BLACK WATER
Diana Glenn, Maeve Dermody, Andy Rodoreda
8/10
'Black Water' is the film Greg McLean's 'Rogue' should have been, especially considering the latter cost 30 times as much, had a reasonably well-known cast and could actually afford the luxury of shooting in the top end. What directors David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki have proved with 'Black Water' is that it's not all about money and stars - it's the story that has to take precedence and, when all is said and done, a giant animatronic croc can only entertain for so long.
A sweat-inducing psychological thriller disguised as a monster flick, 'Black Water' centres on a threesome (Maeve Dermody, Andy Rodoreda and Diana Glenn) who head off on a boat trip down the pitch-black rivers of the Northern Territory. Their boat is struck by a giant crocodile, instantly killing their tour-guide and leaving them either up a tree or stuck under the boat.
Made for under a million bucks and filmed in a Sydney mangrove, 'Black Water' is filmmaking at its best and most admirable. Despite their limited resources, Nerlich and Traucki have worked themselves to the ground. They spent half the film knee-deep in water with real crocs to make sure their small film at least entertained and didn't look like a cheap monster movie. But rather than simply entertain, and aside from standing on its own, the film blows every other blockbuster on release at the time out of the water - it's that good. Whether it's the superb performances, the fresh script or the fact that there are real crocodiles, 'Black Water' is one of the most genuinely scary films I've seen in a long time, and reaffirms the belief that money can't buy everything (Clint Morris).
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