There is definitely something unsettling about
recreating in murky water. If you've ever been
kayaking or on a small boat in crocodile or alligator
inhabited waters, you'll know such a vessel feels
quite insufficient. This is the fear that this movie
attempts to stir up in its audience. This Australian
horror film has fantastic acting and a great setting.
The mangrove swamps of northern Australia are
eerily beautiful. The weakness of the film is the lack
of physical movement. But when surrounded by
water containing a blood thirsty beast, I suppose that
does discourage movement. The problem is, the mind
of the viewer begins to wander when these characters
fail to do so.
There is much to appreciate about this film,
specifically the cast and dialogue, but sadly, the
suspense begins to wain as the story lingers on. I
think I would have enjoyed this more as a radio play
or podcast production. The lack of movement enabled
me to look away too much while still listening to the
story. It had my ears, but failed to hold my eyes. The
movie is based on real events and I could see and
appreciate the effort to make things exciting and
suspenseful while still keeping the story realistic
enough. Too often, these sort of movies get a bit
preposterous with their overly aggressive and
intelligent animals. This movie is a little guilty of this
cliché, but admittedly to a much lesser degree than
many similar movies I've seen.
