Deep Water (2026)

-Written by Kyle Bain.  

When a transpacific flight is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters, the eclectic group of passengers must band together in order to survive. 

You see the name Ben Kingsley and immediately understand that you are in for a treat. The man can do no wrong, often controlling the scenes in which he participates and delivering spectacular performances regardless of the project in which he’s inserted himself. You’d not be wrong to expect greatness once more from the knighted actor, but Deep Water criminally underutilizes his talents, making for something of a disappointing appearance for one of the greatest actors of this generation. 

Then there’s Aaron Eckhart, an actor who always delivers top-notch performances. He’s played the infamous Harvey Dent, the president of the United States, and other enamoring characters that continue to resonate with viewers, due, in large part, to Eckhart’s performances in each of those roles. Once again he delivers as one might expect, though he plays opposite some rudimentary performances. Deep Water employs a series of actors (with the exception of those two that I’ve already mentioned) that struggle to develop a clear tone. Unwarranted comedy, uncharacteristic bursts of emotion, and more hinder many of the performances within Deep Water. All this to say that Eckart takes what he’s given (including a sincerely ridiculous script) and still impresses viewers. 

That ridiculous script exists in the same vein as films such as Snakes on a Plane. An asinine concept that can be fun if properly executed—though I’m not sure that Director Renny Harlin presents the world with something that many might consider properly executed. Ineffective shifts in tone, drastic turns in the narrative, and overbearing characters threaten to drown Deep Water before it even gets started, and I do believe they manage to stunt the film’s potential. 

Deep Water looks to lean on the development of the many characters present in the film, but, again, I’m not sure that these performances allow viewers to fully appreciate the emotional narratives attached to each of them. Feuding step-siblings, a doting grandmother, and one of the most shallow, incomprehensible slugs that I’ve ever seen on screen are meant to coexist in Deep Water, meant to provide some level of emotional stimulation for viewers; but with so many angles and such a variety of stories present at the same time, no one receives the care necessary to fully develop any of these secondary plotlines. There’s a strong emotional disconnect present throughout the course of Deep Water, and that made it challenging to buy into its overall premise. 

The most promising aspect of Deep Water was the score. As the film opened the score was soft, almost calming—but there was also a level of intensity embedded within. It was a promise of something dramatically balanced and immersive. In the moments where the score is effective, the narrative is as well. Those charming moments are poignant and fully realized, but there were so many instances in which the score, too, falters. Opposite those successful moments are ones that are overbearing and ineffective. It seems apparent that Composer Fernando Velázquez looked to the greatest composer (and his ground-breaking, shark-related score) for inspiration. That’s not where the issue lies, but rather in the fact that Velázquez is unable to reel his score in far enough as not to become overbearing. Much like the rest of Deep Water, the score is troubled as a result of its inconsistency. 

Much of Deep Water is far-fetched, and the performances do very little to ground it in and develop an emotional connection in an otherwise hyperbolic film. The score works to combat the film’s shortcomings, but still struggles to find an appropriate balance. Deep Water fails to reach viewers in the way I believe it had hoped, and the shark-infested film falls by the wayside early, incapable of clawing its way out of the depths of cinema purgatory. 

Directed by Renny Harlin. 

Written by Pete Bridges, Shayne Armstrong, S.P. Krause, Damien Power, etc. 

Starring Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Angus Sampson, Lucy Barrett, Molly Belle Wright, etc. 

4.5/10 = WORTH WATCHING, BUT YOU’VE BEEN WARNED