Spoilers included so proceed with caution.
A couple of years back a nifty little indy film called OPEN WATER burst upon the scene and not since JAWS have people flocked out of the water so quickly. OPEN WATER told the tale of a couple accidently left behind from a scuba expedition and their horrible fate as they float for days and pretty much become shark food.
LIONSGATE just released a direct to video sequel to the film imaginatively titled OPEN WATER 2: ADRIFT. Not going to lie to you here, wasn’t expecting much from this one but it turns out to actually be a damn good film.
I found myself totally sucked into the storyline and it really squarely places you in the old "what the hell would you do if it were you" scenario.
This time around we befriend of group of friends reuniting for a birthday party aboard a luxury yacht that one of the group has just purchased. Frolic and fun ensue. One important element of the story line is that one of the group has a water phobia stemming from an accident when she was a child. Now a mother herself she is facing her fear of the water. She bravely boards the boat, newborn daughter in tow.
Everyone is having a grand old time, drinking, eating, screwing, you know the usual stuff. They anchor the yacht and decide to take a swim. Seems innocent enough. The young mother with the water fear stays behind with her daughter. The dude that owns the boat stays on board as well. After some small talk and some flashbacks that reveal the backstory of how the fear of water came about the unthinkable happens. The dude actually grabs the chick (who is wearing a life jacket the entire time) and jumps the hell over board!
Now things get interesting.
Guess what nobody bothered to do before jumping in, Yep, nobody threw the ladder over the side of the boat. At first it seems kind of funny until they all realize they can’t get back on the boat. The sides are to high and there is no way to get back on board. Trust me, they try everything.
So now we have 6 people, one of them afraid of the water, floating in the open ocean and oh yeah, an infant still on the boat with no way for anyone to get to it.
Shortly hypothermia starts setting in and slowly, one by one the group begins turning on one another. The complete hopelessness of the situation soon settles in and after a few near rescues the group takes a major turn for the worse and things spiral out of control.
Don’t want to ruin the viewing for you but needless to say, this baby is worth checking out.
It never ceases to amaze me how stupid we as a species can be. When all it would take is a little team work and a cool head instead we allow panic and stupidity to rule the day and the major price is paid by many.
Let this film be an example of how there is no such thing as being to prepared and how quickly those we think of as friends can be come our mortal enemies.
OPEN WATER 2 is an awesome little film that manages to point out the major flaws we all possess while at the same time showing how strong some can be when faced with the unimaginable.
Don’t let the "direct to video" status of this one scare you away. It’s a good one.
Here is all the official info on the release direct from LIONSGATE:
In 2004, Lionsgate made people scared to go into the water with the release of one of the most talked about and harrowing movies of the year – Open Water. Hailed by critics nationwide, the theatrical smash earned over $30 million at the box office domestically and over $50 million worldwide before becoming a giant hit on DVD.
In 2007, Lionsgate will have people thinking twice about entering the water, once again, as the studio releases the DVD premiere of the long-awaited sequel – Open Water 2: Adrift. Based on a harrowing true story about a weekend cruise aboard a luxury yacht that goes horribly awry for a group of old high school friends who forget to lower the ladder before they jump into the ocean for a swim. The boat proves impossible to climb, leaving them adrift, miles from shore. As the reality of the situation sinks in, the friends begin to turn on each other. Soon the exhaustion of keeping afloat and the struggle to get back on board begin to take a terrible toll. What started as a joyful reunion becomes a fight for survival!
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:
"The Making of Open Water 2: Adrift" featurette
CAST
Susan May Pratt Centerstage, 10 Things I Hate About You
