Open Water

I remember going to see Chris Kentis’ Open Water (2004) in the theater with some friends a week or two after it had been released. Except for our little group, the theater was pretty much empty. By the time the film was over, I was in awe of its ability to put my mind in such a state of uneasiness, but I don’t think my party shared my view. Most of them thought the movie was drawn out and boring. One of my friends suggested the outcome was inevitable. In his opinion, it was quite obvious that the couple was never going to be rescued, rendering the ending less affective. I disagree. Throughout the whole film I held on to the notion that there was still hope for the husband and wife. In the end, when they finally succumbed to their fates, my hopes were crushed. I remember being disturbed by the way the wife finally gave in—just when the authorities had sent out a rescue party.

Something like that could easily happen to anybody. The thought of my wife and I getting left in the middle of the ocean while on vacation utterly terrifies me. A few years ago I took a cruise to Jamaica with my family, and I remember looking out into the ocean on one of the late nights when no one else was around. I had thought to myself, if I fall overboard nobody will be able to save me. The thought was mesmerizing. I know this may seem crazy, but I was so hypnotized by that awesome view, I almost felt compelled to jump. It was as if I were being called to some unknown world that would cost me my life to enter; a world full of creatures that my imagination couldn’t create. I wouldn’t say I have a phobia, but when I think about the greatness of the oceans and the mysteries that lie beneath, I tend to feel a little uneasy. So yeah, the idea of being left in the middle of an abyss scares me.