Action/adventure/fantasy

Film review by Jason Day of 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, the action horror about a group of underwater cave explorers who are attacked by a shark.

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Synopsis

Mia (Sophie Nélisse) and Sasha (Corinne Foxx) are stepsisters who are anything but friends. As a bonding exercise, they go on holiday with some of Sasha’s friends.

They decide to go on a cave dive to see a hidden temple, but don’t reckon on a long-trapped, blind shark being there.

Running out of air and with the shark attacking them in the murky waters, Mia and Sasha must work together to escape.

Review, by @Reelreviewer

Warlords of Atlantis meets Jaws!

I haven’t seen the original 47 Meters Down (2017) so I can’t compare it to the sequel, but I did see The Shallows (2016) and loved it, so I guess that as this followed shortly after it might just be an inferior rip-off.

I’ll start with the positives because the cinematography is superb throughout. From plunge in clear, blue seas, green and yellow forests to the stygian, silty dark green of the underwater cave, hats off to Mark Silk for his work here.

The latter can’t be the easiest thing to shoot, but Silk makes the proceedings look genuinely opaque and unnerving.

It’s a good job because, despite the odd jolting moment, this is only a passable movie.

The exposition isn’t credible – it’s difficult to believe that a mother would allow two sisters who don’t get on to go on holiday together, with a group one sister isn’t friends with, to go diving in a cave. Bonding my ass – this is a cray-cray trip to troubleville!

The movie is only an hour and a half long, a blessing if the script isn’t up to much, but they at least had a few more minutes to suspend our disbelief better.

Still, it’s hard to not feel a forced tear as the two sisters finally make up after surviving near drowning, almost getting chomped by Jaws before finally happening upon a convenient rescue boat on which – lo and behold – is their joint nemesis on a day-trip.

Who’d have thougt.

See it but for cheap, popcorn thrills only.

Cast & credits

Director: Johannes Roberts. 1hr 30 mins/90 mins. Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures (production)/thefyzz. (15)

Producers: James Harris, Robert Jones, Mark Lane.
Writers: Ernest Riera, Johannes Roberts.
Camera: Mark Silk.
Music: tomandandy.
Sets: David Bryan.

Sophie Nélisse, Corinne Foxx, Brianne Tju, Sistine Rose Stallone, John Corbett, Nia Long, Brec Bassinger, Davi Santos, Khyllin Rambo.