Movie Review Open Water

Open Water (2004) 

Directed Chris Kentis 

Written by Chris Kentis 

Starring Daniel Travis, Blanchard 

Release Date August 6th, 2004 

Published August 5th, 2004 

When I was told that the movie The Terminal was based on a real guy trapped at a French Airport, I was surprised. When I read that the left-in-the-ocean movie Open Water was based on more than one true story, I was blown away. I have been scuba diving, rather recently in fact, and the idea of being left at sea was a fear my friends and dive coach called crazy, impossible. No way that could ever happen.

Daniel (Daniel Travis) and Susan (Blanchard Ryan) are your average suburban couple. They have an SUV, well-paying jobs and the stress that your average suburbanite always must escape, at least temporarily, in places like Jamaica, Hawaii or some other tropical paradise.

Daniel and Susan’s getaway is some unknown tropical location where the drinks are served in coconuts and have umbrellas. They have planned a week’s worth of activities that starts with a morning of scuba diving. Daniel has been planning this for awhile with lessons, weather maps and watching Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.

The morning dive trip is marked by a pair of minor mistakes. First, the dive team miscounts the number of divers on the boat, 20 instead of 22. Then Daniel and Susan are separated from the group and take a little too long to come back up. When they finally do come up, the boat has left without them and what seems like an urban legend becomes dangerously real. Daniel and Susan have been left behind and no one knows they are gone.

Open Water was written, directed and edited by Chris Kentis with an assist by his wife and producing partner Laura Lau. Both have clearly studied the art of suspense. For long periods as Daniel and Susan bob up and down, nothing happens. Kentis makes terrific use of what people think they know about sharks and even gives a wink and a nod to the Discovery Channel’s wildly popular Shark Week.

Shot on digital video with all natural lighting and sound, aside from a soundtrack that drifts in and out, Open Water aesthetically resembles the minimalist values of European Dogme filmmaking. Though Lars Von Trier and his European brethren would look down their nose at a genre film, Open Water shows the true potential of the minimalist approach and its ability to be as or even more exciting than any big budget film.

The film's stars, Daniel Travis and Blanchard Ryan, must be commended for their commitment as much as their performances. The two actors spent more than 250 hours in the water surrounded by the very real dangers, real jellyfish, real barracudas and yes, real sharks. Both were protected by some of the top shark wranglers, but that was little comfort as sharks swam within inches of them.

Chris Kentis is the real star of Open Water. His direction is fresh and inventive. His script is spare and darkly humorous, my favorite line “I wanted to go skiing!” The amount of suspense Kentis and company wring from this seemingly limited idea is amazing. A nearly perfect blend of direction, method acting (sort of, if you think about it), and Oscar-worthy editing. This is a terrific film.