47 Meters Down: Uncaged – Sharks, Silliness, and Scuba Drama

I have a soft spot for shark movies. It’s a personal flaw I’ve accepted. But let’s get one thing clear: not all shark movies are created equal. I don’t go for Sharknado or 3-Headed Shark Attack, those are the cinematic equivalent of cheap fast food. Instead, I appreciate a well-crafted aquatic thriller, and 47 Meters Down (2017) and its follow-up, Uncaged (2019), swim comfortably in the middle of the shark movie spectrum.

Streaming Options and Availability

For my fellow Aussies, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged is available to stream on Netflix. In the USA? Hulu’s your best bet. Need more options? Check out the trailer at the end of this review or search for alternatives on JustWatch (also after the rating for “Uncaged.”

Underwater Thrills with Bite

Neither film reinvents the shark movie wheel, but they both deliver solid storylines, characters you’ll love or loathe, and just enough tension to keep you hooked. Sure, the bitey action gets repetitive. However, there’s some genuinely impressive cinematography at work here. The budgets were stretched thinner than a scuba tank running on fumes.

The original 47 Meters Down is packed with perfectly timed jump scares. Not overdone, just enough to get your heart racing, bonus points if you’ve read those articles claiming horror movies can help with weight loss! Despite some questionable character decisions, the 2017 film delivers a layered finale that still sparks debates. Did the girls survive? Was it all a hallucination? Watch it again and decide for yourself.

Uncaged: Bigger Cast, Bigger Risks

47 Meters Down: Uncaged is a sequel with a larger ensemble cast, higher stakes, and yes, a blind shark. It opens with a blended family led by Dad Grant (John Corbett), an archaeologist exploring an ancient Mayan city. Naturally, his teenage daughters and their friends opt for an unauthorized adventure into the submerged ruins instead of the safer (and honestly cooler) glass-bottom boat tour he arranged.

What follows is a blend of far-fetched scenarios and “oh no they didn’t” moments. From high-tech scuba gear casually left unattended to blind fish startling an ancient city into collapse, the plot leans heavily on suspension of disbelief. But for shark movie fans like me, that’s all part of the charm.

Character Dynamics and Shark Mayhem

The teen divers fit neatly into the usual archetypes: the quiet outcast, the moody one, the mean one, the clueless one, and the cool Asian. Place your bets on who gets chomped first! True to Johannes Roberts’ directing style (co-written with Ernest Riera), the film teases you with red herrings before delivering on the blood-in-the-water promise.

If you enjoyed the first film, you’ll find this one familiar. The stakes are amped up from two girls in a cage to five in a collapsing cave system, and the sharks? They can’t see a thing having adapted to their watery area. Somehow all this makes them scarier. Add in Grant and his oblivious team working on the other side of the ruins, and you’ve got yourself a smorgasbord of tension and teeth.

Final Thoughts: Worth the Dive?

47 Meters Down and Uncaged are commendable shark thrillers that scratch that fin-filled itch without leaving you regretting the time spent. Both films feature satisfying endings and enough thrills to keep you entertained.

Rating:
3 “Who messes with you while welding underwater?” out of 5

Related Reads:

• 15 Underwater Thrillers That Will Keep You Hooked
• Great White Review: An Interview with Director Martin Wilson

Watch the Trailer for 47 Meters Down: Uncaged Below!

Where to Watch Uncaged on Netflix