Two sisters vacationing in Mexico are trapped in a shark cage at the bottom of the ocean. With less than an hour of oxygen left and great white sharks circling nearby, they must fight to survive.
Genre : Thriller/Drama
Country : UK/USA/Domenican Republic
Cast :
Mandy Moore : Lisa
Claire Holt : Kate
Director :
Johannes Roberts
My opinion on “47 Meters Down”
“Lisa, you need to calm down.
We need to get out of here!
If you do not calm down, we will die here!”
In “The Shallows“, Blake Lively at least had a rock in the ocean on which she sat safely while a huge shark circled around her. That was frightening enough. In “47 Meters down” two helpless woman are trapped in a steel cage while being attacked by such bloodthirsty white sharks. And there’s another problem they have to deal with. Oxygen deficiency. There are more pleasant ways to spend your holiday somewhere at an exotic destination. So you see it’s better to follow your instinct (or someone else’s) in such a way that you are spared from such life-threatening situations.
My first thought : A movie filled with bubbles.
At first I feared this wouldn’t be such a very interesting film. A whole movie taking place in one and the same location (the bottom of the ocean) and with only two helpless young ladies who had no idea how to escape. “It won’t be more than some panicky scenes and a screen filled with anxiously produced air bubbles” I thought. Well, just another proove that a person can be mistaken. Eventually, this movie was terribly exciting.
You know how to dive? Yes! Ok, lets go !
Two sisters, Lisa (Mandy Moore) and Kate (Claire Holt), are on vacation in Mexico and after a night out with two local gigolo’s they are invited to descend into the ocean with the help of a shark cage. The only requirement is them answering affirmatively to the following question : Are they experienced scuba divers? This already says a lot about the professionalism of this organization. As a down-to-earth, realistic person, I would draw a line there and turn my brown-bronzed back on this suspiciously smelling trip. But above all, I would never accept this offer, knowing that I’ve never inhaled a liter of oxygen under water. I would immediately get a panic attack. No problem for these ladies. Lisa has no experience at all, but her reliable sister knows how to convince her. If she dares to do this, she can prove to her ex-boyfriend that she isn’t so boring. So, Kate misses some sense of responsibility and Lisa a lot of brain cells. Or else the Tequila had something to do with it.
It’s no fun down there.
It isn’t necessary to elaborate more. You can predict what will happen. What else to expect when a not so professional-looking crew on a rickety boat lets you sink into the water while they use bloody bait to lure the sharks (which also turns out to be illegal) ? Indeed, before they know it, they are building sandcastles on the bottom of the ocean and a nerve-racking race against time starts. The images themselves are impressive and realistic. The claustrophobic feeling overwhelms you. And the panic and fear of both divers (especially Lisa) is credible. Actual acting is of course not possible when you’re floating around at 47 meters below the water surface. The darkness and the thought of a full-blown “Jaws” attacking you from there, causes the necessary stress and frightening moments.
Still a few points of criticism.
Still a few points of criticism. Turns out that a single drop of blood from a wound is enough to attract such a gigantic shark. But when they suddenly try to attack out of the dark, they miss the helpless victim. I immediately conclude that such a shark must have a gigantic, well-developed olfactory organ. But besides that, such a shark is as blind as a mole. Furthermore, I found the computer animation of this predatory fish not quite successful. But I thought the same of the crumpled plastic shark in “The Shallows”. And the denouement is also something that you can discuss. And I doubt whether the event is scientifically correct.
Next vacation abroad, I’ll stay by the swimming pool.
But all in all, this was a pretty exciting underwater thriller, Cousteau would be happy to watch as well. And apparently there’s already a sequel in the making with the highest original title “48 Meters down“. So the problem will arise just a meter deeper. That’s what pushing boundaries means, I suppose! And for all of those who have plans for future distant journeys, a little advice. Stay safely by the swimming pool and do only excursions organized by the hotel. And get a proper travel insurance before you leave.
Dennis Quaid (Far from Heaven, The Day After Tomorrow) is the latest star to join the cast of Bass Reeves, a new drama series coming from Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Tulsa King) and Paramount+, according to Deadline. Bass Reeves was announced as a spinoff to the Yellowstone prequel, 1883 back in May 2022 with David Oyelowo (Selma, A Wrinkle in Time) attached to star as the legendary lawman.
Bass Reeves will follow Oyelowo as someone who is known to many as “the greatest frontier hero” in American history in his own series on Paramount+. The streamer already houses so many Sheridan-fronted programs, most recently, Mayor of Kingstown starring Jeremy Renner returned for its second season while CIA drama, Lioness added to its cast with Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman. Some believe that Reeves served inspiration to “The Lone Ranger” having worked as a peace officer for Indian territory capturing over 3,000 criminals on that land. Quaid will play Sherrill Lynn, a Deputy U.S. Marshall within the show.
Quaid most recently voiced the character Jaeger Clade in Disney’s animated feature Strange World which is currently available to stream on Disney+. He’ll also star in Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming HBO Max series Full Circle alongside Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes and Emmy-winner Jharrel Jerome.
Let the casting of music biopics commence! As we’ve been hammered with news of superstar musician biopics each and every week, we have more news of one that is filming currently with Back to Black about the late, great Amy Winehouse. While it was reported back in January that Industry star, Marisa Abela will be leading as Winehouse, we now have details courtesy of Deadline on who will be joining the British pop star’s life story on screen.
The report indicates that Jack O’Connell (Unbroken, ’71), Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread, Another Year) and Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan, The World’s End) will all appear alongside Abela in Back to Black. O’Connell is set to play Blake Fielder-Civil, the love of Winehouse’s life who she was married to from 2007 until 2009, just a few years prior to her death as their love was unfortunately addled by prescription drug abuse and alcohol as well as multiple stints in rehab for both of them. Marsan will play Winehouse’s father while Manville will play Winehouse’s maternal grandmother in the film.
Back to Black will follow the life of one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all-time in Amy Winehouse. Her sophomore album (which the film is named after) won her 5 Grammy Awards all at the young age of 25 just before her untimely death in 2011 at age 27. The film will focus on Amy’s creativity, genius and upbringing at Camden High School in the UK before she propelled into stardom.
The film will be written by Matt Greenhalgh and directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson reuniting the two of them after their 2009 film Nowhere Boy, which chronicled John Lennon’s formative years and adolescence. Taylor-Johnson is coming off directing episodes of Hunters and Solos for Amazon but is best known for helming Fifty Shades of Grey.
O’Connell had a big 2022 starring in Netflix’s Lady Chatterly’s Lover and MGM+’s new original series, SAS Rogue Heroes. He’ll next star as professional race car driver Peter Collins in Ferrari. Manville most recently starred as Princess Margaret in the recent season of The Crown for Netflix and in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination. Marsan is best known for playing Ray Donovan‘s brother, Terry in the hit Showtime series but will next appear in the film, Fair Play with Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor.
Peacock is one of the streamers that has yet to break through in terms of their original content getting recognized for awards contention. One such series that might change that fate for the streaming service is Those About to Die and it’s starting to build out its cast. According to Variety, 2-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, The Father) is the first to join the drama series which comes from Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow). Saving Private Ryan screenwriter Robert Rodat will script the series.
Hopkins will play the character known as Emperor Vespasian in the series which is set in the world of gladiatorial battle. It will be an ensemble drama following many different Roman characters that will set forth for violent affairs in the arena among other complexities such as political power and corruption so expect a starry cast for this Peacock drama. Hopkins’ character is described as “despised by the Patricians jockeying for position in the Empire and looking to supplant his heirs to the throne the first chance they get. Vespasian became the Roman emperor after a ten-year civil war. We expect to get more casting news soon as the show will begin filming in Rome in March.
Anthony Hopkins is coming off a terrific performance in James Gray’s Armageddon Time in 2022 after winning his second Academy Award for his role in The Father the year prior. He’ll next voice a character in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon for Netflix and also will star in British drama One Life alongside Helena Bonham Carter and Jonathan Pryce. Emmerich is coming off directing the sci-fi disaster film, Moonfall in 2022.