A short trip to a secret beach in Mexico becomes an unending nightmare for a female swimmer (Blake Lively) when she accidentally crosses into the feeding zone of a great white shark. THE SHALLOWS is a tight simple thriller for those that want to be scared of the water again. Director Jaume Collet-Serra practically makes you taste the salty water at all times, thanks to the lush cinematography during the more happier moments and his slow handling of the protagonist's desperation on an inescapable rock. Though your gut and innate knowledge of films might cause you to believe that everything will work out in the end, Collet-Serra keeps you on your toes thanks to some grisly killings, underwater trauma, and several impromptu medical procedures that will make you wince. He and his screenwriter also circumvents the possible tedium of being completely trapped with one character by bringing in a small companion in the form of a disabled seagull, who often steals the show right out from the resourceful and engaging Lively. The movie does trips itself up by being a little too flamboyant however, namely its opening third where FaceTime calls and digital photos are displayed on the right sight of the frame or the just plain weird surfing montage set to Neon Jungle's "Trouble". The minor subplot with Lively's mommy issues also had me rolling my eyes severely. Nevertheless, this is a quality genre flick and a perfect induction into the canon of ocean terror movies.
FINAL REVIEW: 3 / 5
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