Despite the danger of surfing alone, Nancy decides to soak up the sun and hit the waves. Suddenly, a great white shark attacks, forcing her to swim to a giant rock for safety. Left injured and stranded 200 yards from shore, the frightened young woman must fight for her life as the deadly predator circles her in its feeding ground.
Netflix is really loving it's shark movies at the moment and--only a few days after they added 47 Metres Down to their roster--they've gone and added The Shallows too. The 2016 film is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who has directed other projects like House of Wax, Unknown, Non-Stop, and is currently in pre-production for DC's anti-hero film Black Adam.
The Shallows is a beautifully-shot film. It takes its time to develop the basics of our main character while impressing the viewers with some absolutely breathtaking cinematography. Pretty much the entire film takes place in one location, so a lot of effort is made in making sure the environment is legitimately welcoming; it's a common problem with horrors and thrillers being set in areas that no sane person would enter. Intensely vivid colours, smooth underwater shots, and slow-motion are effectively used (water and slow-motion are a match made in heaven) and it all adds to the splendour. It is a little heavyhanded, however, and by the end of this set-up, as a viewer, you are more than ready for the film to move on to the actual premise.
For a film that is effectively "Blake Lively on a rock for an hour and a half", it is quite well scripted. Despite very few characters involved in the film, The Shallows does a great job at providing a variety of temporary options for potential safety from a consistent threat. This combined with a number of time-based factors, that that can force our protagonist into the sharks' domain, the tension is well-maintained.
What also helps drive the tension is our protagonist herself. Blake Lively is very well cast as this shapely med student who actually has a good head on her shoulders and doesn't let the situation prevent her from thinking clearly. A gorgeous, smart woman that was studying medicine to help people? There is no chance that the audience would not want to see that she survives, and remain glued to their seats. We see problems, we see makeshift solutions assessed (often incorporating some MacGuyver-like ingenuity), and we hold our breath every time she has to re-enter the water.
The CGI is largely good. There are a few scenes where CGI scenery is apparent, Lively's face has been clearly added to her stunt doubles body, and the shark can look very out-of-place anytime it is not actually in the water, but for the most part, the film feels real and grounded.
It's interesting to look at the angles used for many of the shots, with a lot of the cinematography appearing to have the aim of sexualising Lively's character at every possible opportunity. Rife with cleavage shots, as the wetsuit is donned and doffed, panning across the body during active surfing shots, and a lot of slow-motion as she bends her body to duck under the waves. It's an interesting way to frame the intelligent protagonist (not dissimilar to how Megan Fox was portrayed in the Transformer franchise).
The Shallows has a surprisingly good execution. We get tension from a situation that feels real, and it isn't hindered by idiotic characters. Admittedly the ending is a bit cheesy, but it was still satisfying. With a slightly bigger budget to improve the CGI, the film could have been improved, but as it stands, The Shallows is a very enjoyable thriller.