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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 406573" data-attributes="member: 23">Black Water: Abyss (2020) <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmanlymovie.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F08%2FBlack-Water-Abyss-poster-2.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=ea07c0f1e1b813c6f3486e6481e45a7afa2f108d8cc1b970b2ff3343e02322e5&ipo=images" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 791px" /> Thinking I was being clever, I delayed delivery of my Personal Services DVD until yesterday so I could dive into it last night. But, of course, Amazon deliver up to 10pm, and this didn't arrive until well into the evening, by which time I'd decided to save it for another evening and watch a different film instead. On a whim this sequel became last night's film. I was aware of it, but had pushed it to the back of my mind, fearing it wouldn't live up to the first Black Water film, which is up there as one of the best examples of its kind. I did feel a little hope on seeing Andrew Traucki's name as director, since he'd also directed the original, as well as The Reef (AKA the-best-killer-shark-film-that-isn't-Jaws). Likewise, Michael Robertson was a producer here as on the earlier two projects. The good news is that (with admittedly low expectations) this was a much better film than anticipated. All the same, many of its strengths come with a flip side. The film does create a sense of claustrophobic doom with its setting and the situations (swimming through dark, flooded, labyrinthine tunnels with no idea if there is even air to be found at the other end is my idea of hell). But most of the action taking place in underwater caverns means this is a very dark-looking film, losing much of the beautiful scenery and making it difficult to even see what's happening As with Black Water and The Reef, we have a small ensemble of characters who are tied through friendships and romance (this one lacks the familial layer from in the earlier films). Both those films had a bit of romantic tension, but that element is taken to the Nth degree here, to the point of feeling indulgent and inappropriate in these circumstances. Who was it, I wonder who thought a story where characters faced the choice between drowning or being eaten alive could be improved by introducing [ISPOILER] an emerging love quadrangle and resultant pregnancy drama[/ISPOILER]. Another element that comes across as I watch these films is that the women as resourceful survivors is pushed a little hard, while the men are either gung-ho or in need of protection. It's not hugely problematic, but I wouldn't object to a change to this formula. The fact that we first meet this film's heroine scrolling through her boyfriend's phone without his knowledge or consent (and lying to him when he asks for her help finding said phone) speaks volumes. It's difficult to say much about the ending without spoilers, but suffice to say I preferred the one it seemed we had before the one we actually got was tacked on. Still, the bottom line is that this is a croc-attack film so it's probably best enjoyed on its own merit without overthinking. On that basis it certainly works. There were a few jump scares that got me and some chilling moments. The croc scenes were well-done and nicely restrained, and no tacky CGI was to be found anywhere. And it's probably just forgettable enough that it would comfortably stand up to a second viewing in a few years' time.</blockquote>

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