shark killed? I thought the lead shark from Jaws had died?

Nancy (Blake Lively) catches a ride from a local named Carlos (Oscar Jaenada) but quickly thanks and shoos him away once she reaches the beach that her late mother once told her about, and assures him that she’ll catch an Uber on her way out. What could possibly go wrong?

The cinematography was gorgeous and, yet, gushing with the scary realization of too much “alone time.” (Be careful what you wish for, folks.) I was most impressed with how Director Jaume Collet-Serra incorporated phone apps, text over-lays and screen-encompassing FaceTime conversations; we get bits and pieces of Nancy’s background — why she’s at the beach in the first place — and what kind of person she is. Actually, I appreciated it. The less information I knew, the better because we learn about the character’s strengths and weaknesses the most when she’s fighting for her life. And, the plot is as simple and sweet as that: smart, pretty girl surfs alone and gets attacked by a shark.

Also, when Nancy is floating around, waiting for a wave to come in, she spots seagulls hovering around something in the water. She then sees that it’s a huge whale with gashes in its sides. Perfect time for the shark to attack now. Once she’s [finally] grabbed she takes refuge on the whale and climbs on top of it. I hadn’t seen this done before in a film, so I really loved it. Until this scene, I felt like I was the one being baited! Quick movements and sounds beforehand led me to believe that that particular moment was the one that she’d be attacked by the shark. Despite what some people may think and what some critics may say, The Shallows is a thriller that accomplishes keeping its audience guessing and cringing.

There were several spectacular shots throughout the film, also including the scene with the jellyfish, and of course, the final “battle-scene” between Nancy and the white shark. Okay, Lively, you killed it (figuratively, speaking). You won me over.

A-: The Shallows is a visually sexy and calculated build-up that challenges you to find something wrong with it.

Sources: Consequences of Sound, Imdb.com