They killed the dog to get out. Bad writing. There were so many ways they could have gotten out and they killed the dog. Awful.
80 Reviews
The most wactchable cheesy movie
chinandchin19 December 2020
It's so stupid but somehow so entertianing, it's so fake(CG) but somehow you just didnt care anymore, everything was so lousy but you cant stop and had to finish watching, it's a very low budget film and the director just didnt care if anything makes sense or not, which made the story so crazy, so dramatic or basically limitless unreal(in a good way) . So much fun from start to finish, it could be even better if you take some weed beforehand, seriously!!!
A triumphant contrived story but an entertaining intense thriller.
Fella_shibby28 May 2019
The film has lots of suspense, tension n hell lottuva far-fetched scenes.
The film is a mix of 127 hours, Cast Away, Apocalypto, etc.
Too many unbelievable scenes saved by tension filled scenes.
The effects of the crocodile is a bit shaky but still commendable.
Oh, come on.
Otkon4 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
First of all, the CGI for the croc is not very good. So right from the start, I am not believing the supposed threat.
And then it just keeps getting more and more implausible with every scene. Sometimes the croc just sits there. Then the stupid thing's behavior becomes entirely plot-driven. The human would just chill out and it would do nothing. But when it came time to attack, it only wanted the one shin that the guy had splinted?! Oh, how convenient. They literally could have crept up behind it and gouged out its eyes hundred times over. Then it laid infertile eggs so they have brunch. Ugh.
And every time, the two move out of view, coincidentally and someone or something comes along that could have rescued them? Stay in one place! It was slightly okay when it happened one or twice. But the entire plot relies on dozens of unfortunate timings that it just got so tiresome and ridiculous.
Then two people who I can only assume were Thailand's premier Cheech and Chong impersonators showed up. And they don't get eaten.
And that part with Lucky. Yeah, no. the dog should have lived and everyone else should have been crocodile food.
Beyond awful. Beyond insulting and contrived. It's abysmal.
And then it just keeps getting more and more implausible with every scene. Sometimes the croc just sits there. Then the stupid thing's behavior becomes entirely plot-driven. The human would just chill out and it would do nothing. But when it came time to attack, it only wanted the one shin that the guy had splinted?! Oh, how convenient. They literally could have crept up behind it and gouged out its eyes hundred times over. Then it laid infertile eggs so they have brunch. Ugh.
And every time, the two move out of view, coincidentally and someone or something comes along that could have rescued them? Stay in one place! It was slightly okay when it happened one or twice. But the entire plot relies on dozens of unfortunate timings that it just got so tiresome and ridiculous.
Then two people who I can only assume were Thailand's premier Cheech and Chong impersonators showed up. And they don't get eaten.
And that part with Lucky. Yeah, no. the dog should have lived and everyone else should have been crocodile food.
Beyond awful. Beyond insulting and contrived. It's abysmal.
Dumb for Suspense
Breumaster25 March 2020
I can't count how often the two main characters acted dumb in this movie, but I still suffered for these weirdos. The stage is as simple as can: A deep pool, pumped out, at first 1 and then 2 dumb people plus 1 crocodile. Fading out that the crocodile might kill a person in some minutes, there were tough moments. I did like the production by building up suspense with minimal things like a ringing cellphone or a dog taking notice of them both. There are so many little things to notice that it makes the (tolerant) audience shiver with impatience of what happens next. A more sober audience will only count the dumb fails of the two protagonists. So I would recommend that movie to an uncritical audience, which just wants to have some entertainment. It has a wicked idea I like.
What a Croc
thesar-29 August 2020
I had one hearty laugh towards the end after I tilted my head and thought "Sure, Jan" when our "hero's" insulin shot fell perfectly onto a cloth.
Unfortunately, this movie contained a bunch of unintentional laughs and "yeah, right" moments. But, worst of all: it had thee most fakest looking crocodile I've ever seen in a movie. And that's sad because it was supposed to be one of the biggest threats of this Open Water in Reverse knock-off.
Basically, under extremely unlikely circumstances, a man gets trapped and abandoned in a huge, albeit empty pool with no ladder or way out. To make matters worse, his girlfriend shows up, gets trapped with him and the aforementioned, hungry and angry crocodile in there stalking them. (Mostly sleeping, but when awake, stalking.) How will they possibly escape THE POOOOOL of DEATH?!
I didn't give up on the movie because, well, the lead was sexy (ha,) a lot of the time I could absolutely feel his pain of the gruesome things that happen to him and I do love me some When Animals Attack films as well as being trapped with nearly no possible ways to escape. I mentioned this is a rip-off (well, sorta) of the Open Water movies, but specifically part two. In that movie, the cast is in the ocean around their boat, but no ladder or way to get back onboard. In that movie, to add tension, there's a baby on board. In The Pool, there's a chained up dog up on deck, who they, of course, named "Lucky." Ha. Ha. I get it.
Mistakes are made by the lead, constantly - causing me so much frustration and while some graphics look good, others look fake as all Hades. One death in the movie was kinda shocking, but another's survival, though it was supposed to be happy, would've elevated this movie tenfold had they perished.
It's not the worst, by far it isn't. It's just a breezy 90-minute Saturday afternoon viewing. If you can get past that terrible CGI'd croc.
***
Final thoughts: Okay, I'm not from that country, nor ever been. But, seriously? The Olympic-sized pool has no ladder or shallow end? I know it's possible, but is it plausible?
Unfortunately, this movie contained a bunch of unintentional laughs and "yeah, right" moments. But, worst of all: it had thee most fakest looking crocodile I've ever seen in a movie. And that's sad because it was supposed to be one of the biggest threats of this Open Water in Reverse knock-off.
Basically, under extremely unlikely circumstances, a man gets trapped and abandoned in a huge, albeit empty pool with no ladder or way out. To make matters worse, his girlfriend shows up, gets trapped with him and the aforementioned, hungry and angry crocodile in there stalking them. (Mostly sleeping, but when awake, stalking.) How will they possibly escape THE POOOOOL of DEATH?!
I didn't give up on the movie because, well, the lead was sexy (ha,) a lot of the time I could absolutely feel his pain of the gruesome things that happen to him and I do love me some When Animals Attack films as well as being trapped with nearly no possible ways to escape. I mentioned this is a rip-off (well, sorta) of the Open Water movies, but specifically part two. In that movie, the cast is in the ocean around their boat, but no ladder or way to get back onboard. In that movie, to add tension, there's a baby on board. In The Pool, there's a chained up dog up on deck, who they, of course, named "Lucky." Ha. Ha. I get it.
Mistakes are made by the lead, constantly - causing me so much frustration and while some graphics look good, others look fake as all Hades. One death in the movie was kinda shocking, but another's survival, though it was supposed to be happy, would've elevated this movie tenfold had they perished.
It's not the worst, by far it isn't. It's just a breezy 90-minute Saturday afternoon viewing. If you can get past that terrible CGI'd croc.
***
Final thoughts: Okay, I'm not from that country, nor ever been. But, seriously? The Olympic-sized pool has no ladder or shallow end? I know it's possible, but is it plausible?
Don't you just hate it when you find yourself trapped in a pool with a hungry crocodile?...
paul_haakonsen5 August 2019
I stumbled upon "The Pool" by random chance. I hadn't heard about it. I didn't know who starred in it. I didn't even know what it was about. It was a Thai movie, and given my fascination and interest in Asian cinema, then of course I took the chance to sit down and watch the 2018 movie "The Pool" from director and writer Ping Lumpraploeng.
So how was this movie? Well, actually it was quite good, taking into consideration the relative simplicity of the storyline. But the movie was also somewhat predictable, but still turned out to be thrilling and exciting.
The concept idea of the storyline is having a guy stranded in a pool with no means of escape, since the pool has been drained of enough water to make it impossible for him to reach the top of the basin. Then comes help, in the form of his pregnant girl friend, but things go horribly awry. And to make matters worse, a crocodile ends up in the pool as well, also with no means of escape.
The movie was entertaining from beginning to end, though some of the scenes were definitely quite generic and you know what would happen even from a mile away.
The crocodile was adequate, though some of the close-up scenes where it attacked Day was painstakingly CGI animated and you could see that even with your eyes closed.
The acting was good, and heeradej Wongpuapan (playing Day) and Ratnamon Ratchiratham (playing Koy) were actually performing well and carried the movie with enough confidence that the storyline worked out in their hands.
However, "The Pool" is hardly a masterpiece in Thai cinema, nor is it a movie that you are likely to watch more than just once.
So how was this movie? Well, actually it was quite good, taking into consideration the relative simplicity of the storyline. But the movie was also somewhat predictable, but still turned out to be thrilling and exciting.
The concept idea of the storyline is having a guy stranded in a pool with no means of escape, since the pool has been drained of enough water to make it impossible for him to reach the top of the basin. Then comes help, in the form of his pregnant girl friend, but things go horribly awry. And to make matters worse, a crocodile ends up in the pool as well, also with no means of escape.
The movie was entertaining from beginning to end, though some of the scenes were definitely quite generic and you know what would happen even from a mile away.
The crocodile was adequate, though some of the close-up scenes where it attacked Day was painstakingly CGI animated and you could see that even with your eyes closed.
The acting was good, and heeradej Wongpuapan (playing Day) and Ratnamon Ratchiratham (playing Koy) were actually performing well and carried the movie with enough confidence that the storyline worked out in their hands.
However, "The Pool" is hardly a masterpiece in Thai cinema, nor is it a movie that you are likely to watch more than just once.
The crocodile and the couple
kosmasp26 October 2020
I'm not sure what another reviewer meant writing "man becomes spider ..." - not that the rest of the review made more sense to me. But anyway, you have to suspend your disbelief! And when I say you have to - I mean multiple times! Over and over again - and just accept some real tough coincidences happening that allow the movie to happen.
There is no real plot here - but it doesn't need one. As the main characters don't seem to need certain things to make it at times ... though will they survive overall? The odds are not in their favor ... and even when they catch a break, something happens to ... break their break. Ridiculous and occasionally over the top, this can be "fun" to watch for some
There is no real plot here - but it doesn't need one. As the main characters don't seem to need certain things to make it at times ... though will they survive overall? The odds are not in their favor ... and even when they catch a break, something happens to ... break their break. Ridiculous and occasionally over the top, this can be "fun" to watch for some
Very silly but still enjoyable
MovieMaster015 January 2021
Firstly the plot on how ridiculously the man gets trapped into a deep pool. Why to have a ladder inside the pool, no need for that. Secondly, how much time would it take to empty a huge pool like that with only 1 small drain? My guess is he would have starved before getting trapped there. Thirdly the crocodile, you see more lifely crocs in some video games, this one was so bad, even the acting of the croc. Did they take some zoologist with them when they created that croc? Don't think so, cuz the croc behaved more like an angry dog than a crocodile. But still the movie was catchy, very catchy to say the least.
Don't let an uninviting plot mislead you. Go watch tense scenes, unexpected developments and surprising twists. It's a showcase for the saying: Limitation Reveals The Master
JvH483 May 2019
Saw this at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival 2019 (BIFFF for intimates). Remarkable how the film makers succeeded in filling one and a half hour running time with just a seemingly simplistic situational plot. Impossible at first sight, but they did it. It was not super-tense all the time, but there were ample unexpected developments to keep us alive. A bit of humour was included, also a bit of romance mixed with marital problems (even a row about an abortion in such dire circumstances). There is no limit to the number of mishaps and stupidities included in this movie, but without these we would have had no story and thus no movie with several tense scenes, unexpected twists and surprising developments.
I'm at a loss why the crocodile was not threatening all the time. It may be the nature of the beast, e.g. sleeping when its stomach is filled. A very unexpected development was that the crocodile even laid some eggs (it was a female one, the twosome deduced), coming in very handy when being stuck in the pool for three days already. Yet a dangerous thing to do, as the crocodile was not very happy when she could not find her eggs back, hence not prepared to be lenient.
The script also succeeded in giving an important role to dog Lucky a few times. Its action were not always in their advantage, but he still was very present some of the time, despite being outside the pool and with an unbridgeable distance between the dog and the twosome in the deep. Shouting to a dog and telling him what to do, does not always have the desired effect.
If on a quest to find an illustration of the saying that Limitation Reveals The Master, don't look any further. This movie has it all: less than a handful of protagonists, a confined stage for the players, only a few props, all of this assembled in a very simplistic decor. The crocodile may very well be the costliest item on the set, as it looked very convincing and alive, apparently not a DIY product.
All in all, though obviously an example of one-off entertainment, this movie is well made and included a lot of original ideas. Its synopsis may look uninviting upfront, but don't that let mislead you when deciding to book tickets for it. See for yourself who (if any) will survive.
I'm at a loss why the crocodile was not threatening all the time. It may be the nature of the beast, e.g. sleeping when its stomach is filled. A very unexpected development was that the crocodile even laid some eggs (it was a female one, the twosome deduced), coming in very handy when being stuck in the pool for three days already. Yet a dangerous thing to do, as the crocodile was not very happy when she could not find her eggs back, hence not prepared to be lenient.
The script also succeeded in giving an important role to dog Lucky a few times. Its action were not always in their advantage, but he still was very present some of the time, despite being outside the pool and with an unbridgeable distance between the dog and the twosome in the deep. Shouting to a dog and telling him what to do, does not always have the desired effect.
If on a quest to find an illustration of the saying that Limitation Reveals The Master, don't look any further. This movie has it all: less than a handful of protagonists, a confined stage for the players, only a few props, all of this assembled in a very simplistic decor. The crocodile may very well be the costliest item on the set, as it looked very convincing and alive, apparently not a DIY product.
All in all, though obviously an example of one-off entertainment, this movie is well made and included a lot of original ideas. Its synopsis may look uninviting upfront, but don't that let mislead you when deciding to book tickets for it. See for yourself who (if any) will survive.
Ok But Not Flawless
Foutainoflife27 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
A man finds himself trapped in a drained swimming pool with a crocodile.
The plot of this is simple since it is a survival flick. It's decent but not without plenty of flaws that could be used pick it to death if one wanted to. If you are reading this just to decide whether you want to watch it, I say give it a go. It isn't epic but once again, it is decent. I'm gonna add a few spoilers past this point so if you don't want to get into them, stop reading it now and check the movie out for yourself
**************************SPOILERS****************************************
The things that sorta flawed the movie are just small details that one could easily pick up on.
Let's start with the pizza delivery guy. It just felt a bit strange to see this fella walk into this pool area, find a dog but not really look the place over well. It was also strange that when Day noticed the fella, he is hooked to the drain by what looked like a wallet chain, acted like he was struggling to free himself but we could see the could easily see the hooking clasp. It was also a strange that we never saw the chain again.
Next we can talk about Koy not realizing that the level of pool water was really low before she started to jump in.
Moving on, the duct tape. This was probably what irritated me the most. The whole time I was watching this I was hollering "TAPE THE CROCS MOUTH!!"
When Day initially goes into the drain, he has to rush back up to insure that the croc doesn't hurt Koy but he never went back down to check the other end of the drainage system. Even though it only lead to another pool, it seemed like one would've check it out sooner. It also made me ask, just where the hell did all that water drain to? That was something that was never explained.
When Day went up to see the flying toy (not sure if it was a toy or some or some sort of drone or what exactly), why didn't he hop out there and try to knock it down. That would've been a way to have a least had someone come searching for it.
Those were my biggest issues with this but I decided to just take it at face value and sorta pushed those things off to the side. Maybe Day wasn't thinking clearly due to the heat or his lack of insulin. I thought it was a good effort and ended up liking it in the long run.
The plot of this is simple since it is a survival flick. It's decent but not without plenty of flaws that could be used pick it to death if one wanted to. If you are reading this just to decide whether you want to watch it, I say give it a go. It isn't epic but once again, it is decent. I'm gonna add a few spoilers past this point so if you don't want to get into them, stop reading it now and check the movie out for yourself
**************************SPOILERS****************************************
The things that sorta flawed the movie are just small details that one could easily pick up on.
Let's start with the pizza delivery guy. It just felt a bit strange to see this fella walk into this pool area, find a dog but not really look the place over well. It was also strange that when Day noticed the fella, he is hooked to the drain by what looked like a wallet chain, acted like he was struggling to free himself but we could see the could easily see the hooking clasp. It was also a strange that we never saw the chain again.
Next we can talk about Koy not realizing that the level of pool water was really low before she started to jump in.
Moving on, the duct tape. This was probably what irritated me the most. The whole time I was watching this I was hollering "TAPE THE CROCS MOUTH!!"
When Day initially goes into the drain, he has to rush back up to insure that the croc doesn't hurt Koy but he never went back down to check the other end of the drainage system. Even though it only lead to another pool, it seemed like one would've check it out sooner. It also made me ask, just where the hell did all that water drain to? That was something that was never explained.
When Day went up to see the flying toy (not sure if it was a toy or some or some sort of drone or what exactly), why didn't he hop out there and try to knock it down. That would've been a way to have a least had someone come searching for it.
Those were my biggest issues with this but I decided to just take it at face value and sorta pushed those things off to the side. Maybe Day wasn't thinking clearly due to the heat or his lack of insulin. I thought it was a good effort and ended up liking it in the long run.
Absolutely not. Don't watch if a dog lover
rothrouga3 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
They hang the dog. Like not even like it's alluded to and cut away, the camera makes you watch and it adds NOTHING to this film other than to add to the pointless misery. I had to fast forward it to the end.
The dog is just there to torture this guy, somehow despite barking through the whole film and being chained near the pool when 2 guys turn up to find their drone the dog is somehow invisible and silent?!
Even if this doesn't bother you, the CGI crocodile is absolutely awful.
The dog is just there to torture this guy, somehow despite barking through the whole film and being chained near the pool when 2 guys turn up to find their drone the dog is somehow invisible and silent?!
Even if this doesn't bother you, the CGI crocodile is absolutely awful.
This movie is awful and it made my mother cry
ohbratton12 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Important preface: the actors were generally fine and did not deserve to be subjected to this movies grinding plot. They have my condolences.
For starters, I am not generally that passionate of a viewer. Even when I don't enjoy a film I usually just go "meh" and move on. But this movie... I truly LOATHED this movie. I created my IMDb account purely because of how deep and burning my hatred for this movie is. The two core failings are thus:
1. The main character Day is written as a complete fool. While his luck is indeed horrid, he clearly wishes not to let his misfortune outshine his incompetence, consistently making terrible decisions. Should I nap in the deep ladderless/rampless pool that I have been explicitly told is draining? Sure, what could go wrong! The phone is hanging almost within reach and seems stable, should I go and get my float back so that I can get the necessary elevation to avoid dropping it in the water? No, of course not! I found a grate held shut only by a rusty metal lock, should I try to force it open as it is probably weak? Nah, I should just hangout for a few day! It is no wonder Day knew to bind Koi's head wound to stop the bleeding, as cerebral trauma is clearly a subject he has firsthand experience with.
2. They kill the dog. It is not quick. It is drawn out. You see it die hanging. It was unnecessary to the film in anyway, and as the title of my review suggests it made my mother cry. This turned an already irritating movie into an awful one. We stopped the film here.
TL;DR: the actors are fine, but the main character is a complete idiot and they kill the dog graphically. The viewing experience was infuriating and disappointing, with all of the tension feeling driven by a mixture of absurdly bad luck and starfish level decision making.
For starters, I am not generally that passionate of a viewer. Even when I don't enjoy a film I usually just go "meh" and move on. But this movie... I truly LOATHED this movie. I created my IMDb account purely because of how deep and burning my hatred for this movie is. The two core failings are thus:
1. The main character Day is written as a complete fool. While his luck is indeed horrid, he clearly wishes not to let his misfortune outshine his incompetence, consistently making terrible decisions. Should I nap in the deep ladderless/rampless pool that I have been explicitly told is draining? Sure, what could go wrong! The phone is hanging almost within reach and seems stable, should I go and get my float back so that I can get the necessary elevation to avoid dropping it in the water? No, of course not! I found a grate held shut only by a rusty metal lock, should I try to force it open as it is probably weak? Nah, I should just hangout for a few day! It is no wonder Day knew to bind Koi's head wound to stop the bleeding, as cerebral trauma is clearly a subject he has firsthand experience with.
2. They kill the dog. It is not quick. It is drawn out. You see it die hanging. It was unnecessary to the film in anyway, and as the title of my review suggests it made my mother cry. This turned an already irritating movie into an awful one. We stopped the film here.
TL;DR: the actors are fine, but the main character is a complete idiot and they kill the dog graphically. The viewing experience was infuriating and disappointing, with all of the tension feeling driven by a mixture of absurdly bad luck and starfish level decision making.
Best Film Of The Year
viktorandrija19 May 2019
Damn you for ending it like that!
cakes_meyer25 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Stupid people with horrible luck. Takes you 4 or 5 days to go to the other end of the pipe. Had many chances to get out and the only way was for the dog to commit suicide so you could climb up him. I can't with movie!!
OUAF OUAF !
syllaauguste3 February 2021
What's next? A man trapped in a house without doors?
Neptune16521 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Who makes a deep swimming pool but doesn't have any ladders?!! no stairs..makes no sense. A croc crawling up from the drain in the pool, seriously? 6 meter deep pool without a ladder, this is impossible because all the swimming pools have ladder, no one gets near the pool for days, and an alligator crawls into the pool from the sewer. Are you kidding me? How they're cleaning that kind of pool if there's no stairs?? there is too many plot hole!! poor movie save your one hour & half
Murphy's Law; - level 1.000
Coventry24 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
We all know the so-called "Murphy's Law", stating that if something CAN go wrong, it WILL go wrong. We also all know this is one of the rare theories in life that is actually truthful, but the people who made "The Pool" perhaps pushed the theory of "Murphy's Law" a bit too far over the edge. The series of misfortunes, unlucky coincidences, and stupidities that overcome lead characters Day and Koi in this film are TOO numerous and TOO exaggerated to believe. Admittedly, though, they also do ensure a very intense, fast-paced and action-packed thriller.
Due of a bit of bad luck and a lot of dumb, set decorator Day gets trapped inside of a massive but isolated six meters deep exterior pool while the water is slowly clearing away. His fiancée Koi foolishly gets trapped in there too, with a serious head injury to boot! If you can accept that people built deep pools without bothering to install ladders, I'm sure you can also suspend your disbelief for the non-stop series of unfortunate events that follow. The fun is complete when a savage crocodile, at large due to the heavy rainfall and floods of recent weeks, accidentally falls into the pool as well.
Yes, "The Pool" often is laughably far-fetched, but it's also very suspenseful and exciting. The crocodile is a fabulous work of craftmanship; - realistic and genuinely menacing. For an action/thriller with such a rudimentary premise, limited cast, and minimal set-pieces, it's entertaining & recommendable.
Due of a bit of bad luck and a lot of dumb, set decorator Day gets trapped inside of a massive but isolated six meters deep exterior pool while the water is slowly clearing away. His fiancée Koi foolishly gets trapped in there too, with a serious head injury to boot! If you can accept that people built deep pools without bothering to install ladders, I'm sure you can also suspend your disbelief for the non-stop series of unfortunate events that follow. The fun is complete when a savage crocodile, at large due to the heavy rainfall and floods of recent weeks, accidentally falls into the pool as well.
Yes, "The Pool" often is laughably far-fetched, but it's also very suspenseful and exciting. The crocodile is a fabulous work of craftmanship; - realistic and genuinely menacing. For an action/thriller with such a rudimentary premise, limited cast, and minimal set-pieces, it's entertaining & recommendable.
The worst movie ever
tselongyee15 January 2019
If you liked Crawl , you'll like this one too
arrmeen22 July 2020
Just putting it here short and simple, saw this movie on Shudder yesterday. A nice thrill ride with a good story and good direction. I don't understand how this rating system on IMDb works anyway, but give this movie a go and you won't be disappointed.
Yes there is CGI so don't expect a real alligator/ crocodile in most parts, but trust me it doesn't look bad on screen.
Good survival movie...
kamalbeeee28 June 2020
While listening one line story it seems not possible to caught up in empty pool...but when you hearing whole script it going to surprise you...a guy trap into empty pool with his girl friend and unfortunately a crocodile came into that pool also...both finding ways to escape from there...it is watchable movie
Doesn't make sense but very intense
jeymatt22 November 2018
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