Something in the Water
A female-centric survival thriller proves surprisingly gripping.
Wet nightmare: Lauren Lyle, Hiftu Quasem and Natalie Mitson
Courtesy of Studio Canal
There is something in the water and unfortunately it is human blood. And you know how sharks like human blood. While shark attacks are greatly exaggerated, they do happen, which is more than can be said for the escapades of the bogeymen and possessed dolls of many a recent horror film. But sharks are not the only hazard in Hayley Easton Street’s feature directorial debut – the ocean can be a brutal place. Shark movies have moved on considerably since 1975 and the phenomenon of Jaws – and the young are far more shark savvy than they used to be. But even armed with such rudimentary advice (“don’t bleed in the water,” “punch the damn thing in the face”), the flailing legs of a young woman are no match for the rows of serrated teeth of a determined predatory fish.
There is a prologue, but a necessary one. Following a striking aerial shot of London at night, we meet Meg (Hiftu Quasem) and Kayla (Natalie Mitson) as they stroll through a subway hand-in-hand. Then they encounter a gang of youths – girls, not boys – who proceed to kick Meg to the ground and do her serious damage. In their eyes, she is not just a blatant lesbian, but a dark-skinned lesbian, and so she receives the brunt of the attack. Being blonde, Kayla gets off relatively lightly.
One year later, Meg is suffering from PTSD and is estranged from Kayla, so when the latter turns up to collect her at a Caribbean airport, the reunion is awkward to say the least. They are there to attend the extravagant wedding of their friend Lizzie (Lauren Lyle), who is determined that her celebrations will help heal the rift between the two. On the day before the actual ceremony, Camilla (Nicole Rietsu Setsuko) hires a small boat to take them and fellow ocean enthusiast Ruth (Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart) – they are the ‘Fantastic Five’ – to an isolated island to enjoy the ultimate hen party. With the clear blue water, constant sunshine and unassailable bonhomie, it should be the time of their lives…
Taken on its own terms, Something in the Water is an effective piece of low-budget genre cinema and proves seriously unnerving. The background music is moody and threatening (without being bombastic), the hand-held camerawork nervous and edgy and the dialogue largely plausible. As one character sets off for help, she suggests that her departure is less a full stop than a dot, dot, dot. “Ellipsis,” Meg corrects her. “Nerd,” comes the reply. The screenwriter Cat Clarke, the Edinburgh-based author of seven novels, builds a genuine rapport between these young women, who emerge with their own shorthand, rather than being mere ciphers for fish food. It’s notable, too, that the director, producer, editor, production designer, costume designer and co-composer are all female, bringing a bond that feeds the connection between these women. And besides the sunburn, exposure and trauma, what is almost worst of all is when this union, this precious human amity, is threatened by the accumulation of unfortunate events – just when the friends need each other the most.
JAMES CAMERON-WILSON
Cast: Hiftu Quasem, Lauren Lyle, Natalie Mitson, Nicole Rietsu Setsuko, Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart, Gabriel Prevost-Takahashi.
Dir Hayley Easton Street, Pro Julie Baines, Screenplay Cat Clarke, Ph Niels Reedtz Johansen, Pro Des Claire Fleming, Ed Pani Scott, Music Harry Peat and Nainita Desai, Costumes Lex Wood, Sound Rob Price.
StudioCanal UK/Dan Films-Studio Canal.
85 mins. UK/France. 2023. US Rel: 3 May 2024. UK Rel: 21 June 2024. Cert. 15.
