Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2011

Viewers may see five Aussie holidaymakers stranded atop their overturned, slowly sinking sailboat, trying to decide, literally, whether to sink or swim the 12 miles to safety. The great whites in the neighborhood see them as lunch. This floating-head movie is presumably based on a true story, which has clearly been jazzed up a bit, and I doubt the original experience included the florid musical score. Open Water it’s not, or even director Andrew Traucki’s own Black Water (the one with the crocodiles) but it’s ably acted and works well enough, and throws in one or two pretty good “boo!” moments.