47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)

(In French, On TV, October 2021) I wasn’t a big fan of the first 47 Meters Down—Despite the rather nice suspense of characters being attacked by sharks while caged underwater, I am growing averse to the “imaginary character” trope and I suppose that the best thing about it is that I kept expecting its sequel 47 Meters Down: Uncaged to feature a fictional character. (In vain, as it turns out.)  No, this sequel would rather focus on more sharks and more claustrophobia, as it sends four teenagers in an underground Mayan temple to fight sharks that don’t need eyes to see their prey. It’s about as straightforward as shark movies come, with a steady diet of victims for the sharks, and thrills that don’t stop until everyone is out of the water. Sophie Nélisse and Corinne Foxx headline the film as the plucky half-sisters fighting it out (if you’re guessing the other characters are expendable, well, you’ve seen enough shark films), although it’s nice to see Nia Long looking gorgeous in a very small role. The Mexican scenery is nice when above the surface, but since much of the film takes place underwater, you can expect more shades of blue than lush greenery. The climax does keep something in reserve even after exiting the underground temple, so don’t go reaching for the remote at the sight of sunlight. While I won’t argue too much with those who maintain that the first film is better, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged at least dispenses with hallucinated characters, and that makes it preferable in my book.