The Reef (2010) Reviews

• Solid acting and tense

  mokumgrrl2010-11-19

  Alright, so this is never going to win any Oscars, yet it was very entertaining. The character development was good, I actually cared for each person, which for me is a great indicator. If you can pull that off, it's got a bit of quality right there. Nothing felt fake or over/under done. The shark shots were real, no fake plastic models to be found! The movie was often pretty tense, i found myself literally on the edge of my couch. It was nice to hear the Aussie accents and it didn't feel "americanised" in any way. A great little movie with dedicated actors and a solid, scary story! Well done.

• Better than Open Water....

  vamplad792011-01-01

  Has similar premise as Open Water but is done a lot better. The characters are a lot better (no endless bickering for 3/4 of the movie) and the shark is both a real threat and clearly seen throughout the movie. This was the movie i was hoping Open Water would be. The film is not fast paced or action orientated with all the attacks being quick but impactful. We have a lot of pov shots at water level and a views of under the water to slowly build the tension. I found this more than effective. The direction is tight and the acting is decent. The shark itself seems to be real footage of a great white mixed in with the actors and it works really well. In fact i would say this is one if not the only shark film that does this seamlessly. Without a doubt The Reef is one of the best shark films ever and i highly recommend it to anyone that loves animal attacks films or sharks. SYFY should take note on how to do a animal attack film right by watching this film.

• "Jaws" in "Open Water"

  capoazzurro2010-08-25

  When I saw, I could be the first one to write a review for this movie, I thought to myself, that's a chance not to let go! And here I go... If you're familiar with horror flicks in general and animal terror-flicks in detail you'll find yourself reminded of the notorious "Jaws" (well, of course since it's the godfather of Shark-films), "Open Water" and, if you know who the director is, also of his latest film "Black Water". To be honest, "The Reef" hasn't many similarities to "Jaws". It has though many similarities to "Open Water", and if you liked that last named, you'll definitely like "The Reef". The style of direction here uses perspectives from the point of view of the protagonists and therefor also a lot of shaky-cam. Although this is no revolution in directing anymore, it surely succeeds in adding realism to this movie and giving the audience the feeling of being one of the group. The characters are all very authentic, without the typical stereotypes in the Hollywood-made animal horror-flicks, so it gets very easy to feel sympathy for and identify with the characters (like in "Black Water"). Because the director probably didn't have the biggest budget to spent for his movie he made clever choices in what to show and what to leave to the imagination of the viewer. It's always better to show effects only if they're worth to show, and so does Traucki in this movie. For example Traucki doesn't show how the yacht capsizes or delivers an exact explanation why it overturns, but not in the way that he's cheating the audience by keeping back important information. He just puts you in the situation of the individuals and doesn't give you the chance of seeing from a bird's perspective what has happened to the yacht. But what he shows to us is very well made. The shark looks, moves and behaves like a shark, like the animal that is the most dangerous predator in the seas, and not like an exaggerated monster from outer space. Unfortunately it's pretty easy to estimate what's happening next in the movie, but that's due to the simple setting in the sea, with water and almost nothing but water. What the film manages very well is getting never boring and holding the audience's attention during the whole duration of the movie. You can say that the movie shouldn't have lasted longer though, the duration is perfect. And now... go and see the movie yourself...or just take a swim!

• It scared me something rotten

  Jaymb722011-01-25

  Yes, The Reef is similar to Open Water but ramps up the scare factor by giving us the mother of all sharks, the Great White. The way in which the movie puts you amongst the actors is really well done. You feel like you are there with them. When the camera dips under the surface of the water with the bobbing motion of the waves you get little glimpses of what lies beneath. The tension is unbearable at times and I felt sick with fear. It's the anticipation of the oncoming attack that had me wriggling in my seat. Believe me, when the first attack comes you will bang your head off the ceiling in fright. I admit that this is my worst fear. Being stalked by a predator in their own territory. Especially in the ocean by a Great White. You get moments of respite to catch your breath and lower your stress levels. That just adds to the tension as these guys have to push on to reach dry land. Will they get to dry land and survive? Watch it and see if you dare. Not for the faint hearted this one. Viewing discretion is highly advised. Superbly done and a masterclass in tension and horror.

• A Tense and Realistic Combination of "Open Water" and "Jaws"

  claudio_carvalho2010-11-07

  Luke (Damian Walshe-Howling) welcomes his friend Matt (Gyton Grantley) and his girlfriend Suzie ( Adrienne Pickering) that come from London and Matt's sister and Luke's former girlfriend Kate (Zoe Naylor) that comes from Sydney to sail with him and the sailor Warren (Kieran Darcy-Smith) in a sailboat. However, the vessel hits an underwater rock and capsizes with an opening on her bottom. Luke advises that they should swim in the north direction to reach the Turtle Island, in Queensland, Australia, while they have strength since there is a current moving the stranded boat in the opposite direction of land but Warren prefers to stay on the hull waiting for help since there are sharks in the water. The quartet swims, but they are hunted by a great white shark. "The Reef" is a tense and realistic combination of "Open Water" and "Jaws". The performances are top-notch and transmit the sensation of fear to the viewer and the attacks of the white shark are impressively real. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): "Perigo em Alto-Mar" ("Danger in High Sea")