I loved the minimalist presentation, the gradual escalation of the problem, and the sheer existential terror.
Blanchard Ryan was spot on in her performance, and the guy was mostly convincing. I like character driven movies, and when you strip away the plot elements, you really have a strong emotional core for Open Water. The movie can be read as a metaphor for any long-term relationship under stress, and how a couple reacts to the stress.
It's also a good example of a movie with an early point of no return. I like to analyze a story to determine the exact point at which the events that occur become inevitable. In Open Water, it's when the boat leaves. Nothing the couple does following that makes any difference in their ultimate fate, except for the woman's final decision, the only decision left to her.
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