Just when you thought it was safe to back in the ocean.
Directed by Renny Harlin, Deep Water begins as Ben (Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley), the two co-captains of an international flight between Los Angeles and Shanghai. Touting a full plane of international passengers, the duo embarks on their journey, just as they would any other flight. However, when complications lead to an emergency landing in the midst of shark-infested waters, the travellers and crew must work together in order to survive.
Let’s be honest. Deep Water is an outrageous and often ridiculous foray into oceanic chaos. It’s the sort of film that offers little in terms of subtext or meaning for the sake of carnage.
It’s also a bloody good time.
Few people would accuse Harlin of subtly. As the director of films like Cutthroat Island, Driven and the Strangers trilogy, Harlin’s career is laden with bombastic spectacles. In this way, Deep Water fits very neatly into his cinematic canon, providing opportunities for him to embrace his penchant for furious destruction and frenzied fun.
And, without question, Harlin is more than ready to let the carnage fly.
Even before we step into the sea, Harlin delivers an utterly spectacular plane crash. In a lengthy scene, the emergency landing hits the water with devastating results. From flying passengers to exploding engines, Water unleashes such brutality on its fuselage that one can’t help but question their next set of travel plans.
It’s worth noting that this is also Harlin’s second foray into the world of shark-tacular disasters, having also directed 1999’s deliciously silly Deep Blue Sea. Though 27 years have passed between underwater feasts, Harlin still has a knack for putting blood in the water. Unlike the genetically-engineered baddies of Deep Blue Sea, these are meant to be hungry beasts, ready to strike when the proverbial chum hits the water.
In Deep Water, Harlin dips and dives the camera as though it’s trying to stay afloat itself. While the technique can be jarring as it bounces with the waves, it also adds to the chaos. After all, Harlin doesn’t want us to see too far below the surface. He wants his sharks to feel shadowy and mysterious in their approach. It’s a simply technique but, frankly, it’s sharkingly effective.
Now, admittedly, Deep Water is often absurdly ridiculous. This isn’t a film that has any particularly great subtext to be studied like Jaws or even last year’s Dangerous Animals. With explosive chaos, Harlin understands the assignment and leans into the film’s campiness with joyous glee. Yet, at the same time, Water never fully bites into the insanity either. (This isn’t Sharknado.) Instead, Harlin walks a fine line that (mostly) pays off. He embraces the wildest of set pieces but still takes his characters far more seriously than expected.
With a surprising amount of empathy, Deep Water very much wants us to care about this plane’s fated crew and passengers. One might expect these people to merely be nameless fresh meat to be sacrificed for our amusement. Even so, Harlin genuinely wants us to invest in their individual journeys. Here, each person seems to have their own story arc, ranging from struggling marriages, taking responsibility for their lives and even ‘forbidden’ romance.
Leading the way, of course, is Eckhart who throws himself into the role of captain of the ill-fated flight. While he doesn’t quite have the charm of Deep Blue Sea’s lovable rogue, Thomas Jane, Eckhart gives his all when given the opportunity. Although he’s given very little material to work with, he throws himself into the moment with a compassionate heart and serious glare. (In fact, while performances are enjoyable, that level of seriousness might actually prevent Deep Water from truly becoming the epic that it could be.)
In the end, Deep Water isn’t the sort of film that’s going to change the cinematic landscape. It’s not gunning for Academy Awards or trying to bring any particularly meaning conversation about our current global climate. But it knows what it is and it dives in with both fins. And, for those looking for a night of non-sensical ocean madness, Deep Water is more than prepared to bare its teeth.
Deep Water is available in theatres on Friday, May 1st, 2026.
