SOMETHING IN THE WATER (2024)

Something In The Water (2024)
Directed by: Hayley Easton Street
Written by: Cat Clarke
Starring: Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart, Gabriel Prevost-Takahashi, Hiftu Quasem, Lauren Lyle, Natalie Mitson, Nicole Rieko Setsuko

SOMETHING IN THE WATER (2024)
Directed by Hayley Easton Street
On digital, Blu-ray & DVD

Recouping after a traumatic experience, Meg flies to a tropical holiday destination for her friend Lizzie’s upcoming nuptials. Deciding to have one last afternoon with the girls before the wedding, Lizzie’s soon-to-be sister-in-law Cam organises a trip out on a boat to a secluded island. When something goes drastically wrong, their fun day-trip descends into a nightmare as the girls must do whatever it takes to survive.

Sun-kissed survival thriller SOMETHING IN THE WATER takes you on a luxurious getaway with sun, sand and sharks as five friends find themselves out of their depth with a bride-to-be who might not make sunrise, never mind make it down the isle.

A refreshing iteration of a familiar horror subject, SOMETHING IN THE WATER looks absolutely spectacular on-screen and has decent performances from its female-led cast that carries and propels the story throughout.  The opening scene is a particularly effective and shocking introduction that was totally unexpected and could have been the intro to a completely different kind of movie, but adds an element of pain and struggle that nicely ties into the character’s story and on-screen friendships and relationships.

Time is spent to introduce the viewer to the different characters, whether it’s from chitchat between the friends or from the character’s own appearance on-screen, so by the time they head off on the boat trip, we have a good idea who they are and begin to care for them, which is really important in films like this where they’re inevitably put into peril. The actors have a great chemistry and are believable as a friendship group, whilst the more time we spend with them, we discover other elements of their personality and who they are, which makes us that more invested in their quest for survival.

Though touted as a shark thriller, SOMETHING IN THE WATER is much more than that and those looking for a hardcore shark flick may be left disappointed. Whilst the shark is the predator and antagonist of the film, it’s not the sole focus and appears quite sparingly when compared to other shark flicks. I feel this adds an element of realism as I doubt a shark intent on eating humans would be constantly trying to hound its victims. Some of the more fear-inducing scenes are reflected in the periods of quiet and desperation between the women as the prospect of not being found in time dawns on them as the minutes and hours pass.

The risk of becoming a shark’s next meal isn’t the only worry and the film brilliantly explores this as the friends must make life-defining choices; decisions that are so difficult to make but could mean the difference between life and death. These moments feel full of despair and you can see on the women’s faces the agony of having to make the choice.

Having seen quite a few shark flicks and stranded survivor thrillers set in the ocean, one thing that really stuck out for me in this movie is that this is one of the few (if not only) films that actually sunburns its victims! Bobbing about in the sea with the searing sun bearing down on you is enough on its own to take its toll, never mind the prospect of being gobbled up by the marine life lurking under water. As time ticks by, so do the burns on the face, shoulders and bodies of the friends. Exposure to the elements, such as the sun, not to mention succumbing to the tiredness and exhaustion of trying to stay afloat in the ocean, is enough to kill anyone… and that’s without the threat of a shark!

If the thought of being stuck in open water scares you to death, then SOMETHING IN THE WATER will certainly strike a chord and serves as a warning what not to do on a boat trip!

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