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'47 Meters Down: Uncaged' Movie Review

Diver? I Barely Know Her!

By Will LasleyPublished 5 years ago 2 min read
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47 Meters Down: Uncaged, which is unconnected to the previous 47 Meters Down, is about two stepsisters who don’t exactly get along (a tale as old as time). When Mia (Sophie Nélisse), an oft-bullied wallflower, is persuaded by stepsister Sasha (Corinne Fox), who is much more popular and outgoing, to go scuba diving in a secluded site of submerged Mayan ruins with two of Sasha’s friends (Brianne Tju and Sistine Rose Stallone), the four discover that there is an ancient blind species of shark dwelling there.

One thing that a lot of people pick on in horror movies for is the fact that the characters so often make stupid decisions, and this movie has no shortage of them. But that particular criticism has rarely held much weight with me, because frankly, people in real life make stupid decisions. And these are teenagers, so the likelihood is even greater. I figured I’d go ahead and get that potential gripe out of the way. Trust me, I’ve got plenty of others.

There are several points I can give in this movie’s favor. The claustrophobic setting is a good idea, and making it a maze of untouched ancient ruins allows for some creative set pieces. The design of the shark is also pretty cool. The glazed eyes are pretty creepy, and its body looks very worn, almost rusty. I thought that was neat. There’s also a couple of really good scares in which the tension is built up very nicely. There’s actually one moment that I really liked where we just see the shark swim by in the background, without the girls even noticing. That’s the kind of stuff I love to see in movies like this.

A lot of this movie is, unfortunately, really dumb, and I don’t think it’s a self-aware, intentionally silly kind of dumb. It’s pretty melodramatic. There are way too many ridiculous slow-mo shots, and eventually those become tiresome. The script is also just plain bland, so the actors have nothing to work with. The girls’ dad/stepdad is played by John Corbett, who is just charming no matter what, but even he is given very little to do in this one.

A lot of the camerawork here is pretty crappy. Several times, when things are supposed to be really intense, the camera will just shake all over the place, making it a messy blur. If you’ve ever wondered what the true definition of “controlled chaos” is, it’s just the exact opposite of this. There’s also a “big reveal” about 2/3 of the way into the movie that’s surprisingly unceremonious. That was just plain lazy.

One thing I have to bring up is the ending. There are multiple fake-outs at the very end of the film, and they were hilarious. The problem? I don’t think they were supposed to be funny. But I couldn’t help it. Horror and comedy are both reliant on timing, and so the timing of a scare is very similar to that of a joke. And that similarity can be both a blessing and a curse. If the attempt at a scare is silly, it’s going to be perceived like a joke, and viewers are likely to react as such. And the ending(s) of 47 Meters Down: Uncaged had me laughing like a maniac.

47 Meters Down: Uncaged is pretty much exactly what you would expect. While it does boast a few really effective scares, it’s mostly pretty dumb and, occasionally, unintentionally funny. My advice? Just go watch The Descent instead.

SCORE: 2.5/5

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About the Creator

Will Lasley

I’m an actor and director of stage and screen. But I also dabble in standup, and on this site, horror movie criticism. I’m just a guy who loves horror movies, and I like to share that love with the world.

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