Open Water

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Open Water

R

2003

1h 19m

Mystery & Thriller

Adventure

Drama

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

195 Reviews

33%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Daniel (Daniel Travis) and Susan (Blanchard Ryan) embark on a tropical vacation with their scuba-diving certifications in tow. During a group dive, the two separate themselves from the others to dive a little deeper. An incorrect head-count suggests the entire group has returned, so the boat departs. When the pair surfaces, they make out a vessel in the distance, but it does not immediately set in that they have been left behind. With sharks lurking beneath, their survival chances grow smaller.

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Critics Consensus

A low budget thriller with some intense moments.

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Will Self

London Evening Standard

01/09/2018

Open Water is being touted as one of the most frightening films to chomp into your psyche for a long time, but either I'm secretly being fed sedatives or this is a case of good old hype meets collective hysteria.

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Dan Jolin

Empire Magazine

09/11/2004

3/5

As it dawns on the couple that they've slipped several links down the food chain, you're right there with them.

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Jeannette Catsoulis

Las Vegas Mercury

09/08/2004

4/5

Open Water is terrifying on a purely primal level. In a fear-of-the-dark, monsters-under-the-bed way, it twangs nerves forgotten since childhood.

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Joe Lipsett

Murder Made Fiction Podcast - Bloody Disgusting

Jul 15

3/5

A minimalist shark film with only a few characters, real sharks, and a horrifying real life event. Points for how grim the film is willing to get, and a horrifying shark frenzy sequence that follows a night out in the ocean during a storm.

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James Croot

The Post NZ

07/06/2023

4/5

Inspired by similar events in Australia in 1998, director Kentis' film is a triumph of understatement.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

02/15/2023

3/4

An uneasy watch.

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kevenquinlan

Nov 14

Meh. Ok, the premise is cool, decently acted, and it's based on a true story- kind of. We don't really know what happened to them other than that they are dead, so a lot of the movie is pure speculation- and therefor some of the things that occurred= nonsensical. The complete lack of panic in 1 of the protagonists is a real headscratcher. Think the audience got this one right and the critics didn't. I was fine with watching it but won't be keeping it.

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The_Matthew

Aug 29

SUPER scary ... if you like Shark movies ...

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danwhiffinmusic

Aug 10

Despite the poor rating, I didn't actually mind this film. It looks sort of cheaply made, like a camcorder but I quite like that about it. It's also very scary being a true story and the actual story is far more mysterious which was interesting to learn about through the film.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 27

Success in 1 hour and 19 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Some Nudity and Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $30,500,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Speeed C

Jun 27

It was mis-marketed like a horror or action thriller, more than the slow burn, tense relationship drama that it really is. The poor reviews are probably a result of misguided expectations and the fact that the first act is terrible, but once you get through that and you get in the water, it’s awesome.

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Julian S

@akajulianscott 01/10/2025

It works because of its raw simplicity—the fear of what might happen, intensified by the uncertainty of never truly knowing.

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Chris Kentis

Director

Blanchard Ryan

Susan

Daniel Travis

Daniel

Saul Stein

Seth

Estelle Lau

Estelle

Michael E. Williamson

Davis

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Synopsis

Daniel (Daniel Travis) and Susan (Blanchard Ryan) embark on a tropical vacation with their scuba-diving certifications in tow. During a group dive, the two separate themselves from the others to dive a little deeper. An incorrect head-count suggests the entire group has returned, so the boat departs. When the pair surfaces, they make out a vessel in the distance, but it does not immediately set in that they have been left behind. With sharks lurking beneath, their survival chances grow smaller.

Director: Chris Kentis
Producer: Laura Lau
Screenwriter: Chris Kentis
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Plunge Pictures LLC
Rating: R (Some Nudity|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Adventure, Drama, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 26, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 27, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $30.5M
Runtime: 1h 19m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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