The Shallows
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: June 24, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews
Positive:
21
Mixed:
11
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
EmpireNick de SemlyenAug 15, 2016
It’s an energetic survival thriller and terrific showcase for Lively’s chops, but iffy plotting and a sloppy climax detract from the terror. Read full review
60
CineVueMartyn ConterioAug 11, 2016
Displaying an exemplary commitment to knuckle-biting tension, director Serra has made a riveting B-movie. Read full review
60
The New York TimesGlenn KennyJun 23, 2016
Mr. Collet-Serra’s busy visual style, which uses a lot of fast-cutting, willy-nilly variations between slow and fast motion, and illogical but vivid point-of-view shots, seems at least somewhat apt under the exhilarating circumstances. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsEdward DouglasJun 23, 2016
Despite the genre and setting, this is still very much a performance piece, and Lively is more than just a pretty face and bikini bod. She has to do a lot with very little to work with other than a scene-stealing seagull. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyJun 23, 2016
A fitfully entertaining mix of offscreen gore and Maxim-esque T&A. Read full review
58
ConsequenceDominick Suzanne-MayerJun 23, 2016
The film’s belief in and commitment to the simplicity of its premise takes it a lot farther than it might otherwise go. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubJun 23, 2016
The Shallows is a very earnest woman-versus-shark film. It delivers the requisite thrills, including a surprisingly satisfying resolution. The heroine is capable; and the writers, who trap her on a rock for half the film, find ways to make her situation seem interesting. But the most important parts, the ones involving the shark, don’t feel genuine. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsJun 23, 2016
The climactic battle of wits between human and shark leads to a conclusion that got the audience whooping pretty good. The rest of it's OK. Read full review
50
Screen DailyTim GriersonJun 23, 2016
The Shallows is diverting escapism one wishes could have cut a little deeper. Read full review
50
VarietyPeter DebrugeJun 23, 2016
At times, it’s hard to tell whether The Shallows is trying to sell a tropical vacation, that Sony Xperia phone or a fantasy date with Lively herself, but in any case, the film looks virtually indistinguishable from a slick, high-end commercial. Read full review
40
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzJun 23, 2016
The Shallows is pretty much a woman stranded on a rock, with a big shark between her and the shore. “We’re gonna need a bigger boat?” “We’re gonna need a smaller bikini,” more like. Read full review
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