Sometimes the path that a film travels before it eventually ends up in the cinema is strange. Sometimes there are movies that are completely finished, but end up on the shelf to ultimately never reach the cinema and only become available via VOD (and DVD / BluRay). Sometimes there is a very good reason, for example because they are terribly bad (think of Get a Job with Miles Teller, Anna Kendrick, Allison Brie and Bryan Cranston which was filmed in 2012 and released last year) but sometimes it is because studios don’t expect them to attract a large audience.
That was initially the case with 47 Meters Down. A film that would be available to buy in stores/online last year and for which the physical copies were already ready and shipped to stores. The film distributor decided to sell the rights and the new owner stopped the plans and decided to release the film in the cinema this year. That turned out to be a smart move, because this film, with a mere budget of 5.5 million dollars, eventually ended up making just over 53 million, which shows that there are still enough people who enjoy shark movies and would like to go to the cinema for them. I do not belong to this group, but the title has been available through Netflix (over in The Netherlands).
Lisa (Mandy Moore) and Kate (Claire Holt) are two sisters who are on vacation together in Mexico. There, Lisa tells her sister that her boyfriend broke up because he said she is too boring. After a night out, where the two meet a bunch of men who recommend diving, they decide to do it for the thrill. The next morning they head out to sea and they are put in a cage and lowered into the water so they can see the sharks. When the cable of the cage breaks it falls 47 meters down. Anxious and without communication with the boat, the two must escape before their oxygen runs out while avoiding the sharks.
If you’re looking for excitement, then 47 Meters Down offers enough of that. The characters can see little in the dark water and a shark can pop up at any time. The fact that the women themselves are also very anxious (especially because one of the two has no diving experience at all) only contributes to the feeling of being locked up and having the very uncertain feeling of not knowing wwhether you will still be saved. The film succeeds in creating new situations which give the women hope, but it is often a question whether that hope is justified. With a few unexpected turns, horror moments and tension, it is a nice thrill ride.
