Disaster

Film review of No Way Up (2024), the disaster movie thriller about a plane that crashes in shark-infested waters. The survivors include lead stars Colm Meaney and Phyllis Logan. Directed by Claudio Fäh.

Synopsis

Following ‘bird strike’, a passenger plane’s engine explodes tearing a hole in the craft and sending it crashing into the sea below.

Although crippled, the plane remains intact with an air pocket meaning a small group of survivors can plan their escape. Their journey to safety is made more difficult by the sharks encircling the plane excited by eating the victims.

Review, by @Reelreviewer

‘Sharks on a Plane’ or ‘Jaws meets Airport ’77’, take your pick of tagline summaries for this massively derivative mash-up of the disaster genre and shark attack thriller, the latter of which is practically a subgenre now.

Whichever genre/subgenre characteristics the script incorporates, all the associated cliches and cardboard cutout characters from both are checked in.

There’s always a character who has a fear of flying, there’s an old person/couple with one last task to accomplish before they check out, there’s a snivelling/rude ‘villain’ having a pop at someone, there’s a kid who either knows everything or gets in the way.

What piqued my interest about this cheap but cheerful flick – aside from loving shark and disaster flicks – is that it’s not often you see good actors of a certain age like Colm Meaney (a staple of movies for decades now usually playing no-nonsense, sensible Irish men) and Phyllis Logan (a staple of British TV for years, latterly seen as housekeeper Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey) with their names above the title.

But here they are, even though Meaney is turned into shark bait before the first third of the movie is over. They put in workmanlike and comfy performances that experienced actors can rehearse and toss out with ease.

The script is perfunctory but the odd, enjoyably droll line seeps out. After losing the better part of his leg, Jed (Jeremias Amoore) tells his pal Kyle (Will Attenborough): “That’s the end of my travel plans”. His mate says: “Yeah, but at least you’re going to nail your weight loss target”.

It’s a ludicrous scenario (for a start, a plane descended from 20,000 feet into a body of water it would explode on impact. One other point – no grandmother worth her salt would opt to stay behind on the plane to die and leave her granddaughter unaccompanied) but despite the preposterousness of the plot, director Claudio Fäh and his team manage to inject a fair amount of tension as the water level rises and the air runs out.

The running time is bang on (it’s just an hour and a half long) and the special effects are decent. It’s entertaining if you leave your brain and critical thinking skills on the nearest empty passenger seat.

See the official trailer.

Cast & credits

Director: Claudio Fäh. 1h 30m/90 mins. Altitude Film Entertainment/Hyprr Films/Ingenious Media/Sarma Films. (15).

Producers: Annalise Davis, Andy Mayson.
Writer: Andy Mayson.
Camera: Andrew Rodger.
Music: Andy Gray.
Sets: Matthew Button.

Colm Meany, Will Attenborough, Jeremias Amoore, Sophie McIntosh, Phyllis Logan, Grace Nettle, James Carroll Jordan, Carlos Agualusa, Manuel Pacific Manuel Pacific, Peppijna Dalli, David Samartin, Scott Coker.