Pulse-pounding suspense in ‘The Shallows’

CEBU, Philippines - From Jaume Collet-Serra, director of acclaimed thrillers “Unknown” and “Non-Stop,” comes Columbia Pictures’ suspenseful tale “The Shallows” where a female surfer finds herself in the feeding ground of a great white shark.

In “The Shallows,” Nancy (Blake Lively) is seeking solace after the death of her mother. Though she’s been a driven medical student, Nancy has also found peace on a surfboard, and now has located what she’s looking for – the secret beach that was a special place for her mom.

 Though she knows it’s dangerous to surf alone, she risks it when her travel companion bails – even calling home to let her tight-knit family know that she has found this special place. As she surfs in this beautiful, hidden place, she thinks it will be a chance for her to reflect.

 “Unfortunately, she has stumbled into the feeding ground of a great white shark,” explains Matti Leshem, who produces the film with his wife and producing partner, Lynn Harris. “The shark attacks her, but it’s just doing what comes naturally. She is never more than a couple hundred yards from shore – she could swim to it – but the shark is in between her and safety.”

 Survival proves to be the ultimate test of wills, requiring all of Nancy’s ingenuity, resourcefulness and fortitude.

 “Every movie Jaume Collet-Serra has made has had an extraordinary amount of suspense,” says Harris. “He gets great performances from his actors, and he understands every scene and every frame from the point of view from the audience – what’s going to be the most satisfying experience for them in that moment.”

 Collet-Serra was excited to join the project because, “it had so many elements that put together make a mega-challenge for a director. It has one location. It has water. Animals. And a CG character. Any of these elements separately is a challenge, so to have them all in one movie was really exciting.”

 Collet-Serra says that Lively was much more than an actor for hire. Because she is in nearly every shot of the movie, he says, “She was really a partner in the storytelling. We tailored it for her – everything is filtered through her. We all agreed on the movie we were making, and she was very interested in collaborating with us on that process.”

 “I love the combination of a character journey in an elevated genre,” adds Harris. “This is an incredibly suspenseful thriller with a real character at the heart of it – a protagonist who goes through the arc of getting her strength and overcoming her fear.”

 “This story is incredibly visceral, but it’s also one we can all relate to – dealing with our worst fears,” says Leshem. “What does it take to face the thing you never thought you could face? And, of course, on some level, this is a metaphor for everything that is truly challenging, but is embodied in a great white shark.”

 IndieWire calls it “the best shark movie since ‘Jaws,’” while the New York Daily News hails it as a “much-needed escapist summer fun.”

 “If you’re looking for a quick and satisfying summer thrill, then ‘The Shallows’ should serve you nicely,” endorses respected critic Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times.

 Another influential reviewer, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone, applauds “Blake Lively, director Jaume Collet-Serra and a digital shark show no mercy in hooking us with the B-movie tension. And we bite.”

 The critics are also raving about the lead actress’ performance, with Variety’s Peter Debruge writing, “Lively may have been cast primarily for her physique, but she proves a compelling heroine.”

 “Lively acquits herself well here,” agrees Glenn Kenny of the New York Times, “especially in the vulnerable-to-shark-attack department.

 “The Shallows” opens across Philippine cinemas tomorrow.  (FREEMAN)