The late Roger Ebert was always coming up with rules about films, so here’s another one for the pile; beware the colon. Whether it’s Ballistics: Ecks vs Server or Black Ops: Legacy, the presence of a colon in your film’s title is often a clear sign of cinematic excrement. And so Black Water: Abyss, a sequel to a vaguely remembered 2007 killer crocodile film called Black Water, arrives on Netflix after a miniscule cinema run this summer; it’s a sorry excuse for a thriller with a lot of black water and not much croc to go around.
Seemingly set in the same cinematic universe as any Neighbours/Home and Away daytime soap, Andrew Trauchi’s supposed thriller focuses on five teenagers who go adventuring in a large black cave filled with water and, eventually, crocodiles. We get to the cave after ten minutes, and exit five minutes before the end credits; one of the characters mentions claustrophobia, and on this evidence, they’re right, this film actually feels like being stuck in a cave. With plenty of opportunity for chat, since there’s about 30 seconds of on-screen crocodile to pad around, there’s a lot of waffle about who has impregnated who, which feels somewhat off topic given that these teenagers are trapped in a cave full of crocodiles.
The actual photography featured here isn’t bad, and the film looks a little like Neil Marshall’s The Descent. The head-torches provide a cinematic look, even if the cave looks less than threatening, and the constant need to have passageways open and close to create divisions between the group is laboured. The final scenes, in which the croc stops sulking and takes the Jaws 4 route-one forward and attacks a car, are beyond ridiculous; where’s Michael Caine when you need him to lighten proceedings with a few funny stories about his sea-faring antics?
Black Water; Abyss is another sour stocking-filler from Netflix, a dull, amateurish clip-joint which looks like content but is realy just the streamer padding out a rather threadbare Xmas schedule. Creature features can be fun, for all ages, but film-makers have to put a spin on the most hackneyed of ideas, and Black Water: Abyss doesn’t have the chops to create any genuine frissons other than derisive laughter.
Went to see this because I see almost everything in what was – distant memory! – my weekly jaunt to the cinema. Could have been called The Mystery of the Disappearing Croc because actual jeopardy was in short supply although all these kids were so annoying you wanted the croc to chomp them up. I am a sucker for these underwater thrillers but this had all the suction of a dead octopus.
You should be writing reviews with that killer outro. I wouldn’t have thought it possible to make this simple film so badly, but they pulled it off. Feels like we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel sometimes…at least Tom Cruise is taking the fight to keep movies alive seriously…
Nope.
Is the correct answer…
I started watching the original Black Water on prime when I confused it with another movie of the same, or similar name. I quickly stopped. So how it got a sequel is beyond me.
Way to take one for the team and spare us the time, money and emotional energy we would have spent on this.
Wasn’t my viewing choice, and yes, easily confused with Dark Water? Bare bones characters and story, and a barely seen monster. My personal sacrifice for everyone else, so no one has to bother with such nonsense…
Now, if you could see yourself sacrificing about 10grand to me, that would make the picture perfect…
Great, just send over your bank details…
Psychic Grandma told me you weren’t to be trusted with stuff like that and that you’d better pay up in cold hard cash.
You wouldn’t want to disappoint Psychic Grandma now, would you?
* insert little puppy staring at you *
You can never be sure with a devious old coot like her. Ok, just put the money in a case and mail it to me, consecutive notes, no dye-packs…
Nice try bucko. Just drop it outside the surveillance van and I’ll be sure to pick it right up.
OK, it’s in a brown leather rucksack with your name written on it, do you have any change? Only have $50,000 bills…
Sorry, all I’ve got are pizza crusts at the moment. Not even one anchovy.
Ok, well, cash is no problem, just let me know when you have change…
You got it. I’ll hit up Psychic Grandma for an IOU. You know she’s good for it…
No problem, she’ll need your house and car as deposit…that’s gone through for you now! Payment received! Thanks!
Wow. Sounds like a total remake of 47 Meters Down: Uncaged (there’s another colon for you!). Which is pretty amazing since that movie just came out the year before.
These movies are maybe a couple of steps up from SyFy’s DinoCroc and MegaShark stuff, but I find the CGI is usually pretty laughable. Crawl wasn’t bad though, if you want a giant alligator movie.
I’d skipped Crawl, but might give it a shot; can only be an upgrade on this. You just feel sucker punched when 90 mins unspools without a single decent scene…
The trailer looks like no fun at all. I’ll take your word on it and pass.
Was shocked to see they’re flogging this on Amazon too, and not cheap. Avoid.
crawl is pretty well done, super aggressive hungry gators and plenty of tension.
I’ll hope for the best, cannot be worse than this croc of rubbish…