So, this *isn't* a follow-up to M. Night's Lady in the Water?
One thing my dad used to tell me that rings so true: whenever Hollywood over-advertises a movie, it's gonna be bad. (Also true, whenever they dump movies into January, it's equally bad.) And I saw trailers CONSTANTLY for this first weekend-of-the-year release. But, is it as bad as everyone claims?
Yeah, and no. I mean, it's not great or even good or even a recommendation. It's just not the worst I've ever seen. And I have seen pool-centered horror movies before. This just feels like a second-draft script. Not at all fleshed out with many threads left unfinished.
As with most supernatural movies, this too involves a family moving into a cursed place. What's the twist here? The "ghosts" (?) just hang out by the pool. Our "hero" cliché family here suspect it isn't safe to go into the water, so why not have a pool party?
I do my VERY best to go in as cold to any movie I have an interest in seeing, but I couldn't avoid seeing the ratings for this 2024 recent release. And because of that, I kept expecting this movie to nosedive after the initial premise is revealed. It never really did, though that script felt...awkward. I think there was a solid movie the filmmakers/writer wanted to make and instead, they were forced to kept to a set schedule without reshoots/test screenings.
As stated above, I wouldn't recommend it. It's not even so bad-it's good. It's just meh.
***
Final Thoughts: One horror/thriller I enjoyed WAY more about a swimming pool was aptly called "The Pool" from 2018. It's not perfect and held the same kind of critical criticism as this movie and yet, it was still entertaining, a way better plot/fleshed out script and kept me engaged to the end.
One thing my dad used to tell me that rings so true: whenever Hollywood over-advertises a movie, it's gonna be bad. (Also true, whenever they dump movies into January, it's equally bad.) And I saw trailers CONSTANTLY for this first weekend-of-the-year release. But, is it as bad as everyone claims?
Yeah, and no. I mean, it's not great or even good or even a recommendation. It's just not the worst I've ever seen. And I have seen pool-centered horror movies before. This just feels like a second-draft script. Not at all fleshed out with many threads left unfinished.
As with most supernatural movies, this too involves a family moving into a cursed place. What's the twist here? The "ghosts" (?) just hang out by the pool. Our "hero" cliché family here suspect it isn't safe to go into the water, so why not have a pool party?
I do my VERY best to go in as cold to any movie I have an interest in seeing, but I couldn't avoid seeing the ratings for this 2024 recent release. And because of that, I kept expecting this movie to nosedive after the initial premise is revealed. It never really did, though that script felt...awkward. I think there was a solid movie the filmmakers/writer wanted to make and instead, they were forced to kept to a set schedule without reshoots/test screenings.
As stated above, I wouldn't recommend it. It's not even so bad-it's good. It's just meh.
***
Final Thoughts: One horror/thriller I enjoyed WAY more about a swimming pool was aptly called "The Pool" from 2018. It's not perfect and held the same kind of critical criticism as this movie and yet, it was still entertaining, a way better plot/fleshed out script and kept me engaged to the end.