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The Little Mermaid would have you believe the ocean floor is a nonstop party, where crabs sing and fish play the clarinet. Unfortunately, nature's not as friendly in real life. The film 47 Meters Down, out this Friday in the US (UK release TBC), will do a good job of shattering any lingering childhood illusions of vegetarian sharks or musical crustaceans.
The movie starts, as so many aquatic-themed horror movies do, with a "fun activity." Two sisters, Lisa (Mandy Moore) and Kate (Claire Holt), buckle into their shark tank for a scuba diving adventure. Plot twist: The tank detaches from the boat and floats to the bottom of the ocean, where the sisters contend with circling sharks and a dwindling oxygen supply.
The summer flick is merely the latest in a long line of works that prey on our fear of the deep blue sea. Before 47 Meters Down, there was Jaws. And before there was Jaws, there was Moby-Dick, the classic novel about a war between whale and man. Each of these movies captures the terror of being lost at sea.
Enjoy your cruise this summer, by the way.
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