Into the Deep

"Into the Deep" (2025) is a disaster of a movie that fails on every level. The sound effects are terrible and add nothing to the atmosphere, while the scenario is dull, poorly thought out, and completely lacks common sense. The story is uninspired, filled with clichés, and drags on with no sense of excitement or tension. It's clearly a low-budget production with cheap-looking visuals and unconvincing CGI, especially the sharks. There are no jump scares, no thrilling moments, and absolutely nothing attractive or entertaining about it. In short, there's not a single aspect of this film that can be praised-it's a complete waste of time.

I really wanted to like this movie. Director Christian Sesma has made a bit of a name for himself in low budget, indie, action and Scout Taylor-Compton has worked on a number of low budget, indie flicks. I like that commitment to the thinner edge of the film making wedge.

I wondered throughout the movie why Richard Dreyfus agreed to it. There's a lecture on shark conservation during the closing credits that answers that.

In the end though, it's just not very good. The dialogue is weak, the effects are poor and it offers nothing really to the pretty saturated genre of shark movies. Some friends get coerced into diving in shark infested waters by some modern pirates. The leader of which is so over-the-top I just couldn't invest. The main protagonist has a tragic backstory involving sharks and there are a number of flashback scenes where she remembers how she came to terms with the dangers of the ocean. This culminates in a literal face off with a shark that just might be the movie's highlight and low point at the same time.

I'm really trying hard to find something to like but I'm forcing it. It just isn't any good.

I normally would not have watched this, but the hubby wanted to, so there you go. It was not the worst movie I've ever seen, but it certainly wasn't the best. There was one particularly bad effect that almost had me laughing out loud, but I was pleasantly surprised that most of the movie was not completely unwatchable. In fact, at times it was rather entertaining, and there were a couple of pretty good performances.

Richard Dreyfus was, of course, excellent, but I confess it makes me sad when I see an Oscar winner playing a supporting role in a B movie. But, as they say, "That's show business."

If you're looking for a shark movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat, Into the Deep (2025) falls short. The film relies on predictable tropes, with scares that don't land and a story that doesn't bring anything fresh to the genre. The characters lack depth, and the visual effects, while not terrible, don't make up for the lack of tension.

That said, it's not entirely unwatchable. If you're in the mood for something mindless to fill some time, it's serviceable as casual entertainment. Just don't expect to be thrilled or deeply engaged. For shark movie fans, it might scratch the itch, but it's not a standout. It's the kind of movie you can have on in the background, but it won't leave a lasting impression.

If you love shark movies, you will probably watch this regardless of the reviews. This is nowhere as good as The Shallows or as fun as Deep Blue Sea, but it's better than most shark movies we get. Is it good? No, but for shark movie fans worth a watch on a lazy Sunday or with some friends (drinks encouraged!) who like bad movies. The main cast all do an adequate job. It is always nice to see Richard Dreyfuss, but his character (the leads grandfather, mostly seen in flashbacks) isn't really needed in the film. The Shark FX range from pretty good to pretty bad depending on the scene, but are generally better than most modern low budget Shark films. There is a good amount of Shark footage, though there actions are not believable. There is a lot of CGI blood, but not much actual gore. As for the story, it's basic but serviceable and gets our cast out in the ocean to be fed upon by sharks patrolling the same waters as drug dealers trying to obtain their sunken drugs. If you aren't a shark film fan, skip this unless you like bad movies, but if you are give it a watch (just keep expectations low).