Deep Water (2026)

​“Deep Water” stars Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Angus Sampson, Kelly Gale, Madeleine West, Molly Belle Wright, Kate Fitzpatrick, and Mark Hadlow.  Released on May 1, 2026, the film follows a group of passengers who survive a plane crash and find themselves stranded in shark-infested waters.

The film is directed by Renny Harlin, who also directed films such as “Die Hard 2”, “Deep Blue Sea”, “12 Rounds”, “The Misfits”, and the “Strangers” reboot trilogy.  There’s nothing more frightening than having a plane malfunction during a flight.  However, that’s the least of our concerns regarding what happens after making an emergency landing on shallow waters.  I sure am glad Sully Sullenberger didn’t have to deal with this after landing his plane on the Hudson River.  As if people can’t get enough of those shark movies, Hollywood has given us yet another film to sink our sharp teeth into.  This time, it comes to us from director Renny Harlin, who returns to the shark horror genre 27 years after “Deep Blue Sea” and is hoping to earn cinematic redemption from his horrendously bland “The Strangers” reboot trilogy.  I honestly don’t blame him.  I would probably go back to the basics as well if I helmed the worst trilogy of all time.  Maybe even feeding it to the sharks while I’m at it?  But even with this return to form for the filmmaker, does it provide the thrills and shark-related horrors worthy of surviving in, or are we better off staying on dry land?  Let’s find out.

The story follows a group of international passengers aboard an airplane piloted by Ben (Eckhart) and Rich (Kingsley) as they travel from Los Angeles to Shanghai.  However, their peaceful flight quickly transforms into a nightmare when they’re forced to make an emergency landing due to a malfunction.  What’s even worse is that the plane crash-landed in the ocean, which is filled with bloodthirsty sharks drawn to the wreckage.  As a result, Ben and the remaining passengers must work together to survive this dangerous predicament before they become chum for the watery predators.

Many of us can agree that Renny Harlin isn’t a great director regarding his recent works, notably the “Strangers” reboot trilogy.  However, I think we can also agree that his earlier films left a solid mark in cinema, giving us such cult classics as “Cliffhanger”, “The Long Kiss Goodnight”, and, of course, “Deep Blue Sea”.  I’ve only seen bits and pieces of “Deep Blue Sea”, but I did watch plenty of other shark movies to suffice, including “Jaws”, which retains its status as the perfect shark movie.  Yes, I will also include the more forgettable ones that left me feeling glad I stayed clear of the water.  Surely, that’s more than enough to survive another round of shark bait that looks like it should’ve gone straight to streaming.  Got to keep the theater business alive somehow.  While I wasn’t too excited about this one due to my dreadful experience with Harlin’s “Strangers” saga, it’s at least a more suitable option compared to the kid-friendly version of “Animal Farm”.  Plus, I wasn’t ready to tackle “The Devil Wears Prada 2” since I hadn’t watched the first movie yet, so I do apologize for those waiting for my thoughts on Meryl Streep’s devilish passion for fashion.

Well, I would say it’s a suitable option if the film is actually good, which it sadly isn’t.  “Deep Water” delivered what audiences should expect from a shark movie: various people coming together to survive against the bloodthirsty beasts.  Given that everyone around us is at each other’s throats right now, this is another movie that reminds us of what we could be.  If that’s the only element you’re expecting, then you might find some enjoyment in it, although you might forget about it moments afterward.  However, if you’re seeking something more than just another subpar shark thriller, you’ll wind up wanting to take a car ride to your destination instead.  As I said, I did not have any high expectations going into this film, which should’ve made it easier for me to judge, but even with that, it should’ve at least provided something worthy of its entertainment value.  While it may have those moments that certain viewers may enjoy, it’s not enough for me to consider “Deep Water” as highbrow entertainment or even lowbrow entertainment.  It’s another forgettable, mostly tedious shark movie that falls flat in not just its execution, but also the corniness it’s aiming for.

If there’s one small merit I can give “Deep Water” credit for, it’s Aaron Eckhart’s performance.  Eckhart is another actor I mostly appreciate, with his portrayal of Harvey Dent in “The Dark Knight” being my favorite performance from him so far.  Since then, he hasn’t really gotten close to that high bar through his recent roles in mid to low-tier movies.  Unfortunately, his performance as one of the pilots, Ben, didn’t quite win me over as much as his becoming a scarred district attorney obsessed with his coin.  But out of the entire cast that signed up to be shark bait, he’s at least the most tolerable due to his efforts in conveying Ben’s emotions regarding his personal issues.  So it’s not a total loss for the actor.  Ben Kingsley also had a couple of okay moments in his role as Rich, despite his screen time being surprisingly short.  I would also credit Molly Belle Wright for her bearable debut as Cora, one of the surviving passengers who’s eager to rescue her stepbrother.

Besides the cast, “Deep Water” doesn’t offer much else in its stuffed story other than people becoming fishy nom-noms for the sharks.  Part of the reason is Renny Harlin's direction.  With his experience with helming “Deep Blue Sea” and its tone, one would expect “Deep Water” to have the same B-movie essence as the 1999 cult classic.  Sadly, that isn’t the case, as the thrills stemming from the shark attacks felt pretty rushed and underwhelming.  There is that one sequence that got me spooked, but other than that, it’s a series of sharks eating people that lacks the weight of its narrative stakes or, in this case, the joy of its cheesy survival thrills.  It doesn’t help that Geoff Lamb's editing was a bit choppy at times, leading to a few moments that left me scratching my head over its clunky structure.  It’s at least somewhat more interesting than Harlin’s “Strangers” trilogy since Harlin actually has a mindset on making a concept engaging.  However, that doesn’t excuse him from not offering something juicy in his "shark obsession" phase.

But the real problem this movie has is its screenplay.  In addition to the by-the-numbers tropes found in other shark movies, the film attempts to juggle multiple side plots at once.  One such case is Ben, who’s running away from his problems because his son is ill.  Another example is Cora, who struggles with having a stepmother and a stepbrother in her life and is ultimately tasked with rescuing him.  While the characters’ common goal is survival, they each face different problems, and the dilemma forces them to tackle them head-on.  There were a couple of moments from those side plots that could’ve enhanced the film's emotional depth.  But alas, they were easily dragged down by its one-dimensional characters and dialogue that’s more irritatingly corny than humorously corny.  Even when it tries to evoke emotion, especially in the plane crash sequence, it just comes off as either forced or out of place.

As for the visuals, it’s easy to see why I think it should’ve gone straight to streaming.  To be fair, the CGI effects don’t look too bad, but I wouldn’t say they’re “Avatar”-level good either.  The best way I can describe them to the best of my ability is that the visuals looked a bit “glossy”.  I know it sounds pretty dumb, but hear me out.  The way they depict the oceanic horizons just looked a bit uncanny or too shiny to me.  At times, it’s as if I were watching a video game cutscene from a PlayStation 5 game.  While the remaining visuals were all right in depicting the sharks and practical shots, the rest of the oceanic environment lacked the cinematic essence to warrant a theatrical release.  If it had been released as a streaming movie, I would’ve been a tad forgiving, but I would've still criticized it in a similar way.

Overall, “Deep Water” doesn’t delve deep into its familiar narrative trenches, leaving me with a shark thriller that lacks any bite in its B-movie aura.  While it delivers what is expected from its premise, it also leaves the corny fun and character-driven moments in the middle of the ocean to fend for themselves.  As a result, Renny Harlin’s long-awaited return to the shark genre is a clunky, glossy, cliched, and stuffed fight for survival that’s anything but an entertaining chum worth consuming.  Aaron Eckhart commands the group of passengers with his tolerable performance, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the film from being dragged to the depths of the cinematic ocean.  Regarding Harlin’s so-so direction, one-dimensional screenplay, and lackluster visuals, the movie made me a bit glad it’s less frustrating than the director’s “Strangers” reboot trilogy, though that’s not saying much.  If you’re still interested in watching this, I’d say you’re better off staying away from its shallow waters until it releases on a streaming service.

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