User Reviews

I'd never heard of this Aussie horror prior to Michael Elliott's enthusiastic review; in fact, after having read it, I decided to check if the DVD was available at my local rental outlet and it was (albeit a German edition i.e. sans the R1 extras), so I opted to check the film out immediately.

While I wouldn't go so far as to give it full marks – only a select few titles get them from me, let alone an obscure modern flick – I have to say that I was quite impressed with BLACK WATER. Rather than looking back to previous crocodile movies, such as ALLIGATOR (1980) and LAKE PLACID (1999), it evokes the memory of two which saw a small group of people who go on a trip, get lost and find themselves at the mercy of the elements and the creatures inhabiting the place – namely LONG WEEKEND (1978), itself a little-seen but impressive Australian production, and OPEN WATER (2005).

The compact, simply-plotted film involves a couple and the woman's younger sister who decide to go fishing in a remote and forbidding part of the Australian wilderness, known as crocodile territory; very soon (in fact, before even 15 minutes have elapsed!), their boat is capsized and the guide killed by an alligator – so our luckless adventurers take refuge up a tree. The DVD Talk reviewer believes the film suffers from spending too much time in this one location – with the three arguing about what they should do, attempts to retrieve the boat, seeking a way out of the jungle through the trees (only to be met with nothing but water) and the occasional attack by the monster. However, I think the makers take the situation as far as it will go without slipping into tedium: this is due to the palpable suspense and, as Michael said, the believability of the characters (particularly the two women)…but also the fact that the crocodile here makes for one of the scariest and most memorable in recent memory (I wonder how they got it to 'perform')!

I also agree with Mike that the film contains some really effective shock moments – the alligator leaping out of the water to take a bite at the petrified heroes; its head suddenly emerging in front of the women as they're making for the boat; even though one of them does reach the vehicle, the monster manages to lift its massive weight and get in the boat with her!; towards the end, as the same girl manages to find a gun (on the mangled body of their guide), loads it and lies in wait for the alligator to appear, the latter sneaks up from behind her (incidentally, the creature is bestowed with the craftiness of the shark in JAWS [1975]). With this in mind, the finale is just as crowd-pleasing (though on an obviously smaller scale) as that of the classic Spielberg blockbuster – even if it has a downbeat follow-up. Another definite asset is the film's sparse score – which is generally rather lovely, but becoming unnerving at just the right moments.

At the end of the day, BLACK WATER emerges as a breath of fresh air in the face of the demoralizing slump into which horror cinema has fallen of late; for this reason alone, it deserves greater exposure so as to remind us that there's hope yet for our beloved genre (without the real necessity of resorting to the gimmickry of a CLOVERFIELD [2008] to command attention)

There was some good build up of suspense throughout. The cinematography was surprisingly good considering such minimal budget. We witness occasional spells of good acting, however, this is quickly deflated by some quite cheesy lines. Understandably there would not be much of an intellectual conversation to be had, sitting up on trees while a crocodile is stalking you. Silence would have been golden here. There could have been a bigger play on suspense than dimly uttering, "I sat in the cupboard for fear of my brother..." Something tells me there's a slight difference in getting a beating from your brother than being eaten by a mighty 15ft croc. You decide. Throughout the film I can't seem to find a connection or for that matter, sympathy with the characters, perhaps thats because they don't develop one throughout the film, character that is. There are some occasional good scares when the crocodile sneaks up on the characters, overshadowed again by some questionable scenes. In one instance we should be terrified by an ear floating in the water but later we sit beside a decapitated, limbless corpse and only worry about a broken finger. A definite roller coaster of a film when it comes to logic.

Yes, the movie was that boring and insipid. after a certain point, I was wanting the croc to eat these people just so we could get the movie over with.

The plot is that three Aussies take a fishing tour up a river in a little boat, where the fishing guide straps on a gun. He says he just does it for insurance purposes, all the crocs have been hunted out of this river. He is immediately eaten by a Croc. The trio then get chased up a tree, getting picked off by the reptile in their attempts to escape. They spend most of the movie arguing over the best way to escape.

Predictably, the one survivor finds the tour guide's gun and shoots the crocodile. Aww, they killed the movie's only likable character!

Where's Paul Hogan or Steve Irwin when you really need them?

The basic plot of this film has already been detailed in several other comments so I won't bother. I'd like to first commend the producer, cast, directors and crew for creating a wonderfully engaging film on a meager, $1M budget, a small fraction of standard Hollywood fare that doesn't LOOK cheap. These people have a drive to make something new and entertaining while not spending a fortune doing it. This is essentially art for art's sake. I know, I know, some of you will decide that this is not art but something less and that's fine. I for one am glad that people like these will continue to put forth the time and effort for our benefit without expecting huge multimillion dollar payoffs.

Now to the criticism. I feel that the scenario presented is credible to a point. It's wonderful when everything works out and the hero/heroine saves the day and all's well that ends well. What gets me is the blatant manipulation of events so that blind luck is responsible more than courage and strength.

When lee was attacked but not severely injured, somehow she washed up on a mud bank right next to the dead guide. Then, miraculously, his loaded revolver is still in his holster and it actually works (after some cleaning and fiddling). Finally, when Lee is attacked on the mud bank and jumps in the water, once again the croc fails to kill her. She ends up with her hand in his (her?) mouth and manages to repeatedly pull the trigger, ultimately to blow the croc's brains out (literally).

I came to the conclusion that having Lee go hand to mouth with the croc was just a way to end the film with the human in triumph. Based upon what I have seen, the croc's attack and continue to hold on until the prey stops struggling. Croc's will spin around and around to dismember and drown the prey. That happened to the first 3 victims but not to Lee. She had teeth marks but they were not deep.

I think that the ending would have been better had the croc won, frankly, thereby proving his dominance of the mangrove, his territory for millions of years. But then, how many of us would have been upset or disappointed that the pretty girl didn't get out alive?

"Black Water" is a film that prides itself on its realism, and realistic it certainly is. Just like reality, this film consists mostly of waiting, of desperately trying the same stupid plan again because it's the only plan you have, and awkward dialogue.

The story is about three young people getting menaced by a salt water crocodile in the Northern coastal region of Australia. The first twenty minutes is spent setting up the events. Pretty straight forward for a first act, except all the dialogue is the characters pointing out plot points to each other and the audience. It's painfully unnatural.

When our protagonists finally find themselves in the company of a rather vicious croc, they spent most of the remainder of the film up a tree. Their strategies for survival are reasonable throughout the film, but there's really only two options: stay put and hope they're found, or try to get to safety by their own means. This is established in the first few minutes of the second act, and then nothing happens. They consider both options, rule out any alternatives, and then can't decide which option to take. They don't make decisions, the environment makes decisions for them.

In the end, some people die and some live, and I was once again reminded of the value of fiction: sometimes reality is just so boring.

One of those movies where you take bets on who will die first and who will survive at the end. There was just something about the movie that made me zone out. I think because I keep looking back and thinking "yep still in that tree...still looking at the water". Poor character development. I felt nothing when they were in danger. I was voting for the croc. I found it hard to believe a croc would try to tip a boat in the first place and then when it jumps into the boat I find that really unlikely as well. The croc seems too supernatural at times ('all knowing all seeing'). Also when the croc attacks it's behavior seems very unrealistic. It's a killing machine and wouldn't be letting victims escape twice to three times in a row, especially when attacking in the water.

The unknown floating ear which scared Grace to death (my best guess it was Jim's) was making much more noise than the killer crocodile which was hundreds of kilos...

Compared to her shock when she saw the ear she stood well when our intelligent! star was eating her lovely husband..

Compared to boogeymans,deamons,ghosts in the movies I prefer crocodiles even the crocodile can act like taking the revenge of its relatives which are kept in crocodile farms.But I'm not a crocodile expert so I don't make any comments on it.

I think these sort of movies make most people ask can a crocodile behave like this then create such interest for people learning about animals. Producers must keep on making such movies. Armadillos can be a good starting point.

Although this movie is not bad cinematically speaking and has its merits it turned out to be a waste of time (at least for me). But fear not, it is not in any way comparable to films in the vein of "Anaconda" or such. Black Water is conceived and thought out quite differently. The appearances of the crocodile out of the water are succinct and played out sparsely so there is some ongoing suspense and tension throughout the movie. However from the start you can see events coming so there are no many surprises and the whole movie could be summed up -with some "licenses"- by the children's song sang premonitory by the first victim: "Three cheeky monkeys swinging the trees, Teasing Mr. Crocodile, 'You can't catch me'. When along came the crocodile, as quiet as can be and Snap! went the crocodile and ate one for his tea.

Two cheeky moneys..." and on and on.

Don't read any further if you don't want to know anything about what happens in the movie. It is a tense thriller and well made. All along the movie there is a threat of the crocodile which makes it really tense. The location is good and so are the actors. The things why I cannot give the movie a higher grate is because it isn't realistic at all. The crocodile is for real but the things that happen not. If you get caught by a crocodile at your leg you have more then just a big bleeding scratch. But that wasn't the worst. That was when one girl (Lee), two times get caught by the crocodile. Let's just say that she really was just bruised, two broken fingers and a bite-mark from two teeth then you just have to explain to me how she can climb into a tree without screaming from pain. And she is also stupid, when a crocodile goes under water you don't just stand still with a gun in the water just waiting for him the come up sometime anywhere. Only watch this movie for the tension otherwise I would recommend you watch another movie.

WOW!! I watched this movie on DVD and, dare I say it, on looking up the cast on IMDb, formed the idea that it was probably going to be a waste of time since I'd never heard of any of them. I couldn't have been more wrong!! For at least 80% of the movie, I was on the edge of my seat! I noticed it is based on a true story although I don't remember ever hearing anything like it on the news here in Australia. How close the screenplay is to that story I have no idea but, even if it is only a fraction close, the younger sister, Lee should have been given some sort of bravery award.

If this had been made in Hollywood with big-name actors I reckon it would have been a smash hit. As it is and as I say, I had never heard of it or any of the cast until I was loaned the DVD. I guess it's a case of being in the right place at the right time.

I give it 8.7.