Watch Open Water

Open Water is a gripping and intense thriller from 2003, directed by Chris Kentis. It follows the story of a young couple, Susan and Daniel, who go on a scuba-diving vacation in the Caribbean, where they end up in a life-or-death situation. The movie starts with the couple, played by Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis, arriving at their destination and preparing for their dive. The couple is shown excitedly planning their vacation and exploring the island, before they embark on their scuba diving trip.

What begins as a fun and exciting underwater adventure turns into a nightmare when the couple surfaces from their dive, only to discover that their tour boat has left them behind. Alone in the open water, miles from shore and with no hope of rescue, Susan and Daniel must fight to survive against the odds.

The movie is based on a true story of an American couple, Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who were left behind by their scuba diving tour boat in the Great Barrier Reef in 1998. The couple was never found, and their disappearance sparked a media frenzy and raised questions about the safety protocols of dive companies.

Open Water captures the fear, desperation, and hopelessness of the couple as they face the harsh reality of being stranded in the middle of the ocean without food, water, or shelter. The tension of the film builds slowly but relentlessly, as the couple becomes increasingly vulnerable to the deadly elements around them. The viewer is left with a sense of claustrophobia, as the couple's world shrinks to the tiny circle of their floating heads, bobbing like corks in a vast and indifferent sea.

The movie is an impressive feat of minimalist filmmaking. Shot on a low budget with a handheld digital camera, it has a documentary-style feel that adds to its realism. The script is spare and the dialogue minimal, leaving the viewer to feel the couple's anguish through their facial expressions and body language.

The acting is excellent, with Ryan and Travis giving brave, nuanced performances that capture the desperation and fear of their characters. Saul Stein, who plays the tour operator, is convincing as a man more concerned with business than his customers' safety.

The movie is not just a suspenseful thriller, but also a commentary on the consequences of greed and negligence in the tourism industry. Susan and Daniel's predicament is a direct result of the tour company's shortcuts and disregard for safety protocols. Their experience is a cautionary tale for anyone who ever considers taking a dangerous activity like scuba diving lightly.

Overall, Open Water is a haunting and thought-provoking movie that will leave you glued to the edge of your seat. Its stark and unrelenting depiction of survival in the face of overwhelming odds is both harrowing and inspiring. A must-watch for fans of thrillers and suspense movies, as well as anyone who enjoys character-driven stories that put the human spirit to the test.

Open Water is a 2003 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 19 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.8 and a MetaScore of 63.