The Reef (2010) User Reviews

Solid acting and tense

[mokumgrrl · 7/10 · 19 November 2010]

Alright, so this is never going to win any Oscars, yet it was very entertaining.

The character development was good, I actually cared for each person, which for me is a great indicator. If you can pull that off, it's got a bit of quality right there. Nothing felt fake or over/under done. The shark shots were real, no fake plastic models to be found! The movie was often pretty tense, i found myself literally on the edge of my couch. It was nice to hear the Aussie accents and it didn't feel "americanised" in any way. A great little movie with dedicated actors and a solid, scary story! Well done.

Better than most in this genre.

[scottrob36 · 7/10 · 13 June 2021]

I think this film highlights decisions that people have to make in life death situations. The isolation of being in the ocean with miles of the unknown below where you swim, where currents change and waves are constantly battering against you is everyone's worst nightmare and then of course comes sharks. There was a lot of tension in this film and given the small cast they were all excellent in their roles and were very convincing. Nothing in the film felt fake and of course the footage of the sharks were real. This film is well worth a watch.

A Tense and Realistic Combination of "Open Water" and "Jaws"

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 7 November 2010]

Luke (Damian Walshe-Howling) welcomes his friend Matt (Gyton Grantley) and his girlfriend Suzie ( Adrienne Pickering) that come from London and Matt's sister and Luke's former girlfriend Kate (Zoe Naylor) that comes from Sydney to sail with him and the sailor Warren (Kieran Darcy-Smith) in a sailboat. However, the vessel hits an underwater rock and capsizes with an opening on her bottom. Luke advises that they should swim in the north direction to reach the Turtle Island, in Queensland, Australia, while they have strength since there is a current moving the stranded boat in the opposite direction of land but Warren prefers to stay on the hull waiting for help since there are sharks in the water. The quartet swims, but they are hunted by a great white shark.

"The Reef" is a tense and realistic combination of "Open Water" and "Jaws". The performances are top-notch and transmit the sensation of fear to the viewer and the attacks of the white shark are impressively real. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Perigo em Alto-Mar" ("Danger in High Sea")

The waters will run red...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 21 November 2010]

Following in the wake of the popular "Jaws" movies, there have been a recent wave of these shark survival/lost at sea movies around. And "The Reef" is actually one of the better movies in the genre.

The story is pretty easy to follow, a yacht gets capsized and starts to sink, and a group of people decide to swim for an island. Well, given the choice of being left on a sinking boat caught in the currents or taking your chances and swimming to land, well the choice is fairly obvious.

Anyway, what makes this movie stand out from others like "Adrift" and "Open Water" is that there is much more shark time, and you actually get to see the shark in good views. And also, somehow you start to, in an odd way, cheer on when you see the shark, because the movie is constantly building up suspense and thrills, and you just want these to peak. And there are some nice peaks to these thrills, trust me. I am not going to ruin anything and say what it is, but I liked it.

I think the movie captured human nature when caught in a hopeless situation and when people start having to respond to the chaos around them. The dialogue was good and the actors portrayed their characters very good and in very believable manners.

However, what puzzles me was that it would be the same shark that is stalking the people throughout the movie. That seems very weird. And also, like someone else pointed out, what was up with the constant taking off and putting on the goggles that Luke was doing? That made no sense at all.

But all in all, "The Reef" is definitely worth your time, especially if you like shark movies, or movies that tear on the human psyche.

An entertaining movie that should have been called "Open Water Again". Good movie, but as close to a remake you can get. I say B

[cosmo_tiger · 18 July 2011]

"Your more likely to die from a bee sting then get killed be a shark." After the boat that they are on gets damaged and is unable to move, five friends must decide to wait it out on the boat or swim to an island. When the decision is made they soon begin to regret their choice. First of all I will say that I did enjoy the movie. I have not yet seen the movie "Open Water", but after watching this I feel like I have. This movie is repetitive but keeps you watching. People swim, they see a shark...over and over. Like "Open Water" this is a true story, which helps in the enjoyment of this. There really isn't much more to say about this movie, not too much to it, but it is entertaining. Overall, I liked it, but if you have seen "Open Water" this may be too much of the same thing to fully enjoy it. I give it a B.

Would I watch again? - I don't think I will.

*Also try - Frozen & Open Water

Keep your goggles on!!!

[ElijahCSkuggs · 5/10 · 15 November 2010]

Three blokes and two sheilas go out to do some snorkeling. Bad thing happens and now they have to make a choice to either swim for land and risk the chance of being shark bait, or wait for safety and risk death by more boring odds. Of course you swim! We all know one of the coolest ways to die is being eaten alive by sharks.

Anywho, Black Water director sticks to what he likes and makes Open Water with a White Pointer...basically. And really, that's all you need to know if you want to see the movie or not. Oh? You want to know if there's boobs and blood as well? There's no boobs, but there's some blood...nothing crazy...just bloody water.

The Reef aka Swim If You Dare aka Great White Snackaroonies aka Open Water with a Bad Script is a film that suffered mostly from having a bad script. I'd be lying to you if I said the film didn't open remarkably close to soft-core porn territory. People seem to confuse themselves when they're privy to minimal dialogue. Just because they're not speaking at a normal rate, doesn't mean it's more effective because of it's simplicity. This film is unique here as the actors did rather well with what they had. They really did. The script was still weak though.

There's lot of nit-picking and complaining to be had here. You'd think by how popular shark week is nowadays, that most people, especially people who are snorkeling in Australian waters, would know a lil bit about how to act when faced with shark problems. I'm not gonna get into it, as it's not Learn Time, but there was a lot of dumb stuff going on. But the thing that got my goat more than anything was our main man's issue with constantly taking off his goggles. Seriously, if there's a shark in the water...a BIG f@cking shark...you need to keep an eye out for it. Don't just look for 30 seconds, pop back up and say that you can't see anything. Keep your head down and keep a look out you stupid son of a bitch!!!!!! I'll kill you if you take those goggles off again! I mean it! I'll kill youuuu *gets swallowed whole by huge shark because of pretty boy not wanting to keep goggles on*

With all that said, the movie is about a great white shark making pathetic humans cry and be scared. That's fun. It's very simple. Great Whites are better than human beings. Therefore, movies with Great Whites are better than most movies that don't have Great Whites. Understand? Good!

Better than Open Water....

[vamplad79 · 8/10 · 1 January 2011]

Has similar premise as Open Water but is done a lot better. The characters are a lot better (no endless bickering for 3/4 of the movie) and the shark is both a real threat and clearly seen throughout the movie. This was the movie i was hoping Open Water would be.

The film is not fast paced or action orientated with all the attacks being quick but impactful. We have a lot of pov shots at water level and a views of under the water to slowly build the tension. I found this more than effective.

The direction is tight and the acting is decent. The shark itself seems to be real footage of a great white mixed in with the actors and it works really well. In fact i would say this is one if not the only shark film that does this seamlessly.

Without a doubt The Reef is one of the best shark films ever and i highly recommend it to anyone that loves animal attacks films or sharks. SYFY should take note on how to do a animal attack film right by watching this film.

I dare to say I enjoyed it more than Jaws

[amillionmovies · 7/10 · 24 December 2015]

Single handedly the best shark movie I've seen thus far. There were no unnecessary comedy bits, and stuck true to its fight or flight theme.

I was held captive from the beginning. There were moments where I held my breath without even noticing it, only to let out a muffled "urrrgghhh". Throughout this movie I found myself feeling helpless and almost as though I were there myself, hell, even half way through I said with a sigh "this movie is exhausting".

I would not call this movie a horror though, it's more like a psychological thriller. I think the possibility of "what if" and the "what's that" plays with your mind way more than the actual shark attacks (which were a bit lackluster if I'm being honest).

I do not think you'd be happy with this movie if you're looking to feel like if you are watching the exorcist or something along the lines of getting the crap scared out of you and not being able to go to the toilet alone for a while.

If you are looking for a movie where you jump out of your skin and get your heart racing (even if it's once) this movie would be a great choice. It truly brings out your survival instincts.

Unfortunately lacks anything to make it more than average at best...

[patthebatfan · 3/10 · 20 August 2011]

Went into the movie just wanting a good shark movie and the setup was good. Unfortunately the 2 leading ladies were very unconvincing and tended to over react in every situation. They seemed unnatural and stunted any rhythm the movie had going. The movie seemed to drag on for a bit especially since you don't see a shark for over 50 minutes which could have easily been cut in half. You never truly care for the characters as you don't learn enough about each one to have concern for their well being. Also the characters seem to not understand anything about sharks as they do the opposite of what common sense tells you to do. If there is a shark around you why would you random splash and freak out instead of remaining calm? Yes it's scary but you are only attracting them more. Why swim to a someone who is bleeding profusely? Why when you see a large school of fish suddenly leaving an area would you think it's safe? Also if you're on a rock out of the water right after you've seen a shark why not wait at least a little while for it to swim away so that you have a few extra minutes to get to the main island?

Makes Open Water look like Open season

[amesmonde · 6 February 2011]

Andrew Traucki director of croc flick Black Water (2007)  hones his skills in this tense shark flick that makes Open Water look like Open season.

The story is simple, a boat becomes wrecked, and all but one of a group of five friends try to swim their way across the reef to a small island.

It's well filmed with no dodgy special effects in sight. The script is natural and is not forced or cheesy, the hand held camera work is effective and not a shaky mess. This is no low budget schlock. It's taught film making, wonderfully shot with some fantastic edge of the seat primal fear, courtesy of a real Great White Shark.

It's no Jaws, but as a basic survival film it works a treat. Shark lovers like myself will eat this up.

I liked this movie!!!!

[aliwenig · 7/10 · 21 March 2022]

Really good acting! I enjoyed this movie. Some parts were predicted but it kept me interested the whole time. I like how it was based on a true story.

Best new-age shark movie

[maurovicmarin · 7/10 · 14 October 2016]

The Reef (2010) is a movie directed by Andrew Traucki. It's a new generation shark movie, and probably the one that gets closest to being a horror movie. It's an Australian movie so the actor's accent might be a problem for non-native English speakers that aren't used to it, I recommend toggling the subtitles on if possible.

The movie starts off in medias res, with a group of friends heading to Indonesia with a sailboat. We find out eventually, that two of the protagonists had a relationship in the past, that functions as side story that isn't too relevant, especially towards the end. During the trip the sailboat hits the bottom of the reef and tips over, making it unable for the characters to proceed. They choose to swim to the nearest island, about 12 miles from the shore, but a great white shark that swims in the area won't make things easy for them.

As I am always kind of skeptic about new shark movies, I didn't have high hopes for this one either. But it turned out to be better than what I expected it to be. As I said, it has some jump scares and it's the most realistic shark movie I have seen. It is not based on a true story but it could have easily been. It's the only shark movie that made me think twice before jumping into deep waters again.

In my opinion, the acting was good, with a lot of screaming and macabre reactions, that really gave me the feeling that I was watching a real event and not a movie. It's nothing too extreme, but that's exactly how a horror shark movie should be, realistic.

I would recommend this movie, alongside with Steven Spielberg's Jaws, as the shark movies you need to watch as a shark fanatic. Solid plot, good cast and overall a more than average shark movie worth watching.

Good (given the conditions)

[bennyhagen · 5/10 · 25 February 2011]

For a low budget, independent movie The Reef - along the first 30 minutes - gives you reason to be optimistic but slowly runs into the problems we might have experienced in the quite similar movie "Open Water". Though Andrew Traucki does a better job at expanding 25 minutes of story and a fairly thin piece of script into 90 minutes of feature film, you'll feel the substance diluting more and more as time goes by and The Reef runs out of elements to work with. And it doesn't help, that the cast is actually fairly potent, neither does the well managed realism, after minute 70, it is clear, that every chance to insert a minute here and there has been used deliberately to expand this this into a feature - at the expense of suspense. Let's face it: there is nothing to work with on the open sea. It's just water. Well, given that you want to make a life-like movie as of course there is always the option of forcefully inserting character development, conflict or mysticism into this kind of flick but obviously this was not the goal here. And I do approve of that, but then please choose an environment where you have something to get me trough 90 minutes of... life.

That's that. Now besides the obvious lack of content, I need to say I really can't find anything to object here, again, Andrew Traucki actually gets out everything there is to get out of this thin piece of script. Still, it's not enough.

So I'd say 5/10. If you're sensitive enough, the amount of tension provided might get you trough it. Creature lovers and hard boiled horror fans will simply fall asleep half way round.

Very excellent shark thriller....

[MovieGuy01 · 6/10 · 23 February 2011]

I've just finished watching this film tonight. I thought that it was a great film with some marvellous acting by everyone in it. It kept me gripped to my seat throughout the whole film. Its about 5 people who are on a sailboat in the great barrier reef in Australia. They are called Luke, his friend Matt and his girlfriend Suzie, Also Matt's sister and Luke's former girlfriend Kate They are all enjoying a nice sail when their boat hits an underwater rock and brings them to a halt. Their only way of getting back to land is by swimming. All but one of the friends decides not to go with them so the rest of them leave without him. All is well until one of them spots a shark in the water which sends them all into a panic. I found this to be an excellent thriller with some amazing scenery around it. turned a to be a great film in the end. I really recommend it 6/10

This movie made me feel ill with nausea, it's got my vote!

[snow_max · 7/10 · 1 April 2014]

When it comes to shark movies.. lets be honest, most suck! but i found this little gem the other night whilst i was high and i can honestly say it is intense! The camera being water level made this a lot more interesting to watch, i felt the paranoia the characters went through.. that at any moment a big pair of teeth would come flying out at you! this would be my worst nightmare.

The only fault i found with it was the ending which was a little too far fetched, but apart from that it was kind of realistic as far as these kinda films go.

Overall a good shark movie, 7/10.

SAILING FOR DUMMIES

[jeanneb-88502 · 1/10 · 5 April 2019]

Seriously? Where are the life vests that are required to have on board? And was there no emergency self inflating raft? You know the tented domed kind. No self respecting sailor would go out in the middle of the ocean without one. Just all out awful movie. HORRIBLE!! Did not even finish.

"Jaws" in "Open Water"

[capoazzurro · 8/10 · 25 August 2010]

When I saw, I could be the first one to write a review for this movie, I thought to myself, that's a chance not to let go! And here I go... If you're familiar with horror flicks in general and animal terror-flicks in detail you'll find yourself reminded of the notorious "Jaws" (well, of course since it's the godfather of Shark-films), "Open Water" and, if you know who the director is, also of his latest film "Black Water". To be honest, "The Reef" hasn't many similarities to "Jaws". It has though many similarities to "Open Water", and if you liked that last named, you'll definitely like "The Reef". The style of direction here uses perspectives from the point of view of the protagonists and therefor also a lot of shaky-cam. Although this is no revolution in directing anymore, it surely succeeds in adding realism to this movie and giving the audience the feeling of being one of the group. The characters are all very authentic, without the typical stereotypes in the Hollywood-made animal horror-flicks, so it gets very easy to feel sympathy for and identify with the characters (like in "Black Water"). Because the director probably didn't have the biggest budget to spent for his movie he made clever choices in what to show and what to leave to the imagination of the viewer. It's always better to show effects only if they're worth to show, and so does Traucki in this movie. For example Traucki doesn't show how the yacht capsizes or delivers an exact explanation why it overturns, but not in the way that he's cheating the audience by keeping back important information. He just puts you in the situation of the individuals and doesn't give you the chance of seeing from a bird's perspective what has happened to the yacht. But what he shows to us is very well made. The shark looks, moves and behaves like a shark, like the animal that is the most dangerous predator in the seas, and not like an exaggerated monster from outer space. Unfortunately it's pretty easy to estimate what's happening next in the movie, but that's due to the simple setting in the sea, with water and almost nothing but water. What the film manages very well is getting never boring and holding the audience's attention during the whole duration of the movie. You can say that the movie shouldn't have lasted longer though, the duration is perfect. And now... go and see the movie yourself...or just take a swim!

Loved it

[Snoboa755 · 7/10 · 12 March 2020]

I love survivalist films and this one was great. I'd say it's better than open water. Making that decision is scary enough but the journey they went through was even scarier.

It's not Open Water

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 27 May 2012]

As another reviewer stated, this is better than that. So to compare it, would feel like an insult (at least it does to me). Were "Open Water" bored you to death, this is actually suspenseful. I'm not a big fan of the general idea (wasn't since Open Water brought this up), but the execution here and the actors involved, make this more than a worthwhile watching experience.

And this does feel like a movie, whereas the Open Water thing felt more like a failed documentary (where you might be wondering why the cameraman wouldn't help the main actors). I watched it at a Festival and the reactions were mostly positive.

The Reef reeks...

[Siamois · 2/10 · 18 November 2010]

In 2003, director Chris Kentis took advantage of the return of low budget movies to unleash something that drew much interest: Open Water. It was a short film, slowly paced, focusing entirely on two characters played by somewhat unknown actors, trying to survive sharks in the water. It was some kind of hit and a few years later, an unrelated sequel (Open Water 2) to cash in was made, following roughly the formula but without the heart. A year after that, we were treated to the same kind low-tech filmmaking but this time featuring a crocodile. It was directed by David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki and aptly titled Black Water (follow the cashing-in pattern here?).

It is now 2010 and the same director Traucki, of Black Water is back. Despite not calling this one "Death Water" or something similarly inane, we're back to the same formula Chris Kentis originally created. What is weird is that Traucki goes even closer to the original Open Water than his previous rip-off did.

The formula is roughly the same. We're quickly introduced to the five main characters without much character development or semblance of a plot. They sail away and end up in a predicament when they must swim their way back to shore. That's when (surprise) they are confronted to a big, fierce shark roaming and looking for a snack.

The pacing is slow, following this sub-genre tropes but there is no tension buildup. Proof that Traucki misses the point of the 2003 original. Alarmingly, this is even a setback for Traucki as Black Water at least featured interesting terrain, giving more options to his characters, who were also more lifelike and interesting. Here, there is very little to redeem the movie.

I would venture to say watching the still classic Jaws, the original Open Water and even Traucki's first rip-off, Black Water, will satisfy viewers much more than watching this new entry. It never makes me happy to give a low score to filmmakers on a budget who must use guerilla marketing and creativity to produce and promote their movies. But at the same time, one has to bring something new to the plate and this movie doesn't.

After seven years of the same film repackaged time after time, these waters aren't fresh anymore and The Reef reeks...

Absolutely Bloody Terrifying!!! A First Rate Scary Shark Thriller

[lukem-52760 · 7/10 · 10 February 2020]

I think "The Reef" is the scariest & most suspenseful Shark film since Spielberg's masterpiece Jaws & it's underrated sequel Jaws 2!!!!

A small group of friends get capsized in the Australian ocean & are left to swim in the dangerous open water to find an island but are stalked by a big Great white shark, that's the basic simple plot & i hear it's based on a true story that happened back in the 80's.

The small cast are all good solid actors that all seem natural as i have never seen any of these actors before, so there's a fresh feel to this unknown cast that makes everything feel real. The Reef is a terrifying experience, this is what scares me not boogeymen!!!

One simple scene in Reef is absolutely terrifying & yet such a simple little scare when a large sea turtle is floating & the poor group stranded in the water swim closer & closer to check it out & when they turn it around it's missing it's head & front flippers!!! It's a small but very unsettling moment that is basically telling you that there's very dangerous creatures in the water that will rip you to pieces & eat you.

The Great white Shark effects are truly outstanding as it looks too real that it's terrifying to watch, i believe it's a mix of real Shark footage & some c.g.i I'm guessing? But it all looks fantastic & seamless!!!

Now "Jaws" is the greatest Shark Thriller ever made & it's one of the greatest films of all time, any Shark film that comes out will automatically be compared to "Jaws" especially if the main Shark is a great white & "The Reef" is the best of those Shark films since Jaws 1&2.

An intense & truly terrifying Shark Thriller.

Boring Movie

[mr_iceman · 3/10 · 16 November 2010]

Here we go, looks like its 2010 - The Crappy C Grade Movie Year....

We got Piranha, now this one here...another clichéd movie hits the scene... I group of idiots having a fun time, boat capsizes, leaving them out open to a hungry Great White Shark..

What??? did i just say Great White Shark?.... i thought Great White Sharks don't swim in warm waters...Great Barrier Reef is considered a warm water environment and these Sharks don't come near there....Wooops!! (wait who told you Great Barrier Reef is considered warm water ??) [ Well maybe because i snorkelled there 5 times, and the Instructor who happened to Snorkel there for 30 years, (and is still alive of course) told us that no White Pointers venture around the reef, you just get those small measly sharks swimming around in circles]

Anyway, back to the story, So you got 94minutes of idiots dog-paddling away from a monster shark (who in reality, can take chunks off a Jet Boats Engine)...but they happen to stay alive for an extended period of time while the shark devises a plan of attack....

As good as JAWS

[aandmnewton · 7/10 · 19 March 2011]

My husband and I went to see "The Reef" last night at the movies. I must say I was quite impressed. I thought like other user reviews with comparing this movie to JAWS, Open Water and Deep Blue Sea that it would have to be quite good if it was to be on par with either of these movies and with the shark being a Great White it makes it even more realistic. Yes, it is not up their to win a Oscar however it kept you on the edge of your seat and the attacks were very realistic. The cast was also refreshing with being Aussies and with being in OZ it was quite real. There wasn't much time to get board and the length of the movie went very quickly and wasn't drawn out.

Another marginal shark movie.

[livingaimlessly · 5/10 · 7 September 2011]

For those of you, like me, who love sharks and love the idea of a shark-horror movie but have not seen a good one since the first Jaws, this movie is yet another disappointment in a long line of disappointments.

Before I go on: Frat Guys, there're no boobs in this movie. Move along.

The movie is an Australian film by a Brazilian writer about 2 couples, one madly in love, the other trying to rekindle a prior romance. That's about the extent of development of that story by the way. They throw in a 5th wheel for perspective but his character is entirely forgettable (literally...) Anyway, they go out into open waters (*cough* *cough*) and "oh no!" their boat gets stuck and capsizes. That's when they're forced into the water to face the devil...

The movie's villain looks like standard stock footage from a Discovery channel Shark special. They cheaply edit it together with fast cuts to convince you the shark is attacking. The trouble is, out in the open it's tough to build suspense even for a high-budget movie. Horror has long been a domain of confined spaces (e.g. The Exorcist, Descent, Night of the Living Dead...on and on) for good reason. Braving the open sea to build suspense requires really out of the box thinking to build the suspense and this movie does not deliver. Add to that stock nature footage and the movie's shark delivers less frights than a tuna sandwich at a PETA convention.

If you're looking for a good shark movie...follow out the Frat guys, there's nothing to see here.

It scared me something rotten

[Jaymb72 · 9/10 · 25 January 2011]

Yes, The Reef is similar to Open Water but ramps up the scare factor by giving us the mother of all sharks, the Great White. The way in which the movie puts you amongst the actors is really well done. You feel like you are there with them. When the camera dips under the surface of the water with the bobbing motion of the waves you get little glimpses of what lies beneath. The tension is unbearable at times and I felt sick with fear. It's the anticipation of the oncoming attack that had me wriggling in my seat. Believe me, when the first attack comes you will bang your head off the ceiling in fright.

I admit that this is my worst fear. Being stalked by a predator in their own territory. Especially in the ocean by a Great White. You get moments of respite to catch your breath and lower your stress levels. That just adds to the tension as these guys have to push on to reach dry land. Will they get to dry land and survive? Watch it and see if you dare.

Not for the faint hearted this one. Viewing discretion is highly advised. Superbly done and a masterclass in tension and horror.