The Shallows, directed by Jaume Collet-Sera, is an 87 minute thriller about a surfer battling a shark in a lagoon.

Medical student Nancy Adams (played by Blake Lively) is seeking solice after her mother’s death. Adams takes a solo trip to one of her Mother’s favorite surf spots from her youth. The majority of Adams’ day at the secluded cove is filled with sun and surf.

Suddenly, Nancy is attacked by an enormous Great White Shark. She is forced to swim to a tiny island in the middle of the cove. She is left injured and frightened as her predator circles and awaits for her return to the water.

The film is exhilarating when Adams is on the run from the shark; however, I still found myself bored at times. The film lacked a variety of characters, so what little dialogue it had was between Adams and a seagull she befriended. Furthermore, most of the movie was just Adams mapping out a plan for how to avoid the shark, which got a little old.

Throughout the film, I found myself asking questions such as ‘can a shark hover in one cove all night after an attack?’ While the film was in no way dumb, the premise is a bit ridiculous.

A redeeming quality the movie possessed was the lead actress, Blake Lively. Lively did an excellent job portraying a stressed and terrified shark attack victim. Her character was resourceful and smart, with the ability to troubleshoot in a number of challenging situations. Also, the ending to the film was extremely thrilling and even touching. If you are interested in checking out The Shallows it is available to buy on demand, amazon video, and iTunes.