47 METERS DOWN

During an underwater adventure trip, Lisa and Kate’s cage plummets to the bottom of the ocean, trapping them with numerous sharks and little oxygen. The two sisters must fight all the obstacles of the deep ocean to stay alive and reach the surface. 47 METERS DOWN is an intense underwater thriller that never lets up once it gets going. The tension of the movie is palpable to the point of aggravation, as the movie constantly waivers between entertaining and downright stressful. Heavy tension, peril, gore, and violence certainly make this movie unsuitable for children. Claustrophobic or squeamish adults should also take caution.

After her boyfriend leaves her because she isn’t adventurous enough, Lisa (Mandy Moore) takes her adventurous sister, Kate (Claire Holt), on a vacation to Mexico. When Kate suggests they go on an underwater shark cage adventure with the two hunky boys they met while partying, Lisa is hesitant but wants to prove she can be exciting. Even when they realize the boat is unlicensed and doing illegal activities in order to attract sharks, Kate somehow manages to convince Lisa to take the plunge anyway. It comes as no surprise when the rusty shark cage suddenly falters and sends Lisa and Kate to the bottom of the ocean in murky waters filled with sharks.

The movie’s main strength is the way it constantly presents Lisa and Kate with new obstacles to solve, forcing their characters to act under seemingly helpless circumstances. With the ever-ticking time bomb of running out of oxygen, they must stay calm while having to find ways to radio for help, overcome injuries, signal their rescuers, face the depths of the ocean floor, and, of course, avoid the sharks. The screenwriters don’t give the trapped siblings any breaks as they are bombarded with more and more tragic incidents and forced to survive at all costs. Sometimes the unfortunate events seem unbelievable in themselves, as if too much is going wrong for these poor girls trapped underwater.

However, the movie’s conflict is very real and plays to the viewer’s curiosity as to how these two amateurs will overcome their fears and survive at all costs. The cinematography especially does a great job playing to the terror of the deep ocean. The situation in itself is terrifying, and viewers should be prepared for a very stressful 90 minutes, even when the movie takes a disappointing turn in the third act.

The first two acts do a decent job of presenting the two sisters’ situation in a realistic way, but the third act culminates in an exciting yet over-the-top climax. It also contains an unnecessary twist that negates much of the character’s struggles, and leaves their character arcs incomplete. The overall story solidifies 47 METERS DOWN as a well-done B-movie at best, with thin motivations for the characters and some seemingly tacked-on emotional moments. The fact that Lisa is motivated by nothing but what the men in her life want her to do leaves a lot to be desired for her character.

If viewers are looking for nothing more than an intense thrill ride and aren’t claustrophobic or afraid of gore, 47 METERS DOWN may be an entertaining summer movie. Anyone looking for a deeper meaning or theme behind the movie will be out of luck, as the unnecessary twist leaves the movie lacking substance. This is simply a tale of survival, nothing more.

Besides extreme violence, 47 METERS DOWN also contains some foul language. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution. 47 METERS DOWN is not a movie for children. Of course, moviegoers who already have a fear of the deep ocean probably wouldn’t see this movie anyway.