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Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein, Estelle Lau, Michael E. Williamson ... see more see more... , Cristina Zenarro , John Charles

Independent filmmaker Chris Kentis directs the dramatic thriller Open Water, based on a true story. Susan (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel (Daniel Travis) are a busy married couple on an island vacation. T... read more read more...hey board a vessel called the Reef Explorer with a group of other scuba divers, traveling 15 miles out to sea. Since they are certified to dive in open waters, the couple breaks off from the group to go exploring. The Reef Explorer accidentally leaves without a proper head count, leaving them stranded in shark-infested waters. Kentis and producer wife Laura Lau did all the filming themselves in the actual ocean without extraneous special effects, while the actors wore special steel-mesh under their wetsuits in the scenes where actual sharks were involved. Open Water was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 as part of the American Spectrum competition. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Flixster Users

31% liked it

53,555 ratings

Critics

72% liked it

190 critics

R, 1 hr. 19 min.

Directed by: Chris Kentis

Release Date: August 20, 2004

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DVD Release Date: December 28, 2004

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Stats: 4,002 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,002)

  • kenstachnik
    August 20, 2011
    kenstachnik
    A really interesting concept that's HORRIBLY executed. There's no plot. Only a lot of bickering, the occasional scream, and a situation that runs out of gas about half way through the film. Thank god they all died.
  • CloudStrife84
    July 25, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    How unsettling of a thought that this has all happened for real. I can't imagine a situation more terrifying than being alone and helpless in shark-infested waters. Filming it with handheld cameras, using only unknown actors, added even more to the realism. Most of the suspense d... read moreoesn't kick in until in the second half, but once it gets there, it's a non-stop sensation of dread and high anxiety. Because where Jaws was just fiction, the events behind this movie are anything but.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    October 2, 2010
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Other people go on vacation and spend their days just laying around. We have a story we're going to be telling for the rest of our lives."

    Based on the true story of two scuba divers accidentally stranded in shark infested waters after their tour boat has left.

    ... read moreREVIEW
    Very scary stuff with sharks - Open Water is a lot more subtle than Jaws, made on a fraction of the budget, and refreshing in its demonstration of how basic, realistic film-making can have the power to make us squirm in our seats when done well. A jet-setting American couple take time off their jobs to take a holiday break that includes a bit of diving. The boat has twenty people - the captain crosses people off as they come back on board so he knows everyone is safely back. The style has an almost documentary feel to it (not surprisingly it is based on the true story of two scuba divers who got stranded when their boat accidentally left). So it seems entirely plausible when he counts off twenty people and returns to shore - overlooking the fact that one person went diving twice, the second time with someone who had forgotten their mask and borrowed one when the other divers were back. Simple miscalculation. The ensuing nightmare of Susan and Daniel, the two stranded divers, goes from relaxed belief that they will be picked up soon when the mistake is noticed, to domestic squabbles over who's 'fault' it was, to brave concern, to outright terror. The film is genuinely terrifying - there are no special effects, just superb film-making. Don't go and see Open Water if you are about to go on a scuba diving holiday - it may make you cancel the trip.
  • fb619846742
    September 5, 2010
    fb619846742
    A well-acted, expertly shot drama concerning a busy couple (Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis) who elect to take a vacation south of the border in hopes of growing closer together. However, after the ship that takes them scuba diving leaves them behind by accident, they are forced to... read more survive in the open sea while having no food, water, and also being surrounded by a variety of annoying sea creatures - including menacing sharks who make their presence known. The severe backlash that hit this movie is just absurd - if you really think this is a "boring, stupid movie about two people bobbing around in the water", then I feel bad for you. It's no masterpiece, and it does have its severe flaws (seen while the credits are rolling - actually), but this is one taut, suspenseful, visceral experience that won't leave you quickly, with a shocking finale that fits the mood of the film very well.
  • EightThirty
    August 23, 2010
    EightThirty
    23/08/2010 (TELEVISION)

    A little hard to get into for me but I like to challenge my preferences and either be surprised ...or pissed off. It definitely was a watchable flick and I didn't hate it and it's not til a little half way through the movie that you realize how scary thi... read mores is.

    I must admit i was about to change the channel cause it was boring for me at first and I wasn't sure how this story is going to knock my sock off. I mean, floating in the sea throughout the movie seems a little bit of a boring watch. As it turned out, I was interested enough to want to know what would happen next.

    This is definitely a psychological thriller that when you get the sense of "what if this was you?" It's pretty freaky. Stuck in the middle of the ocean, no land in sight and sharks swimming around you all.. day... long... What. To. Do.
  • cosmo313
    August 1, 2010
    cosmo313
    Very similar in a lot of ways to films like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, but doesn't quite hit the mark where those two do. This film is creating about creating a sense of dread, atmosphere, and realism, and, while the tension rises, ther is no real payoff, an... read mored no scares are delivered. Still though, this is a creepy film, and the way it ends is at least pretty realistic.

    I still give it praise since it was shot on a low budget, is an independent production, and shows how a simple idea (and a great setting) can get under your skin and successfully freak people out, even if the end result is underwhelming.

    Rarely do I ever consider nudity pointless in a movie, but there seemed to be no real reason for it here. Blanchard Ryan is nice, but her nude scene just seemed kind of random.

    Okay, that is all. If you like micro-budget indie films that rely more on tension atmosphere, and realism than gore and violence, then you'll probably find something to enjoy about this;if not, I'd skip it.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    May 1, 2010
    FiLmCrAzY
    ooo so boringgg!!
    i emphazie on the sooo boring!!
    there is nothing entertaining on watching a couple stranded in the sea that is shark infested and then the ending is just as stupid as the rest of the movie!!
    i wouldnt recommend this movie to anyone!!
  • FilmFanatik
    December 21, 2009
    FilmFanatik
    What a piece of crap.
  • ScoopOnline
    December 15, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    It surely scared my socks off.
  • SirPant
    September 22, 2009
    SirPant
    I like it, it?s like a Dogma version of jaws!

View All Open Water Reviews

Critic Reviews

Peter Howell
August 20, 2004
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

There are no Hollywood heroes in these waters, only two regular people ... plus you and me, huddling in the dark. Full Review

Joe Baltake
August 20, 2004
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

An unnerving 'What if?' scenario that you won't be able to shake -- from either your dreams or your waking thoughts. Full Review

Roger Moore
August 20, 2004
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Sharks are nature's most efficient killing machines. Open Water, which co-stars sharks, is the summer cinema's most efficient scaring machine. Full Review

Liam Lacey
August 20, 2004
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Considered in its ham-handed entirety, Open Water feels more of an exercise in cinematic sadism. Full Review

Peter Rainer
August 15, 2004
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

Terrifying precisely because it doesn't go in for cheesy shock tactics and special effects. Full Review

(CNN.com) Paul Clinton
August 13, 2004
(CNN.com) Paul Clinton, CNN.com

The unforgiving power of nature are all on display to amazing, and frightening, effect. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
August 11, 2004
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Becomes a slow and steady descent into pure fear. Full Review

David Edelstein
August 9, 2004
David Edelstein, Slate

I'm sorry, but that's entertainment? Full Review

Stephanie Zacharek
August 7, 2004
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

We, the audience, shuffle out of the theater, feeling drained and punished. Full Review

Desson Thomson
August 6, 2004
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

As the clock ticks on, the sharks thresh and the dialogue continues to stagnate, you might just catch yourself wickedly thinking: Come on sharks, let's do this. Full Review

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Open Water Trivia

  • In which movie does Blanchard Ryan appear with his girlfriend in the ocean?  Answer »
  • Jaws meets the Blair Witch in this true tale of terror. A holidaying couple are left behind on a Scuba diving trip to face isolation, storms and sharks. Name the movie.?  Answer »
  • Create a movie title. ____ Crystal Open ____  Answer »
  • The film Open Water was based on a true story?  Answer »
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