Black Water, written and directed by David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki - 8.5 out of 10

Black Water, written and directed by David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki
8.5 out of 10


When hearing the name Black Water, this cinephile had thought about the Carol Oates formidable work, about the abominable behavior of the late senator Kennedy, who drove under the influence into the Black Water, where his very young female companion would die.

The note on that excellent novel is at realini.blogspot.com, where you can also find the review of the equally remarkable film adaptation, launched last year.
The current note however is about an Australian film, which  deals with a terrifying story as well.

A group of four people, two men and two women, take a boat in the mangrove swamps to fish.
We learn from the start that this is based on true events and that the crocodile population is increasing, together with the number of humans that move in the area, or travel there.

Even if we expect to a large extent the horror that would take place, given the variables:

Crocodiles, far from habitation, rather inexperienced travelers ready for a joy ride and not for adversity and trauma.
It does not take long before the animal strikes.

The boat is reversed and one of the women, Lee, is trapped under it.
Grace and her lover, Adam, manage to climb one of the mangrove trees that grow in the Black Water.

They watch aghast as the body of the fourth member of their group is taken away by the crocodile.
Jim is dead.

Lee would somehow find the way out of her predicament and climbs next to the others.
Alas, they are prisoners and argue over what they should do.

Grace says that they should wait and some rescuers would look for and find them.
Adam is more pessimistic and states that no one knows they have left and where they could be.

So they think they should try and climb from one tree to the other and maybe find the exit.
Adam has lost his eye glasses and Grace says he is blind without them and hence she attempts to find a way out.

As she moved away, she saw one internal organ that had belonged to their friend.
After her return, as they try to get to the boat as the only remaining option, Adam is the next to be dispatched, actually I should say dismembered maybe.

The film is captivating.