Movie Review: 47 Meters Down at “bottom of the proverbial ocean floor”

By: Sam Brady

In the forty-two years since arguably the first blockbuster ever, Jaws, Hollywood has tried over and over to makes sharks as scary as that classic did. 47 Meters Down attempts to be different by adding some claustrophobia to the endless void of the ocean, but slapping a shark in your film will inevitably draw comparisons to Spielberg’s 1975 masterpiece and that’s never a good sign.

47 Meters Down is a glorified slasher flick, but instead of a hockey mask wearing serial killer chasing the characters, it’s determined bloodthirsty sharks. A film such as this hardly relies on good performances and 47 Meters Down is no different. Mandy Moore and Claire Holt scream when they need to and panic just the same so they pretty much serve their purpose as potential shark food.

As interesting as different setting for this particular shark film may be, the tension never truly takes hold nor is it as gripping as one might expect. It’s all painfully predictable to the point where it’s almost dull to watch. Some moments of tension work, as no movie is completely flawed, but perhaps the most intense portion of the film is ruined by an unnecessary and telegraphed twist.

Overall, 47 Meters Down is not the next good shark movie. Comparing it to the best of the best in Jaws is ludicrous when it’s hard to even compare it to last year’s The Shallows. The tension doesn’t build in anyway, the performances are cut and paste out of any typical horror film, and while the interesting setup provides for some slightly impressive underwater visuals, the film as a whole feels rather cheap and ultimately drags the film down to bottom of the proverbial ocean floor.

Score: 4.5/10

47 Meters Down is released across the country on June 16, 2017

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