The Shallows

Nancy (Blake Lively) is a medical school drop-out who decides to surf on her late mother's favorite Mexican beach: a remote, jungle-enshrouded crescent-shaped cove that is almost totally deserted. After checking-in by phone with her dad and younger sister in Galveston, TX, Nancy zips into her wetsuit, tethers her foot to her surfboard, and wades into the waves. A strong swimmer, Nancy soon catches up with two Spanish-speaking dudes who are also enjoying the exhilarating surf (one is wearing a GoPro camera on his head). After awhile, Nancy returns to the beach for a late lunch and then decides to head into the clear, turquoise-blue lagoon for one last run, just as the guys head home. Naturally, this is when an enormous shark surfaces—a Great White that has been chomping on the carcass of a dead blue whale. Since Nancy is now in his feeding ground, the shark bites her thigh. With her leg bleeding profusely, ever-resourceful Nancy crawls up on a jagged rock about 200 yards offshore, with only a wounded seagull for company. Because it's low tide, she's safe—temporarily. Filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra serves up a scary, suspenseful survival thriller (with terrific underwater shots) that unfortunately is dragged down by a flat ending. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the behind-the-scenes featurettes “When Sharks Attack” (8 min.), “How to Build a Shark” (7 min.), “Shooting in the Shallows” (6 min.), and “Finding the Perfect Beach: Lord Howe Island” (6 min.), along with deleted scenes (5 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an uneven but often effective thriller.] (S. Granger)