The Shallows

There's quite a bit of menace from the photography and at least the shark looks real as it terrorises the stranded "Nancy" (Blake Lively) in a small inlet a matter of a few hundred yards from the shore. Naturally, she's left all of her stuff on the beach so is completely incommunicado after a passing Great White decides it wants a snack. Luckily there are a few big rocks and even a chunky metal reef marker for her to shelter on as she prays that someone will come to her aide. Someone, that is, with sense enough to wonder what she is doing stuck on a rock and not just to get into the water, blithely and finally. Though I'm not sure just how physically possible the denouement is, I did really like those few seconds and to be fair, Lively does manage to convey a decent degree of desperation as the tenacious shark gets more and more peckish, angry and innovative. Can she survive? Well on that front the jeopardy level is precisely zero and the whole film is easily half an hour too long, but there are still some squeaky moments and it's worth a watch, if only to remind us just how vulnerable and out of our depth mankind is in a nature where our technology doesn't count.

**Overall : Blake Lively takes a shallow premise and elevates a basic shark movie to the next level with her excellent performance.** I was skeptical that an entire movie set on a buoy could be any good, but I was wrong! The Shallows is a sensational shark movie! The whole film fell on Blake Lively's shoulders to carry it all with her acting, and she delivered. The tension, bravery, fear, and struggle show through Lively's portrayal of Nancy with crystal clarity. As a shark movie fan, this one has depth 😉.

**An exceptional movie involving a hungry shark** Plot is simple yet so catchy and interesting. After a few minutes you will start to care about the main protagonist, so much that you will cross your fingers hoping for the best. Everything (or almost everything) is going to feel realistic, and there is not anything wrong with the main antagonist ... it is totally well made. Great performance by Blake Lively (Nancy Adams) too. I will also mention the impressive landscapes because they literally left me speechless. I would have appreciated a more detailed background story but I will not complain as this movie was a really great experience. Watch it, especially if you are into suspense and sharks! _(8 stars out of 10)_