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Open Water

Play trailer Poster for Open Water R 2003 1h 19m Mystery & Thriller Adventure Drama Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
71% Tomatometer 195 Reviews 33% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Daniel (Daniel Travis) and Susan (Blanchard Ryan) embark on a tropical vacation with their scuba-diving certifications in tow. During a group dive, the two separate themselves from the others to dive a little deeper. An incorrect head-count suggests the entire group has returned, so the boat departs. When the pair surfaces, they make out a vessel in the distance, but it does not immediately set in that they have been left behind. With sharks lurking beneath, their survival chances grow smaller.
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Open Water

Open Water

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Critics Consensus

A low budget thriller with some intense moments.

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Critics Reviews

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Will Self London Evening Standard Jan 9, 2018
Open Water is being touted as one of the most frightening films to chomp into your psyche for a long time, but either I'm secretly being fed sedatives or this is a case of good old hype meets collective hysteria. Go to Full Review
Dan Jolin Empire Magazine Sep 11, 2004
3/5
As it dawns on the couple that they've slipped several links down the food chain, you're right there with them. Go to Full Review
Jeannette Catsoulis Las Vegas Mercury Sep 8, 2004
4/5
Open Water is terrifying on a purely primal level. In a fear-of-the-dark, monsters-under-the-bed way, it twangs nerves forgotten since childhood. Go to Full Review
Joe Lipsett Murder Made Fiction Podcast - Bloody Disgusting Jul 15, 2025
3/5
A minimalist shark film with only a few characters, real sharks, and a horrifying real life event. Points for how grim the film is willing to get, and a horrifying shark frenzy sequence that follows a night out in the ocean during a storm. Go to Full Review
James Croot The Post NZ Jul 6, 2023
4/5
Inspired by similar events in Australia in 1998, director Kentis' film is a triumph of understatement. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Feb 15, 2023
3/4
An uneasy watch. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Robert F @furryfilmnerd 4 days ago I saw Open Water in a theater 23 years ago and it still sticks with me. I had to go alone because I couldn't get the significant other to go with me to this one. If you liked The Blair Witch Project (I did), this might work for you as well. Very minimalist design and relatively low-budget, but this is clever filmmaking. The two actors do a great job as things get grim. Very effective cinematography and editing. Feels a little pornographic, in a Texas Chainsaw Massacre kind of way. You know the outline of the story, and you probably know it's based on a true event. I'll just mention that I thought the ending was perfect, but a woman behind me in the theater was not happy about it. Unpopular opinion: This was way more gripping than Jaws. Sorry, not sorry! See more B P @Bradster69 5 days ago Not Bad, but Not My Favorite See more AC C @Mon_Alisa Sep 3, 2026 Haunting, I still think about the ending to this day. By far my favorite “shark movie”, you feel like you’re actually out in the water with them (I never knew the wide open sea could feel claustrophobic). At first I thought it was low quality filming until I learned it was intentional. The realism of the movie is unmatched in this genre—oh and NO CGI SHARKS. See more Robert H @Rwhobbs198 Aug 13, 2026 Open Water (2003) Open Water has me torn. On one hand, the premise is absolutely terrifying because it feels like something that could genuinely happen—a simple mix-up leaves two people stranded in the middle of the ocean with no way back. As the situation worsens, especially near the end, the film does a great job tapping into the fear of deep water, isolation, and what might be circling beneath you. Unfortunately, it's hard to get past the extremely low-budget presentation. Regardless of intention, much of it looks like something recorded on a home camera, and the acting often feels just as rough. Even some scenes, like the unnecessary nudity while the couple argues before the trip, feel included more for shock value, than story. A horrifying concept with some genuinely effective moments, but the execution keeps it from being nearly as good as it could have been. See more Jeremy W. @reliablecritic Jun 11, 2026 WORTHY WATCH! This movie kept my interest the entire time and 100% delivered on this! See more Luke T @Ljhadventurer Apr 13, 2026 It's crazy how low the audience reviews on this are. It's like they were wanting some glossy, polished, cgi, shark slasher movie rather than this: a viscerally real and gut-wrenching story. The ONLY shark movie in the same league with the great Jaws. See more Read all reviews
Open Water

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Open Water

Open Water: Official Clip - Big Ones Open Water: Official Clip - Big Ones 1:27 Now Playing Open Water: Official Clip - Feeding Frenzy Open Water: Official Clip - Feeding Frenzy 2:54 Now Playing Open Water: Official Clip - Was That a Shark? Open Water: Official Clip - Was That a Shark? 2:42 Now Playing Open Water: Official Clip - Stung by Jellyfish Open Water: Official Clip - Stung by Jellyfish 2:49 Now Playing Open Water: Official Clip - Just a Little Cut Open Water: Official Clip - Just a Little Cut 2:09 Now Playing Open Water: Official Clip - Night Storm Open Water: Official Clip - Night Storm 1:51 Now Playing Open Water: Official Clip - Bitten Open Water: Official Clip - Bitten 2:11 Now Playing Open Water: Official Clip - Asleep and Drifting Open Water: Official Clip - Asleep and Drifting 2:37 Now Playing Open Water: Official Clip - Left Behind Open Water: Official Clip - Left Behind 2:07 Now Playing Open Water: Official Clip - Not in the Mood Open Water: Official Clip - Not in the Mood 2:02 Now Playing View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Daniel (Daniel Travis) and Susan (Blanchard Ryan) embark on a tropical vacation with their scuba-diving certifications in tow. During a group dive, the two separate themselves from the others to dive a little deeper. An incorrect head-count suggests the entire group has returned, so the boat departs. When the pair surfaces, they make out a vessel in the distance, but it does not immediately set in that they have been left behind. With sharks lurking beneath, their survival chances grow smaller.
Director
Chris Kentis
Producer
Laura Lau
Screenwriter
Chris Kentis
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
Production Co
Plunge Pictures LLC
Rating
R (Some Nudity|Language)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Adventure, Drama, Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 26, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 27, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$30.5M
Runtime
1h 19m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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