1. Open Water (2004)
Filmed on digital video, Open Water makes an American couple’s harrowing experience stranded in the middle of the ocean after a scuba diving trip look like the worst home movie ever made. Based on a true story and using live sharks instead of CGI or mechanical ones, Open Water stands out as one of the most raw shark movies ever made. The sharks patiently circle the couple in the depths below, unlike Hollywood versions where they launch like missiles toward their prey. The film has an intimate, DIY aesthetic that puts you right there next to the couple: waves lap against the camera, natural daylight fades into a dark thunderstorm, and there is no way to see what lurks below. Open Water proves that shark movies do not have to be elaborate and effects-heavy in order to put viewers on the edge of their seat.
