Film Preview: The Shallows (2016)

Page Revisions:

(May 29, 2016) Original
(June 19, 2016) New Trailer (#3) / New Posters (#4-#5) / New Release Date (changed from 6/29/16)

Release Date:

June 24, 2016

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.”

Poster Rating: C / C+ / C- / C+ / D

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Review: (#1) It’s tempting to say that this is daring for its striking vacant appeal and looming peril, but it really isn’t that interesting. (#2) This has a bit of a Jaws vibe, but lacks that film’s classicism. (#3) I guess it’s no surprise that this is a design for the Asian market. It looks like nearly every other poster design that goes in there and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

(#4) A modestly tense design that pulls in an element of the trailer that is probably the one sequence in the film that seems least credible. (#5) A shameless, pointless design that oversexualizes the star for cheap thrills and makes the shark in the background look like a lame deflection of criticism.

Trailer Rating: A- / B / B

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Review: (#1) This tense, modestly frightening trailer does a terrific job setting up the suspense of the film without making it feel too much like other films with similar premises.

(#2) This extensive trailer shows the kind of struggle films like this have with taking a compelling concept for a short film and trying to turn it into a feature length film. The scenarios become more preposterous and less threatening the more you put into it.

(#3) The trailers have done well in creating tension, but the film just doesn’t get enough boost from these scenes to merit a feature-length endeavor.