Open Water is shot in an almost documentary style and with two part-time actors. Do not let these facts deter you from catching this movie wherever you can. The film is based on a true story about two scuba divers(couple) who happen to get left behind by their tour boats in shark infested waters. You know the ending of the story but the lead up to it is an exercise in creating and maintaining tension. The film is also great for budding filmmakers on how to make a cheap but good film- this was made for a mere 120,000 dollars. Do not miss it, even if you have a fear of sharks.

The trailer is nothing like the movie. Good enough story, but everything about it looks like a home-made movie. Bad acting, terrible audio, horrendous cinematography, fake Katherine Heigl.

Open Water is shot in an almost documentary style and with two part-time actors. Do not let these facts deter you from catching this movie wherever you can. The film is based on a true story about two scuba divers(couple) who happen to get left behind by their tour boats in shark infested waters. You know the ending of the story but the lead up to it is an exercise in creating and maintaining tension. The film is also great for budding filmmakers on how to make a cheap but good film- this was made for a mere 120,000 dollars. Do not miss it, even if you have a fear of sharks.

OPEN WATER is a film that strives to be the next BLAIR WITCH PROJECT – i.e. an extremely low budget frightener, filmed without special effects or known actors on low-key hand-held cameras and the like. While I loved BLAIR WITCH, OPEN WATER turned out to be a massive disappointment, especially since I'd heard stuff like "the scariest shark movie since Jaws!" Nothing like. Instead, this is a bit of a mess of a film; it's obvious that the intentions are good and, with the right script, this could have been a fantastic piece of indie film-making. What we're left with is a film in which two obnoxious and stupid characters tread water in the ocean for an hour. There's no believable dialogue, only stilted, cheesy lines; our characters display no redeeming qualities whatsoever, making it impossible for the viewer to care about their plight. Perhaps if they'd made any effort whatsoever – to get to the boats, to swim in the direction of dry land – then we could have admired them, sympathised even; instead these are two brainless Americans who prefer to moan and complain and wait to die. I half thought this was a bit of satire on US culture but I'm not too sure...As I've already said, this film's trappings are good. The low budget nature of the proceedings give it a level of realism on par with BLAIR WITCH. Director Chris Kentis handles things well and the scenes with the real-life sharks swimming around are done very well, with more than a few frightening moments. Other moments, like the jellyfish attack, show real promise and are an example of 'what could have been'. Sadly, the actors aren't up to the job; Ryan and Travis never reach a level higher than amateur. The script stinks and the viewer ends up watching the screen, shouting at the characters to do something – anything. The guy, especially, should be ashamed of himself for being such a coward and failing to act and help save him and his wife. In the end, Kentis has to resort to gratuitous nudity in a desperate ploy to try and grab the viewer's attention. The low-key ending is a let down considering what has come before but I admit I liked it, purely because I breathed a sigh of relief that the film was over.