The summer is fast approaching, which means there is about to be an overwhelming swell of shark movies! The subgenre has become a cottage industry in recent years, largely forgotten and occasionally entertaining. There is one on the horizon that will manage to tread water long enough, and that one happens to be: Deep Water. A shark movie by way of disaster movie, brought to you by Renny Harlin, the director responsible for arguably creating one of the better Jaws-less shark movies, Deep Blue Sea. Now his latest swim with the sharks is far from fin-tastic, but it is loaded with more shocks than chum. A movie that knows what it is. It keeps raising the stakes at an absurdly fun level and, at the same time, delivers a pantheon of “Jawsome” scenes.
An international flight leaves Los Angeles bound for Shanghai, when there is trouble in the cargo hold. Thanks to the negligence of one of the passengers (Angus Sampson), the plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean. The pilots, Ben (Aaron Eckhart) and Rich (Ben Kingsley), work to gather the survivors. However, they soon learn they face bigger problems at sea. As the sharks surface, the ragtag band of survivors fights to survive the sharks and waits for help to arrive.
Here, director Renny Harlin flexes his disaster movie chops and begins with the harrowing downing of the plane. He demonstrates his ability to ratchet up the ante in ways that, while incredulous, execute flawlessly. Think of Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, or his other undersea exploit, Deep Blue Sea; the man knows how to create chaos that is pure popcorn movie fuel. Here in Deep Water, he delivers a blast of action-movie dynamite!
For much of the story, we follow the trials of Ben, who works to find which survivors are left from the crash. There is little for Eckhart to do other than swim and assume authority, but, again, in these types of films, character development and arcs are tertiary, at best. Fortunately, Eckhart has a commanding screen presence. His stature works in a film where characters play second fiddle to the drama and action. Ben Kingsley is a nice get for this film, and in his supporting role, he offers some laughs and delightful charm. The story itself delivers the usual suspects in terms of stock characters and convenient plot developments. This story is a disaster movie after all, so expect a roster of players found in films like The Poseidon Adventure, all the way to Sharknado.
While Deep Water is very much a shark movie, Harlin wisely keeps the beasts hidden, allowing for the theater of the mind to take over. In horror, what hides in the shadows is always more frightening, and nothing is more terrifying than the thought of being in the middle of the ocean, unable to see what toothy surprises are lurking below the surface.
The movie is stacked, both literally and figuratively. There are harrowing set pieces that recall Harlin’s earlier films, including Deep Blue Sea. Fans will recognize a particular helicopter dynamic reminiscent of the film and Jaws 2. While the film’s business could have been accomplished simply by having the shark pick off the survivors like an undersea version of Pac-Man, it instead emphasizes life-and-death parallels beyond mere survival. The plane crash is a fiery spectacle of adrenaline and acceleration. But when the plane hits the water, all hell breaks loose.
In many ways, the movie plays like the best hits of a previous disaster movie. A squad, led by flight attendant Zoe (Na Shi), finds themselves in a submerged section of the plane. The water rises, and the air supply shrinks. In addition, there is blood and guts galore. The sharks slice, and dice, and even manufactured drama pops up, which, while cliché, is nonetheless entertaining. Sure, there are some logical fallacies, but Deep Water is less concerned with practicality and more interested in entertainment.
And that is ultimately the film’s accomplishment; it is a thrill ride. It lays down hard on the gas and never lets up for a second. Harlin’s direction is flashy and fun. He delivers squarely on a movie about a plane crash into shark-infested waters. In an era where shark films are the equivalent of the influx of slasher films in its heyday, it is refreshing to find one that, while imperfect, is more importantly a fun time at the movies.
Deep Water will debut exclusively in theaters on May 1, 2026, courtesy of Magenta Light Studios.
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Harlin's direction is flashy and fun. He delivers squarely on a movie about a plane crash into shark-infested waters. In an era where shark films are the equivalent of the influx of slasher films in its heyday, it is refreshing to find one that, while imperfect, is more importantly a fun time at the movies.
Writing & podcasting, for the love of movies.
His Letterboxd Favorites: The Dark Knight, Halloween, Jaws & A Christmas Story.
