Customer Reviews

Black Water

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Black Water is one extremely intense human survival movie. I don't know how anyone could sit through this and not have to consciously unclench most of his/her muscles before he/she can walk away after it's over. I can see where comparisons with Jaws (30th Anniversary Edition), Open Water (Widescreen Edition), or Rogue would ultimately come up in the discussion of this film, but I absolutely did not expect to see some viewers rating it so poorly. I don't think the Jaws comparisons carry much weight, and -as far as the other film comparisons go - who cares? Even if you've never seen a movie before in your life, you pretty much know how the film is going to play out by the twenty-five minute mark - and that doesn't make the film any less thrilling or suspenseful. The only question that really matters here is who, if any, of the characters are going to survive. The plot is one of brutal simplicity - and I mean that as a compliment.

Here's the situation. You're enjoying a fishing adventure with two family members in a mangrove swamp in Northern Australia when your boat is capsized by a salt-water crocodile. Two of you manage to scurry up a nearby tree, while the most vulnerable member of your party clings to the top of the overturned boat. Forget about your tour guide because he doesn't survive the initial attack. The odds are that no one is going to be looking for you any time soon, and there are hundreds of little tributaries to search if someone does come. Your best bet is the boat, but - assuming you can first rescue the third member of your party, there's no way to get to the boat without venturing dozens of terrifying meters into the water. That water, by the way, isn't black but it is definitely dark (I imagine they would have called this movie Dark Water if that title hadn't already been taken so recently) - unless the crocodile shows himself, there's almost no way you're going to know he's coming until he's torn into you with his massive jaws. What do you do?

I love and respect crocodiles. They are second only to sharks in the list of nature's most brilliantly designed killing machines. As unfortunate as the characters' situation is, I can't hate or condemn this salty for doing what he was born to do. That being said, this particular croc is a mean one; I don't want to give anything away, so just take my word on this. The big guy's in total control of the situation, and he knows it - and he has all the time in the world to wait for his victims to make a deadly mistake. You're not looking at some kind of CGI creation or mechanical beast here, either; Black Water serves us the real deal. Some people, of course, complain that the crocodile does not get enough screen time, but any fan of classic horror can tell you that less is more in situations like this. Maybe the ending doesn't ring quite true, but overall I found this film disquietingly realistic.

Perhaps the most horrifying thing of all about this film is the fact that it was inspired in part by actual events. Salt water crocs kill several people a year in Northern Australia, but most of those deaths involve humans doing something they shouldn't be doing. Here, as in the case that inspired the movie, you simply have a case of three individuals being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I realize I haven't mentioned any of the characters in this film. We may not get to know them like old friends, but I thought there was definitely adequate characterization in play here - and I thought Diana Glenn, Maeve Dermody, and Andy Rodoreda turned in inspired performances. In fact, I'm going to throw out kudos all around, especially to co-writers and co-directors David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki. I understand that this film had a low budget (as little as one million dollars), but I would never have guessed that for myself. Black Water is an immensely excellent film.

the cover looks trashy and very B movie like, plus i am not a big fan of horror movies that contain crocodiles,apes,snakes etc. the more i was happily surprised about black water. u can never really tell its low budget and it kept me on the edge of my sofa almost the entire time. u get sucked into the atmosphere...especially knowing this is based on true events makes it even more chilling.

Black Water was a very good Australian low budget croc film, at first I thought that this film looked very familiar then I remembered this other low budget film its kind of like Open Water only with a crocodile instead of a shark. Three friends go on a vacation in the Australian backwoods and decide to go on a fishing tour through the mangroves, this obviously turns out to be a bad idea since it doesn't take to long before a large and ravenous crocodile flips over the boat and chases them up a tree.

With nowhere to go the three friends (which includes Grace with her boyfriend and younger sister) are forced to act real fast before they're eaten by the crocodile, the film was quite good but the beginning was slightly dull they could have made things more interesting but then again the film kept getting more interesting and alot better especially during the second half which has some decent action scenes, it really took off and became a nice and suspenseful low budget thriller/horror film and it packs in plenty of nail-biting tension so it does make us root for these three main characters, its really unpredictable since we don't know who's going to die next and once they hit the water you never know when the croc's going to attack cause its not visible under the water.

This film had a few bloody scenes in it but there wasn't any gore except for one dismembered arm and they used a real crocodile instead of CGI however there was a scene where they used a composited shot where the croc leaps up to grab one of the girls on top of the tree and yes it does look ridiculous, there were a few more unbelievable moments but despite all that I still thought it was worth it and it was very entertaining, I highly recommend this.

This movie was SURPRISINGLY good I was not expecting that. After reading the preview of the movie I thought ok could be another cheesy D rated movie. But it kept me on edge, the thriller was there and you wanted to see how they were going to make it out of the swamps alive would surely recommend, after a while it's a movie I would watch again.

Three travelers taking a fishing tour are left in the midst of mangrove swamps of Northern Australia. There is no one to guide them back to the town. The cell phone is dead. No one is likely to come where they are stranded. And somewhere in the muddy water a huge crocodile is hiding, waiting for the chance to eat them one by one.

"Black Water" is a solid B-suspense movie. Unlike other killer animal thrillers like "Alligator" (1980), "Black Water" employs a more realistic approach to tell the story of three hapless travelers and one deadly croc, cleverly using the swamp as the backdrop. Obviously this Australian film was shot with a minimal budget, but the film's atmospheric photography is impressive enough to make us believe the presence of the lurking danger. Sometimes cheap special effects ruin the film in this kind of low budget suspense films, but this doesn't happen in "Black Water."

The film claims it is "based on true events" (I don't know anything about the events the film refers to), but actually the storyline of "Black Water" is pretty familiar to the fans of the genre. Don't get me wrong. This is not to say the film is bad. The acting is very good, and the film's direction is steady and solid, but honestly, the story after the first croc attack is not very surprising. Also, some of the dialogues delivered on a tree are just unnecessary..

There are many suspense films featuring wild animals attacking humans and "Jaws" always comes top of the list. "Black Water" may not be as thrilling as Spielberg's classic, but it is still entertaining.

the merchant from which i purchased was awesome. great price, speedy delivery. i will definitely buy from them again. and i love the movie!!!

BLACK WATER

Black Water is a movie about a group of friends who go out into the water one day with a tour guide to go fishing. After leaving from their mother's house two sisters and one's boyfriend head out for a road trip. After visiting a croc farm they decide it is time to go fishing, doesn't seem like the right move right? So after getting a guide to take them out they spend an uneventful day out on the water that is until the boat rocks. Turns out a very big croc was waiting underneath them and pushed the boat over. That was the last time the guide was seen, and the other three make their way up a tree. From here on out the movie is all about these three in the tree and the croc below.

I remember watching this the first time and thinking here we go another nature run amuck flick that is supposedly based on true events. To my surprise this movie turned out to be good, much better than I expected. From what I can gather this is based on true events from a group of friends that were swimming or something and one got pulled underneath and was gone while the other two made it up a tree. Whether this is true or not it is still an effective and entertaining flick that all should enjoy. I personally like to think that this is based on some truth that is real close to this event. Don't get me wrong I don't like that people got ate alive but knowing that this is true adds a little something to it.

This movie is far from the best thing ever made but it is an effective enough film on the level that it does have a bit on tension to it. I like that the filmmakers stuck to the less is more rule and only showed the croc when necessary. I especially like when the camera just looks to the water and nothing ever appears, then right when you are getting the feeling ever thing is ok just the top of the croc's head appears right in front of someone. Writer/directors David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki did a great job in my opinion on this indie flick about a killer croc.

As far as performances go they only add to the tension since the small cast all do great jobs. The guys are good in this the boyfriend goes from a geeky looking dude to trying to be the hero, it doesn't work out. But it is the actresses that play the two sisters that steal the show from the boys in this one; the younger one in particular is great. Add in the atmosphere of the film and you have an enjoyable little killer croc flick there are more enjoyable films on this subject if you want gore or even comedy elements in croc/alligator flicks. But if you want a cool indie flick with a good amount of tension, I liked it. There has been comparisons to a little shark flick you may have heard of called "Open Water", both are based on true events.

"Black Water" follows an almost identical set-up to the higher-profile Rogue, with several people setting off boating along the rivers of Australia, only to have a pleasant, hot and sunny day take a turn for the worse when a large, aggressive crocodile shows up with hunger on its mind. Rogue is slightly better on a technical level, and is a reccommended watch, but overall I thought Black Water was the better movie.

The plot is basic but the crocodile is a formidable prescence (bolstered by impressive special effects) and the interactions (and sometimes tensions) among the human characters are well done and convincing. Probably the most notable thing about Black Water is the very thing that, in mentioning it, has the potential to turn a lot of people off it: the croc attack comes early, and the surviving characters proceed to spend a large portion of the movie trapped up in the trees that dot the mangrove. Now, I realize that sounds like it's going to be stupid, but it says something that the movie actually pulled it off. The trees are sparse, and as the characters try to manuever from one to the other to make it to land, or clash over whether to brave the shallow, still waters and try and reach their capsized boat, or try to scramble higher up the trees and out of potential reach of the croc's jaws, the movie doesn't drag one bit. I thought it was worth some kudos that while some movies have all kinds of interesting twists and subplots but can't always make them click, Black Water takes a very bare-bones scenario and keeps it fresh and engaging. Of course, eventually, the movie does move on as the boaters's fight for survival gets increasingly desperate. Like a lot of the other killer reptile films, Black Water doesn't really have a villain, per se: the crocodile is hungry, not evil. Fortunately that distinction doesn't water him down any - he's one big, vicious, frightful reptile. Well done all around, this one's a must for fans of Lake Placid (Widescreen Edition), the "Anaconda" movies, or, of course, Rogue. A couple other lesser-knowns to check out are Frankenfish and Primeval.

I recently reviewed the awful Lake Placid 2 and now we have another moving about a menacing crocodile, Black Water. Trust me however; the two films could not be more different in every way possible. Black Water is a true, low-budget diamond in the rough. In this case, low-budget doesn't mean any sacrifice in quality. This Australian-produced film is somewhat reminiscent of 2003's Open Water in that it has a very small cast--only five actors are listed in the credits--and is shot in only a few different settings. The fear in Black Water is largely psychological and comes from what you don't see as much as what you do see.

Set just after Christmas, two sisters Lee (Dermody) and Grace along with Grace's boyfriend, Adam, hire a boat to take them fishing and sightseeing along an Australian river. The river waters are extremely high, creating a swamp out of the nearby forest. As the trio cast their lines in the murky waters, their little boat is suddenly overturned by a crocodile who quickly munches their guide as they climb to safety up one of the trees. Their boat lies overturned, just feet away but it may as well be a mile. They find themselves completely trapped, surrounded by water and who knows how many crocodiles.

Directors David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki deftly build the suspense as each little splash; each ripple in the water sends a chill of fear through the three survivors. Adam wants to go for the boat but the sisters want to wait until someone comes along, a prospect Adam insists is useless as know one knows they are even out there. It becomes a test of nerves and resolve as they try to keep their footing in the tree as exhaustion and starvation assaults them, not to mention the constant biting of mosquitoes.

Unlike Lake Placid, this film doesn't use cheap CGI effects. In an effort to bring the most realism to the production, they've used real crocodiles, combining them with the actors through blue screen photography which is seamless and often horrifyingly real. Its real progenitor might be considered Jaws, as you don't see the crocodile a lot, particularly early on, although it does provide some of those signature jump-out-of-your-seat moments. You knew the croc was always out there, lurking about but you never knew where.

The cast was superb because they were so completely real and believable. There was not a hint of overacting. Adam didn't try to be the typical macho hero and the girls weren't just helpless bimbos. They all did an outstanding job of conveying the helplessness and desperation of their plight. Nerves become frayed and tempers begin to flare. I can honestly say I didn't know who, if any of them, would ever get out of the swamp.

The film was also shot on location in an actual mangrove swamp and provided the crew with only about a three hour window each day as the tide would go out leaving them in a muddy riverbed. The scenery was beautifully shot and while it was made only a mile or so from Sydney, it strongly suggested a primeval remoteness. This is one of those little hidden gems that you hope to find on a trip to the video store. Definitely one to check out.

Extras

The extras included an audio commentary with both directors, a few deleted scenes and an excellent, 23 minute making of documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew.

...Crocodile blues, won't you keep on snapping. Now this is a movie that keeps you on the edge of your tree. Three vacationers go fishing in an Australian mangrove swamp unaware that they're about to become croc food. Simple enough, but what I loved about this movie is that you rooted for the people, not the water dragon. The mother-to-be, her husband, and her sister were all solid characters.

Tense music and mood substitute superbly for the reptile's appearance throughout the film, which is used sparingly. There are no crappy CGI effects, just footage of real saltwater crocodilians ingeniously spliced in. I also love the upbeat beginning, which plays a neat song called Don't Walk Alone while happy photos of each character set things up.

To be fair to the creature, however, the abuse of these scaly giants by man is explained at the outset as these people discuss croc handbags, aphrodisiacs, and other uses for the stalking snappers. So when the toothy beast turns the tables later on, its revenge is understandable AND tragic.

This is not for Lake Placid laugh-out-loud cheeky monkeys! I recommend this for those who like their horror and suspense straight, without any humor.