DEEP WATER (2026)

DEEP WATER (2026)

Tagline: Surviving the crash is just the beginning.

(Horror, Thriller, Dangerous Luggage) [R]

Why do you keep saying that when you know it’s not true!

It’s not often wide release shark flicks actually make it to theaters. I think the last one was 2023’s THE BLACK DEMON. Jenn and I checked this one out this morning, and it definitely wasn’t what we expected, even after seeing the previews. From the start, this thing is part drama, part thriller, part horror, part shark movie, all kind of thrown into a proverbial blender. The result is a wildly realistic film where we get some unexpected deaths and one of the most in-depth and emotionally jarring plane crash scenes ever filmed. Yes, I said what I said, and I’ve seen lots of plane crash flicks. This one kind of mirrored the feeling I got when I first saw the extensive, incredibly detailed train wreck in SUPER 8, only we are basically visually shown nearly everything. This thing holds no punches. 

There are lots of things about this movie that I would say put it in the same lane as the massive shark catalog of films that is out there, but also sets it apart of enough to where the sharks in the film are more of a secondary challenge than the main narrative. Directed by Renny Harlin, who also directed the single best shark movie ever made, DEEP BLUE SEA, this film has been in development since 2014 and was originally supposed to be the sequel to BAIT, which came out in 2012 and was also mind-blowingly incredible. The movie was pushed forward and finally made due to Simmons/Hamilton Productions, which involves Gene Simmons of KISS. 

Regarding the casting, they pretty much nailed this thing, giving the lead to Aaron Eckhart and casting Ben Kingsley as well as Molly Belle Wright (THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER), newcomer Rosie Zhao, and Lucy Barrett (SINISTER ASSISTANT). The performances are all really solid with no signs of anyone mailing it in. 

I don’t want to give away too much, but I wasn’t prepared for all the actual storytelling that was going to be crammed into this 1 hour and 50 minute movie. We care about the characters, the edge-of-your-seat suspense remains throughout, and the rewatchability factor is extremely high. I feel it’s possible some people who saw this thing actually didn’t like it or gave it a lower score than it should have gotten, but I also think that some people gave it a lower score because the open is just freaking nuts, and several moments after that would give anyone with claustrophobia nightmares. 

Rather than ramped-up super-powered giant Einstein sharks, in this one, we get real-looking, actual shark-sized sharks that you might actually see in the real ocean. The attention to detail in this thing is absolutely nuts, as I kind of alluded to earlier, but wow, just freakin wow. This is a fantastic kick-off to the summer movie season, and it’s also the best film of 2026 so far, which is NOT something I expect to say about many shark flicks. I also was not expecting a film with the massive emotional swings this one throws at you. DEEP WATER is an easy 7 out of 7 for me. 

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF ARCLIGHT FILMS AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY.