Film Review: "The Shallows" (2016).

"What was once in the deep is now in The Shallows". This horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Anthony Jaswinski. When Nancy is surfing on a secluded beach, she finds herself on the feeding ground of a great white shark. Though she is stranded only two hundred yards from shore, survival proves to be the ultimate test of wills, requiring all of Nancy's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and fortitude.

In June 2015, Louis Leterrier was initially attached to direct, but dropped out due to creative differences. Ultimately, Collet-Serra was hired to replace Leterrier. From the very beginning, Collet-Serra viewed the movie as one about survival and decided not to place an emphasis on gore. In August, Blake Lively was cast. Lively was partly inspired by her husband, Ryan Reynolds', work in the similarly minimalist film Buried (2010). Collet-Sera said that script was re-tailored to fit Lively, as the original character was a younger one, about three to four years younger. In late October, principal photography commenced and wrapped in mid January 2016. Filming took place at Village Roadshow Studios in Queensland, as well as New South Wales, Australia. The film was originally was going to be filmed on the Gulf Coast of Texas near Galveston, but the filmmakers were denied a film permit for safety reasons. Much of the film was shot in a tank using bluescreens for effects. Still, Collet-Serra wanted to avoid the "more stylized look" of similar films using the set up and estimated that 10% of the film was shot on location in order to "trick" the audience into believing the setting was real. The shark was made entirely through computer-generated imagery, which was only completed close to the start of the marketing campaign for the film. /Film noted that the use of CGI was unusual for Collet-Serra, as he typically used practical effects as opposed to the digital ones required by the shoot. Lively ended up performing several of her own stunts, including a scene where her character breaks her nose. In reality, Lively really did hurt herself in that scene and the blood on her nose is real. Also, Lively was pregnant with her second child during filming. Sony had originally set the film for a June 29, 2016 release date, but was moved up to June 24, 2016 to avoid The Purge: Election Year.

The film stars Lively. worry, terror, and the dread that can accompany the unknown. This is thanks to Lively's performance.

The film is being touted as one of the most frightening films to chomp into your psyche for a long time, but either I'm secretly being fed sedatives or this is a case of good old hype meets collective hysteria. It has labored to make an almost Jaws-level film. It's meant to make us feel like we are really there, and to a certain extent it succeeds. It depends on the audience to be able to vicariously place themselves in the situation at hand, and if you can do that, you're in for a nerve-frying treat.

Simon says The Shallows receives:

Also, see my review for Run All Night.