Black Water (2007)

79% of critics liked it
(19 reviews)
37% of users liked it
(3,453 ratings)

Three tourists navigating the treacherous swamps of Northern Australia are forced to fight for their lives after a hungry crocodile capsizes their boat and stalks them from the murky depths in this natural horror thriller from directors David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki. It was during a relaxing… More Three tourists navigating the treacherous swamps of Northern Australia are forced to fight for their lives after a hungry crocodile capsizes their boat and stalks them from the murky depths in this natural horror thriller from directors David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki. It was during a relaxing voyage into the outback that Grace, her boyfriend Adam, and her younger sister Lee decided to venture into an area of the outback rarely seen by tourists. Enlisting the aid of local tour guide Jim, the three thrill seeking travelers eagerly hopped into their boat and set out on what was supposed to be a typical river tour. Later, the leisurely tour becomes a life or death struggle against a deadly predator when the boat capsizes and Jim vanishes into the water without a trace. Stranded in a mangrove swamp without a tour and realizing that a crocodile is circling somewhere beneath the eerily placid surface, Adam pulls Grace up into a tree as Lee clings desperately to the overturned boat. Later, after Lee joins her friends in the trees and Grace realizes that they are completely surrounded by water, the trio quickly realizes that their harrowing experience has only just begun. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Andrew Traucki, David Nerlich
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Horror

In Theaters: Feb 19, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Feb 19, 2008
Studio: GGrindstone Entertainment Group

Critic Reviews

Russell Edwards, Variety
A lack of incisive action takes the teeth out of croc pic...offering too few scares and insufficient tension for audiences to take the bait.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
Splendid in its economy, Black Water gets a grip on our senses and never lets go %u2026 the writer/directors portray nature as something wondrous and deadly all at once, which is what it is of course, without guilt, without an agenda %u2013 except surviva
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...an uneven yet sporadically tense thriller...
Nigel Andrews, Financial Times
Nasty, brutish and at 89 minutes just the right length.
, Sun Online
Australian film-makers Andrew Traucki and David Nerlich have done a great job in making the world's most deadly reptile as scary as a shark.
David Gritten, Daily Telegraph
Writer-directors David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki calibrate the tension with creditable skill.
Phelim O'Neill, Guardian [UK]
While the when-animals-attack genre has been a staple of direct-to-retail movies for decades now, this tries for a more realistic approach than the usual rubber or CGI reptile's buffet.
Kevin Maher, Times [UK]
There are some nice creepy chills to be had from the directors David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki's low waterlevel camera work, but ultimately the outlandishness of their real-life adventure deadens the visceral impact.
Neil Smith, Total Film
Packs enough shocks to keep you gripped, not to mention a conclusion that refreshingly refutes the genre rulebook.
Tim Evans, Sky Movies
Lean and mean, this basically does for crocodiles what Open Water did for sharks, Snap it up.
Steve Watson, Film4
Well acted and all the more engaging for having been based on a true story, ultimately Black Water lacks teeth.
Paul Arendt, BBC
Short, sharp and refreshingly nasty, it's a light antidote to all those heavy Oscar hopefuls clogging up the multiplex.
, Little White Lies
A wasted opportunity.
Derek Adams, Time Out
Tapping into the primeval fear generated by these perfectly evolved killing machines, the filmmakers ratchet up the tension, while sustaining our interest in the fate of the trio.
Simon Crook, Empire Magazine
A barely disguised B-movie - but one that bites deep.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Watchable crocky horror flick that makes the most of its low budget and simple set-up, though the characters aren't especially engaging and you keep hoping they'll get eaten.
Clint Morris, Moviehole
"Black Water" is the scariest film of its type since "Jaws" - you'll wanna strap in for this one ... otherwise you'll be continuously jumping out of your seat. One of the most genuinely scary films I've seen in a long time.
Anton Bitel, Eye for Film
Black Water may be derivative, but it ain't no crock
Scott Weinberg, FEARnet
There's something to be said for a chomp-em-up tale that exhibits some class, intensity, and restraint.

Read all 19 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Sajin P

Movie that started out promisingly but edged into mediocre towards the end. Although the effort have to be appreciated for having made it with out much of a budget and CGI.
Lee ?

Aussie survival-horror about a bad-ass Crocodile who has a trio of holidaymakers stuck up a tree in the middle of a mangrove swamp fighting for their lives. Apparently based on true events and it's been filmed in a naturalistic way to enhance its believability. However, the Croc… More
Aussie survival-horror about a bad-ass Crocodile who has a trio of holidaymakers stuck up a tree in the middle of a mangrove swamp fighting for their lives. Apparently based on true events and it's been filmed in a naturalistic way to enhance its believability. However, the Croc did display some deliberate sadistic and sinister behaviour that was probably exaggerated for the film. It's a premise we've seen before but it's a real nerve-shredder and very effectively made - it's low budget works in its favour.
Steve K

Wolf Creek with a crocodile. Interesting setting and believable character motivations help make up for some moments of stupidity. Not much violence, more of a suspense film.
Ken S

One of the scarier giant croc movies. Heavy on atmosphere and great low budget directing.
Dean !

A decent enough tale of survival based on true events as 3 people are stranded when attacked by a crocodile. It's ok but a lil too long and the interest starts to go after a while. Only so much tension you can build about people stuck in a tree avoiding a crocodile!
Brian D

A lot better then Rogue. It's a must!!
Bruce B

Great Alligator eat the humans flix. That was one big Gator. Will change your mind as to who gets eaten, Australlian but enjoyable.
Drew S

Ultimately, the first thing you should know about Black Water is that in its ninety minute running time, there are MAYBE seven crocodile attacks. None of them last longer than a minute. That means we are left with 83 minutes to fill with other substance. You can stop right here if… More
Ultimately, the first thing you should know about Black Water is that in its ninety minute running time, there are MAYBE seven crocodile attacks. None of them last longer than a minute. That means we are left with 83 minutes to fill with other substance. You can stop right here if you've heard enough, or read the rest of my breakdown. The first fifteen minutes establish the characters and the setting before we actually see any of Mister Croc. Fair enough - you need that. So that's 68 minutes we have left. What do they put in this hour-long span? Arguments about rope. Vain attempts at flipping their capsized boat over. Discussions of the river's length. Incredibly long, unsuspenseful scenes of wandering through trees. Minute upon minute of worthless, colorless dead air. This is not a horror movie; it's a fucking National Geographic highlights reel with a few dismembered limbs thrown in. This is absolutely not worth a minute of your time, unless you want to slog through some overblown pretender to Open Water's (dubious) throne.
Luke B

I found Open Water to be a tense and terrifying example of the simplicity of cinema. Black Water on the other hand is an annoying journey into pure tedium. Essentially the film is people in a tree argueing about what they should/could do. They do this for ages before eventually doing… More
I found Open Water to be a tense and terrifying example of the simplicity of cinema. Black Water on the other hand is an annoying journey into pure tedium. Essentially the film is people in a tree argueing about what they should/could do. They do this for ages before eventually doing something. The man tries to take on some kind of control and the women scream A LOT. They reach frequencies I didn't know existed and could barely hear. They are simply irritating, which gets me cheering on the Croc. The third act sees one of the women suddenly become bad ass and is a cross between Sarah Connor in T2 and the late Steve Irwin. The acting is great, and very real, I could imagine this to be how people act in such a situation, but as we all know people can be very stupid and very annoying.
Matthew Y

Black Water gets the most out of it's low-budget restrictions and has possibly the most realistic account of a crocodile attack film ever. The film is a mood piece for the first hour or so as the main characters hang in a tree thinking their boat was flipped by a Crocodile but… More
Black Water gets the most out of it's low-budget restrictions and has possibly the most realistic account of a crocodile attack film ever. The film is a mood piece for the first hour or so as the main characters hang in a tree thinking their boat was flipped by a Crocodile but unsure and quite afraid to get back in the water. In the final minutes when desperation forces them back in and the Crock makes his appearance we are treated to a few quick action shots and a very believable conclusion. Not a tremendous achievement but a noteworthy one.
John M

"Black Water" is a simple movie and effective at delivering some thrilling moments and entertainment but I personally think that it would be a lot better with a stronger ending although the result of the whole product is not bad and worth checking at least once.
Christopher B

The scenes of tension work really well for the majority of this film, and the characters are likable. It does somewhat fall apart at the conclusion, but I always have a soft spot for any "when animals attack" movies.
Jason S

Loved it! Really entertaining and great suspense in this little Aussie Gem of a movie. Similar in the idea as Open Water but much better and more fun!
Leo L

An intriguing film. This is definitely a reminder of "Open Water". It's filled with suspense; it leaves you wondering and thinking about the variable odds. Great movie regardless.
Chris M

Bad, bad, bad. Don't bother wasting your time seeing this.