Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Black Water’

Written by Scott Edwards

​Looking for something new to do is hard for some people to do. Thinking outside of the box can be difficult, especially when it takes you out of your comfort zone. But the rewards that come from that can be so much greater, as long as you take a chance. You never know what the future holds, especially if you are not willing to open the door.

Heading out on vacation, Gracie, Adam and Lee are looking for something fun to do in Northern Australia. Coming up with a plan to see a crocodile farm, the group gets to see some of the largest creatures that are no longer in the wild, and they even get a chance to hold some of the smallest ones for memory’s sake. Needing something more to do on their trip, Adam spitballs an idea of heading further north to take the Blackwater Barry tour down the rivers and possibly get a little bit of fishing in as well. While his wife Gracie does not seem too keen on the idea, she does like the thought of doing something together and Lee is always up for an experience. But Gracie has a secret that she does not want the group to figure out, at least not until the time is right.

Arriving at Blackwater Barry’s dock, the group is saddened to hear that they just missed Barry for the river tour, but Jim would be happy to take them out instead. Taking Adam to get some fishing supplies, Lee sees something different about her sister and calls Gracie out for keeping her pregnancy secret from them all. Waiting for the right time to tell Adam that he is going to be a father, the group loads into the little fishing boat and they make their way up river. Being the perfect time of year with the river being flooded, there is plenty more opportunities to catch fish on this trip and while the tourists will not be able to keep them, it will still be a life changing experience. 

With a lack of bites on their lines, the group moves further into the flooded brush, but there is something else in the water that they did not expect. As the boat gets capsized by a large predator, the group scrambles to the surrounding trees for safety and finds that they are being hunted by a large crocodile. Seeing that their guide Jim has vanished in the attack, Adam, Gracie and Lee are left wondering what will happen to them. Wanting to wait for help to come seems like the best option, but when hours go by and no other boats are seen, the group is forced to come up with an alternative plan. Gracie takes to the trees to try and find a way to safety, but when she reaches the end of the growth and sees that the mainland is a hundred meters away, she knows that the swimming option will be frowned upon. Adam has the idea of getting back to the boat, but when he discovers it is hung up on something, that is easier said than done. The longer the three wait, the more likely they are to succumb to the crocodile’s needs of a good hardy human meal.

This movie really feeds on the fear of the unknown as you really never see the hungry crocodile waiting to strike. With the murky water surrounding them on all sides and only the trees giving some sort of safety, it is only a matter of time before the group falls in from lack of food and water. I liked the way every splash of water that was heard was the croc, even though you could not see the deadly hunter stalking the group. With their emotions running high and options limited, the wait is probably what did them in, since they were much too afraid to do anything, even when the croc was not seen. I know one thing that I learned after watching this movie, if I am going out in croc infested waters, I will be on a big boat that cannot be flipped by one, that is for damn sure. Stay Scared.

---