Monsters of another sort lurk in the ocean-going drama Deep Fear, monsters of a far more realistic and menacing sort than the kaiju and ghosts of the previous two reviewed movies.  Sharks.  Big, hungry, aggressive sharks.  These apparitions are what keep me out of the water, and this movie perfectly evinces why I remain on dry land.  I’ve petted my share of aquarium sharks, rays, alligators and such.  I love the natural world and the wonders within it.  But I know enough — more than the characters in this movie — to stay the heck out of the deep water where the sharks roam.  I know better.

Marcus Adams’ tale is set in the Caribbean (but filmed in Malta), following stunning Naomi (Mãdãlina Ghenea) as she sails her fancy sailboat toward Grenada.  She rescues two shipwrecked people only to learn that they have a secret agenda and the need for her to dive to their wrecked ship.  As the weather worsens and large great white sharks roam the area, Naomi is forced to face her deepest fears in order to survive.

The simple premise is presented pretty realistically and believably, I think, especially involving the sharks.  After seeing too many of that awful Asylum-made junk, where awful CGI sharks speed through the water (and air, and metal, and whatever) eating half of their D-list casts, it is refreshing, and harrowing, to witness realistic sharks doing what they do, with no warning or remorse, or Jaws-sequel style vengeance.  A couple of shots are obviously phony, but for the most part the filmmakers did their job well here.  The only wonder is why the sharks didn’t finish off the cast, but that is due to the scriptwriter.

While this is a serious movie it is nonetheless too by-the-numbers for its own good.  This is one of those movies where I sat at home, alone in the dark, somewhat loudly exhorting Naomi not to pet the shark at the beginning, not to sail her sailboat alone, not to rescue the scraggly-looking people, not to go back into the water, etc.  It isn’t exploitation-level entertainment but it’s not grade A-level, either.  It’s right in the middle, where one can enjoy the views and the thrills and never have to think about it again, except in the dead of night when the torpedo shape with the gaping mouth and its razor-sharp teeth come zooming toward you out of the gloom . . . .  ☆ ☆ 1/2.  17 April 2024.