The Shallows: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
The Movie:
In the taut thriller, when Nancy (Blake Lively) is surfing on a secluded beach, she finds herself on the feeding ground of a great white shark. Though she is stranded only 200 yards from shore, survival proves to be the ultimate test of wills, requiring all of Nancy’s ingenuity, resourcefulness, and fortitude.
As soon as the movie starts you can just tell that this is unlike any other shark attack film that you’ve seen before. It feels very personal and intimate. They did a fantastic job at taking the time to make you feel for the character and get to know her before it gets crazy. Lively was perfect for this role and I thought that her solo performance here felt parallel to that of her husbands’ performance in the film Buried. The big difference however was the fact that this film kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The great thing that the movie had going for it was the realism of the situation. You could almost feel her desperation while she was stranded on the rock and that made for a nailbiting experience which we don’t get very often nowadays. Now the only thing that I thought was a bit much was the finale of the film. I felt like that’s when it turned into the typical shark attack action movie with a big heroine moment. It wasn’t a dealbreaker for me but it did take me out of the experience a bit. All in all it was a fantastic film with an impressive performance by Lively that will definitely make you think twice about heading to the beach by yourself. 8/10
4K Presentation:
This title is gorgeous and was meant to be on 4K. The scenery made this the perfect movie to have the clarity that 4K provides. All the colors were extremely vibrant and textures looked so impressive. This format gave a whole lot more depth to the main characters injuries as well. Because of the clarity, the extent of the wounds she suffered had a lot more of a devastating effect for the story. If you have or are thinking of getting a 4K setup then let this be one of the first films you get.
Special Features:
Deleted Scenes – Only 3 scenes here that are decent enough to check out but don’t offer much.
How To Build A Shark – This feature documents the creation of the beast in the film and how the production wanted it to be as real as possible.
Shooting In The Shallows – This is a great “Making Of” feature that details just how difficult it was to shoot a film like this.
Finding The Perfect Beach: Lord Howe Island – This feature deals with the crew trying to find the right beach for the film.
When Sharks Attack – A very informative feature that discusses shark attacks and how to avoid them.
