Based on a true story, the premise of Open Water is quite simplistic. A married couple set off on a Scuba Diving trip with nine other couples. Once at the diving spot, our adventurous leads (beautifully played by Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis) are having the time of their lives as they discover breathtaking underwater vistas. Overwhelmed by all there is to see, they lose track of time and are slightly late getting back to the rendevous point. As they swim to the surface, they are horrified to discover that the boat is gone. Open Water spends most of it's running time depicting a terrifying twenty-four hour period of self preservation under the most intense circumstances.

I will admit, that I found myself asking certain questions during this film. I had a hard time buying that the boat crew could be so careless and unprofessional in their miscount, and I also couldn't believe that none of the other couples noticed that Ryan and Travis were missing as the boat departed. But this is based on a true story and I suppose stranger things have happened. Besides, once the tale of survival is set into motion, the movie becomes so eerie and suspenceful, that I just sort of forgot about the stuff that initially bothered me.

This striking film from director Chris Kentis was shot on a low budget, but it's a great example of how the power of suggestion can be much more effective than the greatest of special effects. This isn't to say that Open Water doesn't deliver the goods in front of our eyes. There is some startling imagery on display here, but much of the picture is psychological. While there are plenty of sequences featuring sharks, jelly fish and other such dangerous sea creatures, it is the quieter moments in which our central characters are watching their backs and predicting their own fates that make the movie so terrifying.

Most importantly, I really had no idea where this movie was headed. And when we arrive at the end of the journey, I was quite shocked by the direction this film takes. In fact, it rasied more questions than it answered, but that was one of the things I really loved about it.

Since I attended a press screening of this film, there were no film makers on hand to discuss it afterwards which was disappointing because I had questions. Happily, my friend Bruce Bennet, his wife Ellen, and our friends Tyson and Brooke bumped into actor Daniel Travis, while eating lunch in Park City. Bruce and I had similar thoughts by the end of the picture, and he had the opportunity to ask Travis about certain events in Open Water. If it appears I'm being vague on plot details, that's because I am. I don't want to ruin this experience for anyone.

I expected Open Water to be a typical story of survival that one might see on one of those "When Animals Attack" programs, but what I got was something much different. Something much darker and something surprisingly realistic. In a sense, this is a work of pure horror, but it's also an achingly intense human drama.

I'm happy to report that Lions Gate Films picked this movie up, so it will see the light of day. I'm hoping Lions Gate markets the film properly. If so, the sky's the limit. Even though this is a low-budget indie, it's an effective one, and I think it could strike a cord. When Jaws opened in the 70's, beach attendence dropped. Open Water could certainly have the same effect on scuba diving. It's that scary. I can't wait to see it again.

Grade: B+

Adam Mast, ZBoneMan.com