Open Water (2003)

Based on the true story of two scuba divers accidentally stranded in shark infested waters after their tour boat has left.

Director:

Chris Kentis

Writer:

Chris Kentis

Stars:

Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Blanchard Ryan	...	Susan
Daniel Travis	...	Daniel
Saul Stein	...	Seth
Michael E. Williamson	...	Davis (as Michael Williamson)
Cristina Zenato	...	Linda (as Cristina Zenaro)
John Charles	...	Junior (as Jon Charles)

Storyline

A couple on a holiday in the Caribbean decide to spend the day on a scuba diving trip. But was it the wrong decision? When a mis-count happens on the boat, Susan and Daniel are left behind in the middle of the ocean, the boat long gone. With all their hopes set on the boat coming back to rescue them, they try to keep themselves safe, especially when sharks start to appear.

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Plot Keywords:

boat | shark | scuba diving | diving | water | 

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Taglines:

Don't get left behind

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 August 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Otvorena voda

Filming Locations:

Bahamas

Box Office

Budget:

$500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$166,142 (South Africa) (12 November 2004)

Gross:

$439,590 (South Africa) (10 December 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Plunge Pictures LLC

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis spent over 120 hours in the water over the course of production.

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Goofs

All four of Susan's hose protectors, where the hoses attach to the first stage, start off being yellow. Towards the end of the film two are either missing or change color.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Daniel: [on his cellphone] Hey Don. It's Daniel. Listen, don't put the boiler in until I get back. The framing inspection isn't for a couple of weeks, so we've got plenty of time. And I'll check in with you guys in a couple of days, OK? Take care. Bye.

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Crazy Credits

As the credits roll, a fisherman guts a dead shark. As he sorts through the contents of its stomach, he finds Susan and Daniel's yellow camera.

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Connections

Spoofed in Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Jesus Promised Me A Home Over There"
Performed by Shelton Swain, Stanley Swain, Ronald Swain & George McKenzie
Courtesy of Nonesuch Records

User Reviews

Best homegrown film in years

It seems a lot of people were expecting "Jaws" when they rented "Open Water". This is no monster movie. It's a quietly intense psychological film, that works amazingly well. The fact that it was literally shot without a crew makes it nearly a miracle of a movie.

I was pretty impressed by the cast, especially Susan (Blanchard Ryan). It isn't often that two unknown actors can carry a film so well. Their emotions are very real which really adds to the tension.

I'm pretty sure the director (Chris Kentis) will go on to make some good bigger budget movies. He's got a real knack for building suspense. I was also impressed with the organic structure of the narrative. You're not really sure where it's taking you, which only adds more to the horror of what eventually happens. Kentis' dialog writing seems to be the weakest aspect of the movie. Some of the dialog the actors have to (literally) spew is awkward and extraneous, sort of a failed comic relief. In a no-budget movie that's often the case. Hell, that's often the case in big budget movies. Overall the movie is very successful and all involved have received just praise.