When Jaws first burst onto movie screens in 1975, it brought a real fear to life on the big screen. Even after the sequels, anyone who saw the movie had second thoughts about swimming in the open ocean. Since then, however, only poor knock-offs of the ocean’s greatest predator have been brought to the forefront. Movies like Sharknado have taken a once horror staple and made it kind of goofy.
However, with a once straight to DVD or VOD demand, 47 Meters Down may look to change that. The movie itself looks like another cookie cutter vacation horror to play on the dangers of travel but with superhero fatigue possibly setting in films such is this may thrive.
from IMDB:
“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.”
After the success of the new hit tv show This Is Us on NBC, fans could be eager to see Mandy Moore’s next work. She has a long list of acting credits but limited success since 2002’s A Walk To Remember. This Is Us has catapulted her career back to the forefront and her other projects should see a boost because of it.
Based on the trailer, we won’t be getting the Jaws treatment and barely seeing the shark throughout the film. It appears they’ll appear early and often to wreak and instill fear. In order to achieve any success in theaters, 47 Meters Down needs to have the visual effects that make the most out of these predators. If in any way the sharks look fake it could be a short-lived run.
People have been fascinated by and feared sharks for years. Horror/Thrillers bringing back realistic fears could be a big break for the declining genre. People want to feel connected to the fear the actors face. If films can play off people’s emotions based on real and present fears then success is almost a given. Can 47 Meters Down connect to audiences in the same way? Find out on June 16th.