Deep Fear – Movie Review (2/5)

DEEP FEAR is a new shark thriller where the sharks actually look good. The story isn’t the strongest, but it still entertains. If you can accept that there are no surprises, it’s much better than many other shark movies. Also, the sharks aren’t the villains. Read our full Deep Fear movie review here!

DEEP FEAR is a thriller with a shark subplot. I say “subplot” because they are more of an obstacle than the main villain. Quite the plot twist in and of itself. One that I like as we really don’t need sharks to be constantly vilified.

In any case, human beings are the true villains of this story and while the story isn’t the strongest, it does work as a whole. The main issue for me is that there are no surprises. You can guess much of the development of the story, which obviously isn’t ideal.

Continue reading our Deep Fear movie review below. Find the movie On Demand from November 3, 2023, and on Netflix from January 29, 2024.

A classic action thriller

Much of Deep Fear does feel familiar in the sense that many tropes are part of the core plot. The movie stars Madalina Ghenea (who also produces) as Naomi. She’s an accomplished round-the-world yachtswoman (a cool title if ever I heard one) and as the movie begins, she’s setting out on a solo trip to Grenada.

This is where she’ll meet up with her boyfriend, Jackson (Ed Westwick), who was also just with her in the Caribbean.

What was supposed to be a rather tranquil three-day sail aboard a 47-foot yacht aptly named “The Serenity” turns into a nightmare. First, a violent storm forces her to go off-course, As soon as she does this, she comes across two people who a shipwrecked and barely staying afloat.

From bad to worse

Not only are the survivors clinging to the shattered remains of a boat but there are sharks in the water around them. Fortunately, we [the audience] know from the opening scene that sharks aren’t evil monsters. In fact, you can push them away if you otherwise act sensibly. Also, if it’s one of the less aggressive shark species.

The kind of sharks around the shipwrecked people is one of the more aggressive types.

As it turns out, the survivors aren’t at all who they first present themselves as. We meet Jose, played by Stany Coppet, and Maria, played by Macarena Gomez (Everyone Will Burn). As it turns out, there’s an additional person in the sunken ship, who is trapped in an air pocket. His name is Tomas, and he’s played by John-Paul Pace.

They all insist that Naomi must help save Tomas before he runs out of oxygen. Unfortunately, this is only the first thing the survivors “insist” that Naomi must do. And that’s all I’ll say to avoid too many spoilers.

Watch Deep Fear on demand or on Netflix

Deep Fear was directed by Marcus Adams, and written by Robert Capelli Jr and Sophia Eptamenitis. While it is very much a shark thriller, there are also a lot of the darker parts of the story that have nothing to do with the sharks. That’s fine by me. Also, I have to commend the filmmakers for creating wonderful visuals when it comes to the setting and the sharks.

We’ve watched so many terrible shark movies with terrible CGI. In Deep Fear, there is definitely CGI as well but used in moderation and with the purpose of making it look realistic. Which they absolutely succeed at.

This movie is set in the Caribbean (but shot in Malta) and it is ultimately a survival thriller in several ways. Check it out for the sharks and the survival plot, but don’t expect too much from the story.

Deep Fear is out On Demand from November 3, 2023. It is also available on Netflix in most countries from January 29, 2024.

Details

Director: Marcus Adams
Writers: Robert Capelli Jr., Sophia Eptamenitis
Stars: Mãdãlina Ghenea, Ed Westwick, Macarena Gómez, Stany Coppet, John-Paul Pace, Ibrahima Gueye, Robert Capelli Jr.