Director: Hayley Easton Street
Screenplay: Cat Clarke
Starring: Hiftu Quasem, Natalie Mitson, Nicole Rieko Setsuko, Lauren Lyle, Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart
Country: UK
Running Time: 86 min
Year: 2024
BBFC Certificate: 15
A year after a traumatic event cut a rift through their group, five best friends reunite for a sun-drenched destination wedding. Efforts to repair bonds within the group go awry, however, when an island boat trip results in the five stranded and wounded in the middle of the ocean and, wouldn’t you know it, but there’s… something in the water.
That’s right, there’s another new shark movie out so of course I’m back to review it! However, if you’re planning to take a dive with Something in the Water and are hoping for a gory, teeth-filled shark-fest then you’re going to be somewhat disappointed. As shark movies go, this is far closer to the character-based relationship dramas that just happen to have a shark in them – think The Reef or Open Water – than the more all-out entertaining fare of my beloved Deep Blue Sea. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, it just could lead to a disappointing viewing if your expectations are set to a more blood-lusting degree.
Our core five actors are all well cast and have great chemistry. Their friendship is palpable and even when tensions fray and blame is distributed, it comes with a tinge of familiarity and love. As always some characters grate more than others, but here it’s believably so. Lauren Lyle’s Lizzie’s constant consternation about the fate of her imminent wedding gets tiresome very quickly, but I know many people who would act identically in a similar situation, even without the addition of sharks! Most of the other characters get a chance to define themselves, particularly Hiftu Quasem and Nicole Rieko Setsuko as the traumatised Meg and more cavalier Cam. Natalie Mitson and Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart get a little less to do as Kayla and Ruth, particularly the latter, spending much of her screen time a wounded burden after the initial shark encounter.
Whilst there isn’t much here to set Something in the Water out from many other films in the genre, that first aquatic attack is portrayed very differently from how you might expect, and not necessarily in a positive manner. Given director Hayley Easton Street’s visual effects background (her CV includes effects work in Ex Machina, as well as the Harry Potter, Narnia and Alien franchises), you might expect some standout creature effects work here, but alas the shark sightings are few and far between, and more often than not entail a lonely fin passing by in the distance. Attack sequences are predominantly shown above sea level, with the onslaught being implied by the acting performances rather than actual creature shots. The first such encounter is particularly devoid of action and spectacle, with Ruth dancing in waist-deep water until she stops and insists to her stunned companions that everything is fine, before clouds of blood provide evidence to the contrary. Some novelty is brought to other attacks sequences by having the victim relentlessly punching down at a mostly unseen assailant, but as mentioned earlier, if you’re here for the sharks this wont be a satisfying watch.
Instead, if you’re here for a good character-based friendship group drama where occasionally some of the characters involved get taken out by offscreen ocean wildlife, then this is the perfect film for you. If you also enjoy listening to S Club 7, so much the better.
Something in the Water is available to buy and rent digitally from Studio Canal, and was released on DVD and Blu-Ray today, Monday 9th September 2024.