Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- visceral
- atmospheric
- summer movie night
- shark movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film lean and well-crafted, with Blake Lively's focused performance elevating a familiar shark-attack survival premise, though some faulted its writing and sustained suspense.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nancy relies on the reef, a buoy, personal equipment, and improvised strategies while stranded near shore.
The central action remains concentrated around a shallow reef, nearby rock, and the short but dangerous distance to shore.
The bright surf, coral reef, and open ocean contrast sharply with the shark's predatory presence and Nancy's injuries.
Nancy's struggle against the shark is linked to grief, family trauma, and uncertainty about her future as a doctor.
Films like The Shallows, and why
Jaws
shared shark-attack horror, escalating suspense, and survival-against-nature premise
Open Water
shared isolated-environment survival thriller, creature threat, and resourceful protagonist
127 Hours
shared woman-versus-nature survival tension and confined physical setting
Deep Blue Sea
shared creature-feature thrills, aquatic setting, and escalating survival peril
Movie Details
- Director
- Jaume Collet-Serra
- Release Date
- 2016-06-24
- Runtime
- 86 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (5443)
Cast
- Blake Lively
- Óscar Jaenada
- Brett Cullen
- Janelle Bailey
- Sedona Legge
- Pablo Calva
- Diego Espejel
- Ava Dean
- Chelsea Moody
- Angelo Josue Lozano Corzo
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Shallows about?
- A wounded surfer trapped on a reef battles a great white shark and her own dwindling strength in a ruthless fight for shore.
- What is The Shallows like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Shallows as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Shallows violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Shallows as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Shallows?
- Critics generally found the film lean and well-crafted, with Blake Lively's focused performance elevating a familiar shark-attack survival premise, though some faulted its writing and sustained suspense.
- Which films are like The Shallows?
- Films with a similar feel include Jaws, Open Water, 127 Hours, and Deep Blue Sea.
- How long is The Shallows?
- The Shallows runs 86 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Shallows?
- In United States, The Shallows streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
