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The Bay

Play trailer Poster for The Bay R Released Nov 2, 2012 1h 24m Horror Sci-Fi Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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76% Tomatometer 86 Reviews 43% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
The residents of a seaside Maryland community become the unfortunate hosts of mutant, waterborne parasites that take control of their minds and bodies.
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The Bay

The Bay

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Critics Consensus

Barry Levinson's eco-horror flick cleverly utilizes familiar found-footage methods in service of a gruesome yet atmospheric chiller.

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Critics Reviews

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Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com This disgustingly suspenseful yarn got under my skin, and I kept shivering long after I left the theatre. Rated: 2.5/4 Mar 24, 2022 Full Review David Gritten Daily Telegraph (UK) Gruesome but oddly riveting. Rated: 3/5 Mar 1, 2013 Full Review Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard Seeking to merge the conventions of found-footage horror with targeted social commentary, the film does its job with some skill ... Rated: 3/5 Mar 1, 2013 Full Review Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh Falls short of expectations both as a found-footage horror movie and as a creature feature. Rated: 2/5 Sep 22, 2023 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review When, after the film and a web search or two, audiences begin to read about the real problems of Chesapeake Bay, Levinson’s intent becomes apparent. Rated: 3/4 Sep 21, 2022 Full Review Jason Adams My New Plaid Pants An effective little chiller. Levinson burrows right under your skin (har har) with a mounting squickiness Jul 2, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jonathan O The Bay is really disturbing scary found footage creature horror film. It may be very disturb and too intense and not for weak heart and weak stomach audiences but it really does feel it can happen on pandemic era. And really good camera work there's some camera shaking moments but it really captures the documentary style and terrific editing. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/19/24 Full Review Dan R Found footage horror films can vary in quality but 2012's 'The Bay' is one of the best. And the most grounded. SYNOPSIS: 'Chaos breaks out in a small Maryland town after an ecological disaster occurs.' An eco horror film might not sound like it's your thing but 'The Bay' manages to merge gruesome horror with some strong social commentary. It's stupidly suspenseful, especially once you get an idea on what's coming, and unlike a lot of found footage films it actually makes some sort of sense. The special effects are excellent throughout and at no point are you made to feel like anything you see is fake. This could be real. A film made on this budget has no right to be this good. But it is. It's maybe the best found footage film ever. 9/10 Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/09/24 Full Review Gaming U Movie is awesome as heck Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/09/24 Full Review Audience Member From the producers of 'Paranormal Activity' and 'Insidious' and director Barry Levinson comes a new found footage horror movie about the terrors of environmental ignorance What lies in the bay? Something we should ignore or actually address? A small Maryland town unknowingly becomes the victim of an ecological disaster Taking place in Claridge, a seaside Chesapeake Bay town nestled on Maryland's Eastern Shore, thrives on its water supply, both from tourism and from how it benefits the chicken industry However, the chicken farm has come under fire from some citizens who are concerned about the quality of the bay due to the dumping of chicken excrement and other toxins into the water A documentary film crew lead by reporter Donna Thompson goes to investigate this issue and the results end up being more horrific as we see her recounting what lead to this It seems to have begun with two oceanographers coming across something eating its way into the sealife A parasitic outbreak is then engulfing everybody with symptoms being lesions, blisters, aches, vomiting blood, organs being eaten up, and death Wildlife such as birds and fish were the first of many casualties affected Events were covered by the media but the real story was never leaked to the public until now This is a gruesome yet very atmospheric chiller of a horror movie in this genre of filmmaking It's a type of fear that makes people question the validity of what's actually happening so naturally theories are thrown around, has the residents wonder if recreational activities like swimming is even safe The movie does a good job being suspenseful, making hearing audio bits much scarier without seeing it, producing a chilling score to boost things, and enhancing our fears of ecological nature These parasites are unpredictable with the damage they cause And considering right now we've been through a real pandemic it's very nerve wracking being unclear how much an outbreak can evolve without us knowing If only the red tape didn't get in the way and silence wasn't the result many of these townsfolk could've been saved ‘The Bay' still works thanks to some clever camerawork, interspersed footage, and tons of shivering, riveting scenes of how things go south so quickly The combination of social commentary and body horror is a good mixture that will make you feel uneasy, certainly did the job for me Eco-activists and found footage enthusiasts will get their fill It manages to deliver its message and entertain at the same time Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/07/23 Full Review Eye C But it's fiction right… RIGHT?!?!?!?! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/27/23 Full Review Emilliano S One of the best found footage film. Its story line is likely based on science logic which makes it more interesting to watch Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Bay

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Cast & Crew

The Bay

The Bay: Official Clip - Too Much Pain The Bay: Official Clip - Too Much Pain 1:32 The Bay: Official Clip - If You Find This Tape The Bay: Official Clip - If You Find This Tape 2:00 The Bay: Official Clip - They're Eating Their Flesh The Bay: Official Clip - They're Eating Their Flesh 2:00 The Bay: Official Clip - Help Me The Bay: Official Clip - Help Me 1:38 The Bay: Official Clip - Go Away! The Bay: Official Clip - Go Away! 1:58 The Bay: Official Clip - Something Really Bad The Bay: Official Clip - Something Really Bad 2:21 The Bay: Official Clip - The Last Swim The Bay: Official Clip - The Last Swim 1:58 The Bay: Official Clip - Bacterial Infection The Bay: Official Clip - Bacterial Infection 1:46 The Bay: Official Clip - Bring Me to a Hospital The Bay: Official Clip - Bring Me to a Hospital 1:24 The Bay: Official Clip - Never Been So Scared The Bay: Official Clip - Never Been So Scared 1:27 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis The residents of a seaside Maryland community become the unfortunate hosts of mutant, waterborne parasites that take control of their minds and bodies.
Director
Barry Levinson
Producer
Barry Levinson, Jason Blum, Steven Schneider, Oren Peli
Screenwriter
Michael Wallach
Distributor
Roadside Attractions
Production Co
Haunted Movies, Automatik Entertainment
Rating
R (Disturbing Violent Content|Bloody Images|Language)
Genre
Horror, Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 2, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 17, 2014
Runtime
1h 24m
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