SOMETHING IN THE WATER

US/UK/France, 2024, 86 minutes, Colour.

Hiftu Quasem, Natalie Mitson, Nicole Rieko[Setsuko, Lauren Lyle, Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart.

Directed by Hailey Easton Street.

Yes, the sharks menacing story once again. However, this is a small film, a small cast, some personal drama, and menace in the open sea, including sharks. It is very low-key in comparison to most of the shark films.

The first 20 minutes introduced to central characters, Meg and Kayla who intends to propose to Meg. They are accosted on their way home, homophobic slurs, and Meg is bashed as Kayla insults the group.

A year later, their friend, Lizzie, invites her friends, including Meg and Kayla to come to a Caribbean island to celebrate her wedding. Meg and Kayla have not met since the bashing and Meg is very reserved, fairly hostile.

There is a celebration of a meal in preparation for the wedding and the group goes out in a boat to an island, three of the women leaving Meg and Kayla on the beach to reconcile their differences. When they all team up again, one of the women in the water suffers and attack, a gashing wound to her leg, significant bleeding. They decide to return to the mainland in their small boat which they have previously criticised as inadequate. And it has only one lifejacket.

The rest of the film, it is diminishing numbers of the friends, the wounded girl dies and they let her go out to sea. Lizzie, the future bride, reveals that she cannot swim so she is given the lifejacket. Kayla then decides to swim for help. Another of the women is taken by the shark. A boat passes but does not notice the two women clinging to the lifejacket.

Meg sleeps during the night and Lizzie then disappears sacrificing herself for Meg. Meg finds a rock outcrop, is circled by a shark, the tide rises, Kayla arrives just in time to rescue Meg.

This is very much a women’s film, writer-director, cast, women’s issues and interests.