Open Water 2: Adrift (2006)

The film was supposed to have been based on "true events". Yes, I'm sure it was - very, very, very loosely based. Some of the acting was nearly good enough to cover the gaping holes in the plot, but never enough to conceal the basic absurdity of it all. To the UK newspaper reviewer who allegedly said "You'll be on the edge of your seat!" I can only concede that I was - this was only because my wife had hold of the waistband of my trousers to prevent me leaving the cinema. The ending was extremely unsatisfactory and I was left feeling very sorry for the actors, whose performances are the only reason I've rated it as highly as a 5.

Fmovies: Interesting one this.I liked the film.It set you in the scene,what would you do? How would you cope?I like films that put me there and make me question how id behave in similar circumstances.Okay,it doesn't feature any big star names and its direction and stylisation is pretty non existent but its a compact little film that myself and my partner enjoyed as a piece of throwaway entertainment on a Saturday night.I since watched Open Water which i didn't enjoy as much as this.I like that the ending is open to interpretation also,its adds a spooky element to the film.I think being stranded and abandoned is one of our primal fears, this film taps into that fear effectively.

The original Open Water had a couple stranded in the high seas when they went deep sea diving, and somehow missed the boat, literally, thereby being stranded in the middle of nowhere. The formula is now repeated in Open Water 2: Adrift (just called Adrift here probably to disassociate itself from being a "sequel of sorts" movie), with the number of couples increased threefold.

But I can't judge which is better, having not watched the original. Adrift though seemed decent enough, with human nature for self-preservation portrayed so starkly on screen, it's scary. And having to bump up the number of those in trouble, allows for different views and types of people (read: caricatures at times) to be showcased. Each cast member have certain strengths, and some just have total negativity built into them, for contrast purposes.

The setup is simple and we waste no time in being introduced to our characters, almost all of whom are high school friends, and gathered together to celebrate one of their 30th birthday. They go on a weekend cruise on a luxurious yacht, and it's party, party, party, enjoying the finer things in life. Until they decide to go swimming in the sea, did they realize that hey, did someone lower the ladder on board? Otherwise, how are they going to get back to the deck? It's down to the adage of looking before you leap, and that danger lurks when you're enjoying yourself so much, that common sense, precautions and safety get thrown in the wind.

And when the severity of the problem surfaces, what do you do? Are you the leader, the thinker, the whiner or the quitter? When everything is fine and dandy, everyone knows how to enjoy to the max. But when there's an issue at hand, do you begin to point your finger at everyone else, or help to think of a solution? And when all seems lost, do you give up, or try, try again? The characters partake in exhibiting some of these traits at different points, and with time running out, and dehydration, paranoia and hysteria slowing creeping in, you'd wonder how long they'll last.

It's human nature to instinctively try and survive, and watching the characters on screen do just that in spite of impossible odds, just makes your heart pound faster as you think - what would you do if you're caught in the same situation? Would you bitch slap the complainer? Would you follow instructions to a T? Would you give ideas and shut up when it doesn't work? And when all seems lost, what would you do?

Supposedly based on true events, this story might have its plot holes at certain times when you think, hey they should have done this or that, but I'd suggest to hold onto your train of thoughts, until a key revelation is made, to which you may nod in agreement why it happened the way it did, and that shake in disbelief when you think that when it comes to life and death, material things should be sacrificed first, and facing the music is just part of the inevitable consequence.

Open Water 2: Adrift fmovies. I seem to be in a bit of a minority here, but I loved 'Open Water", thought it was one of the best low budget films to date, and made me fear the ocean all over again ...(thanks "Jaws"!!). So I was pretty excited when I saw this on the shelf, had no qualms shelling out some dosh, and I am so pleased that I did ... Possibly even better than the first, talented (if fairly unknown) actors, and just a great premise ..... I can see how something like this might happen,a stupid mistake that can have very real consequences, and while I was sitting comfortably on my chair in my lounge, thinking "you should try this or try that", (which they mostly did anyway), I'm sure thinking logically whilst bobbing about in the very cold ocean is not so easy ..... I loved it, made me squirm, had to look away at times, and really felt for all the characters and their different ways of dealing (or not) with the situation ..... A great film.

I was entertained from start to finish. Had I come to IMDb and seen the rating of 5 I might have skipped it, but I saw the movie before I came here- lesson learned and advice to others. It's fast paced and there is always something happening. I really was not bored at all during any part of the movie. There are many things I can criticize about this movie, and I can understand the points other posters have made, but the bottom line is that it's just a movie. It's how I passed a couple of hours this Sunday night and that's all. When I want real excitement all I have to do is open the paper and read about all the crazy things happening in the world. So, I enjoyed it and I recommend it to others who like these kinds of movies.