Not to be confused with the 2019 movie, There’s Something in the Water, Something in the Water is a whole new kettle of proverbial fish. Directed by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them lead, Hayley Easton Street, the movie follows a group of friends as they find themselves stranded in shark-infested waters.
There’s Something in the Water – Storyline
Here I use the term ‘storyline’ very loosely indeed. Something in the Water has no deep, twisting and turning plot but instead relies on suspense and intrigue to keep the viewer engaged. With what is essentially five girls bobbing about in the ocean, a storyline was never expected but this movie works all the better for it.
When five friends fly out to an exotic resort in an undisclosed location where one of them is getting married, spirits are high as the ladies frolic in the sunshine and drink their woes away. The day before Lizzy (played by Lauren Lyle) is due to be wed, the group board a boat and head ‘off-piste’ to an island where they have planned to abandon the two ex-lovers of the group: Meg and Kayla, in a bid to force them into reconciliation (because what are friends for, if not to create awkward situations?).
After a short heart-to-heart, the girls decide to turn the tables and return to the group declaring that a double wedding is now on the cards, much to the disguised distress of the real bride-to-be. The friends are having a laugh and a joke when one of them is bitten in the water. Panicking, the girls strap up the wound and board their friend back onto the boat and head for safety and medical help. However, it soon becomes evident that Lizzy is no Captain Birdseye when the boat hits some coral and begins to fill with water.
If their run of luck wasn’t bad enough, it’s not long before they realize that they are sharing the waters with hungry sharks and, to add insult to injury, their friend is bleeding shark bait. What follows is exactly as expected as the group fight for survival against the ocean’s most fearsome predators.
Something in the Water – Sink or Swim?
Despite predominantly being a single-location movie and holding no sustenance in terms of a storyline, Sink or Swim was a surprisingly good horror. With a relatively unknown cast, the movie somehow manages to keep its head above the water in terms of keeping the viewer both engaged and intrigued. There’s plenty of camera time for the CGI sharks and some clever camerawork add to the ominous tones that carry throughout most of the 84-minute runtime.
While the cast all do a commendable job, there was one character that served solely as a constant annoyance. With her ‘me, me me’ attitude and entitled outlook on life, I was kind of hoping that Lizzy would have been the first one to end up as shark food. With that being said, I’m guessing that this was intentional and, in fact, a testament to Lauren Lyle’s talent. However, it would have been a far more enjoyable experience if she was Jaws’ first course of his meal.
Something in the Water – Summary
To be fair, I enjoyed Something in the Water a lot more than I first thought I would. I don’t often go into horror movies of this ilk expecting much, but this has given me a little faith in “stranded in the water” movies going forward. Coming in at just 84-minutes in length, Something in the Water is definitely one to add to the “to-watch” list.
