Black Water
by Andrew Traucki, David Nerlich
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Andy Rodoreda, Ben Oxenbould, Diana Glenn, Fiona Press, Maeve DermodyDirector: Andrew Traucki, David Nerlich
Brand: Sony
Cinematographer: John Biggins
Producer: Andrew Traucki
Writer: Andrew Traucki
Writer: David Nerlich
Editor: Rodrigo Balart
Producer: Chris Wheeldon
Producer: Gary Rogers
Producer: Germaine McCormack-Kos
Producer: Michael Robertson
Producer: Michelle Harrison
Producer: Paul Cowan
Producer: Paul Ranford
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-02-19
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of Black Water
Movie Review: A super-intense, uncomfortably realistic thriller from Down Under
Summary: 5 Stars
Black Water is one extremely intense human survival movie. I don't know how anyone could sit through this and not have to consciously unclench most of his/her muscles before he/she can walk away after it's over. I can see where comparisons with Jaws (30th Anniversary Edition), Open Water (Widescreen Edition), or Rogue would ultimately come up in the discussion of this film, but I absolutely did not expect to see some viewers rating it so poorly. I don't think the Jaws comparisons carry much weight, and -as far as the other film comparisons go - who cares? Even if you've never seen a movie before in your life, you pretty much know how the film is going to play out by the twenty-five minute mark - and that doesn't make the film any less thrilling or suspenseful. The only question that really matters here is who, if any, of the characters are going to survive. The plot is one of brutal simplicity - and I mean that as a compliment.
Here's the situation. You're enjoying a fishing adventure with two family members in a mangrove swamp in Northern Australia when your boat is capsized by a salt-water crocodile. Two of you manage to scurry up a nearby tree, while the most vulnerable member of your party clings to the top of the overturned boat. Forget about your tour guide because he doesn't survive the initial attack. The odds are that no one is going to be looking for you any time soon, and there are hundreds of little tributaries to search if someone does come. Your best bet is the boat, but - assuming you can first rescue the third member of your party, there's no way to get to the boat without venturing dozens of terrifying meters into the water. That water, by the way, isn't black but it is definitely dark (I imagine they would have called this movie Dark Water if that title hadn't already been taken so recently) - unless the crocodile shows himself, there's almost no way you're going to know he's coming until he's torn into you with his massive jaws. What do you do?
I love and respect crocodiles. They are second only to sharks in the list of nature's most brilliantly designed killing machines. As unfortunate as the characters' situation is, I can't hate or condemn this salty for doing what he was born to do. That being said, this particular croc is a mean one; I don't want to give anything away, so just take my word on this. The big guy's in total control of the situation, and he knows it - and he has all the time in the world to wait for his victims to make a deadly mistake. You're not looking at some kind of CGI creation or mechanical beast here, either; Black Water serves us the real deal. Some people, of course, complain that the crocodile does not get enough screen time, but any fan of classic horror can tell you that less is more in situations like this. Maybe the ending doesn't ring quite true, but overall I found this film disquietingly realistic.
Perhaps the most horrifying thing of all about this film is the fact that it was inspired in part by actual events. Salt water crocs kill several people a year in Northern Australia, but most of those deaths involve humans doing something they shouldn't be doing. Here, as in the case that inspired the movie, you simply have a case of three individuals being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I realize I haven't mentioned any of the characters in this film. We may not get to know them like old friends, but I thought there was definitely adequate characterization in play here - and I thought Diana Glenn, Maeve Dermody, and Andy Rodoreda turned in inspired performances. In fact, I'm going to throw out kudos all around, especially to co-writers and co-directors David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki. I understand that this film had a low budget (as little as one million dollars), but I would never have guessed that for myself. Black Water is an immensely excellent film.
Summary of Black Water
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