Sharks, blood and jump scares are promised in comedy thriller Something in the Water. But the laughs never quite come up for air, and the thrills don’t make much of a splash either. This Jaws meets Bridesmaids watered down ish surprise does have enough surprises to keep it afloat and entertaining, though.
Directed by Hayley Easton Street and written by Cat Clarke, this story centers around a destination wedding from hell. Five friends travel to the tropics to celebrate their friend Lizzie’s (Outlander’s Lauren Lyle) nuptials. Before the big day, Cam (Nicole Rieko Setsuko), Ruth (Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart) and Izzie drag Meg (Hiftu Quasem) and her ex Kayla (Natalie Mitson) out for a girls’ day on the water where they’re supposed to get chat again after breaking up following some kind of deeply traumatic event that continues to haunt them. One mysterious shark attack later, everything changes. It becomes all about survival.
Ruth is also first person to draw blood — lots of it — but these women are trying so hard just to get back home safe. And then twists of fate meet stupidity and… well… they just put themselves into more danger at every turn. Director Hayley Easton Street does some good work at sea here making sure we really feel how dangerous things are getting for this group as she puts them in tighter corners with each scene while writer Cat Clarke’s script dives deeper into these relationship dynamics revealing more about what makes these characters tick together as five very different people who must figure out how unite if any them have chance surviving.
That gives something for film play off: humor gets tossed in mix when different characters either overreact their situation or confront sheer absurdity having ended up stranded ocean with ominous somewhere-around swimming shark knowing only one will eventually turn into multiple which ups terror but this is where premise works against movie itself because it can’t decide what kind of a shark movie it wants be.
Humor and darkness do emerge in Something in the Water, but not enough. I can understand why both the director and screenwriter may have been a bit conservative, they didn’t want to take too many risks. I think this is because people today are so extreme – anything less than that doesn’t seem worth it to them. And yet Clark wrote episodes for Good Omens and Ten Percent which give audiences just enough pep between women characters on screen but also their interactions with men off it too could be seen as a little more than what meets the eye at first glance; Lauren Lyle (Outlander, Karen Pirie) gets most laughs out of playing spoiled bride Lizzie while Nicole Rieko Setsuko’s Cam has an attitude problem
It would appear that Meg and Kayla must find a way to resolve their core dilemma at some point or another – if only we knew when that was! The film starts off by showing us how these two went through something traumatic together but then again don’t all movies like this? So yes, credit where credit’s due there was believability involved in those scenes being written/directed so as not to feel forced upon us viewers who had been patiently waiting for such moments from beginning till end however unfortunately (like most other thrillers produced these days) this one lacks depth. In fact I am tempted to say that it has no soul.
Still, the cast is likable enough and one can’t help but think about what might happen next…for instance will they ever get out of there alive? Or perhaps love will conquer all? Only time shall tell my friends! But until then let’s just hope none of them falls into any more water because lord knows we’ve had our fill with movies like “Fall” or even worse 47 Meters Down – talk about creative problems right?! However despite its flaws though Something in the Water does succeed at getting your blood pumping so don’t be surprised if after watching this you find yourself sitting on edge throughout most of it; now that’s worth price admission alone wouldn’t you say.
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