A couple of sisters, one of which is extremely tough to like, get trapped in a covered swimming pool over a holiday weekend. While struggling to survive, they talk about all their clichéd issues (abusive father, drug addiction, petty jealousy, etc.). Then this bitch janitor with her own clichéd issues shows up and the whole film goes off the rails. I mean, I was into it for a little while because I'm a sucker for stories like this. That it was rife with clichés wasn't even killing it for me. But I guess they couldn't stretch that out for a feature film runtime so they added the janitor thing. Whatever they were going for with her character, they completely failed at it. She totally tanks the movie and it becomes less about surviving and more about beating this horrible woman the film mistakenly expects us to care about. And they don't even beat her, by the way. I won't say what happens but, if you're like me, you'll be screaming obscenities over the ending.
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utgard1414 August 2017
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diblackwood6718 July 2019I dont know why everyone is giving this such a bad rating. For what it is, a low budget film. It holds its own with Frozen, Buried and the like and i actually enjoyed it. Sure its average acting etc, but i couldnt take my eyes off the screen. If you like Frozen, Deep Blue Sea, etc give it a go.
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Matin_Shwany3 September 2019A ok movie with a low budget shot with in 14 days totally deserve a watch with the budget, you should accept what u will get. Whats the message every movie has its own message they blended some life problems with the plot yea it shows us when humans goes through their hardest situations they do whatever they can even if they dont like each other they dont got a choice they work together, they confess to each other what wrong things they have done, when they survive situations they treat each other with love after they went through things and feel more than before for each other, the main idea was getting a lesson from wrong doing things and making humans change. the acting performance was perfect and everything else. You get drama and thriller moments. But didnt feel the characters much and didnt feel much thriller. 6/10⭐
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kayhansen12 September 2022Sisters get trapped under a swimming-pool cover seconds before the dude in charge of the pool leaves for an extended holiday weekend. Oh no! Nobody will be back for four days! They'll never survive that long!
Now that you know the entire movie takes place inside this cold, dark, blue, confined space you're gonna want to scroll ahead ... maybe stopping every couple dozen frames to check on their progress.
Looks like the usual fare: desperate escape attempts, emotional confessionals and an impending health episode for the diabetic sister who is separated from her life-saving diabetes medicine.
Scroll, scroll, scroll ....
Wait ... what's this? Someone shows up who can set them free. Oh dear. It's the parolee locker-room attendant who was recently fired for rifling through swimmer's belongings.
Never mind, she has her own issues and instead of saving the sisters, decides to steal their stuff.
Scroll, scroll, scroll ....
Now the just-fired-parolee-locker-room-attendant is lying on top of the pool cover describing her demons to the trapped sisters beneath her. There seems to be some begging, bargaining and internal conflict going on.
Scroll, scroll, scroll ....
The sister who hasn't suffered a health episode seems to have punched her way through the pool cover and is now sitting on the cement next to pool with unconscious sister's head in lap.
As conscious sister begs unconscious (maybe dead) sister to wake up, the just-fired-parolee-locker-room-attendant reappears with gun. She's gotten herself into a real pickle. She's gonna have to shoot them to cover her crime of 1. Not rendering assistance and, 2. Stealing their stuff.
After all that physical and emotional effort to get out from under the pool cover, they're going to die anyway. Bummer.
But wait! The just-fired-parolee-locker-room-attendant has a moral pang and drops her gun. The conscious sister has a sympathy pang and tells the just-fired-parolee-locker-room-attendant to "go." They exchange knowing glances and the just-fired-parolee-locker-room-attendant runs.
Skip to next scene and the first new location since the opening scene. We're now outside the building.
Cue sirens.
Diabetic sister is now on a gurney. Her eyes flutter open. Sisterly hug filled with new understanding of and appreciation for each other ensues.
The end.
And that's how you watch a totally predictable, poorly acted, claustrophobic 90-minute movie in just under ten minutes. -
Shelpa25 June 20171 glass of wine in and I decided to give this one a go. Before I go any further I have to admit that I suffer from a fear of underwater drains. Anything man made underwater actually.. drains, lights, windows.. they all give me the heebie jeebie's. I have been this way as long as I can remember and I can no longer swim in pools. Google it, it isn't just me.
I'm not sure why this movie is getting so much hate. I totally enjoyed it. For a movie that had to be carried by only 2 actors and had only one setting it was done really well. It was also a very original idea and that is always something that I am looking for. The acting was great and I thought that the characters acted exactly as they should.
I read all of the reviews before watching and I don't agree with any of them. This isn't the most awesome thing this year and it isn't the worst. If you are looking for a big budget, action packed movie this isn't for you. If you want a slow burn thriller then give it a go. -
phd_travel3 October 2018You want to see what happens and how they get out but it's an irritating story. They both seem unlikeable. Then the idiot crazy comes along and then it really gets barfarific. The chances of these two unlikely things getting trapped and a psycho coming along are just too hard to buy.
Don't bother. -
stephenw-3018020 June 2017The story is set and shot entirely at a public pool. Two sisters, Joanna and Bree are swimming in the pool when, as it is closing, one sister has to dive back in to retrieve her lost Engagement ring. As she does this, the pool's manager looks, but does not see the girls as the second sister jumps in after the first to help her look for it. At this time, he closes the fiber glass top trapping them in for a long holiday weekend.
To make matters worse, there is a sadistic employee who is a parolee and gets caught trying to steal early in the film and gets fired. She is ordered to empty the waste baskets and finish out her day and not come back. The woman does come back hours after closing to discover the trapped girls but won't help.
There is a lot of underlying issues between the sisters, as well as the woman who not only will not help them escape, but taunts them as she is clearly scorned and injured herself.
I won't divulge anymore but will say I felt I gave this a generous 7 of 10 but feel it was mostly deserved. There is a lot of tension and frustration throughout and scenes that make you want to jump up and scream at the antagonist. Acting is well done and believable in a Simple setting.
A definite watch for any fan of light thrillers and time not wasted. -
This movie was ok. besides the fact whoever decided to make the sister diabetic, doesn't understand how diabetes works. like in the begining she said her sugar is low and needs her insulin. do they not know insulins intended purpose is to bring someones blood sugar down? so what sense does it make to need her shot to lower her blood sugar even more? she needed food. and when she pulled her out of the pool and gave her the shot and she magically woke up like it's narcan? I just can't believe they made such an inaccurate movie.
i know this is not what the movie is about but it blows my mind that a movie made in 2016 would represent diabetes so inaccuratly. now people will think you give insulin to someone if they pass out from their blood sugar being low.
so however that genius was, you get a 0/10 -
On the surface the movie has a simple plot. Two young women, sisters, are trapped inside of a pool, unable to leave while a thick fiberglass cover was put in place. However, the distressing situation turns heated when the two begin discussing their unresolved issues. Skeletons come out of the closet, teeth are bared, and hatchets are dug up for review! Before long though their predicament turns dire and a rogue third element is introduced which puts their love for each other to a test.
This is the epitome of a character driven story. It proves you don't need to have a large cast, expensive effects, or a heavy use of CGI to have a compelling story told. I found it to be wonderfully entertaining and well acted. I did lose a little interest about midway through, but this was likely because I had a hard time relating to any of the main characters, but towards the end I was firmly entrenched in seeing to their welfare.
Excellent job! -
contact-1874411 September 2021Inaccurate and possibly dangerous information shared about diabetes and insulin. Such misinformation is irresponsible.
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rheashah-499376 September 2017First of all, I really liked this movie. I was hoping it wouldn't be slow and boring like Open Water, and it was anything but. There was enough dialogue and action to keep me entertained throughout. The two actresses were amazing, and their acting was all very realistic. But just the ending made me so upset, I mean, this janitor lady nearly got you and your sister killed, and wouldn't budge on opening the cover on the pool no matter how much you plead, and you just let her go and forgive her? I would have made sure she paid dearly.
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Look I think most people miss the idea here, yes it's suspense movie not a horror, but beyond that, it's about a pretty scary situation that brings two sisters together who at this stage of their lives don't really understand each other.This is a result of some hectic stuff that happened in their past.
Look it's not without some faults, but I found myself engrossed, hoping for them to not only get out of the situation they are in, but to find each other, to whatever end.
It's well worth the time for the fact that there is a meaning here, especially if you're a lady, who has a sister, and the lengths you'll go to try help her in a dire situation. This applies to guys too who have siblings, be them brothers or sisters, or any family member for that matter.
As I said its not perfect, but the acting is solid, I thought these young ladies did very well portraying their characters. It's a good movie, it deserves more than the rating it has.
I gave it 7/10. -
sweeeeeet661 October 2021Bad acting, bad story, stupid ending that could have happen from the beginning! The third women character is soooooo awful !!! Bad bad bad.
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gucchiri13 December 2020These sibling sisters keep making bad, or you may call silly decisions from the beginning, first, shouldn't another sister stay upon the pool side, to tell the coach or any other people not to close the pool surface, iso taking such unworthy risk diving in together which might trap them both? Why is the security room is wide open for anyone to enter, and the janitor woman can do whatever she wants? In similar movie plot, always one actor or actress has sickness while lacking of medicine when in desperate need, too much of a cliche and so convenient! Who will disclose the very important password of her cellphone to a stranger? Even in such situation as you have no idea who he/she is. Anyway too many holes here, just another stupid movie I put up with so to see how bad it will go to the end.
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A nice low-budget movie. Two girls get stuck under a pool cover over the holiday weekend and need to get out before they die from starvation. The movie is 81 minutes long, and while this may sound long for such a simple movie with 2 main characters and one setting, it is surprisingly entertaining with a lot of tension and I hardly ever felt the need to fast-forward. Also this is a very original idea for a story that while sounding a little bit ridiculous does catch your attention and make you want to watch.
A little bit into the movie a sadistic employee who was arrested in the past enters the place trying to steal things but notices the girls stuck under the cover. The girls try to get the employee to open it but she is more interested in the belongings they left outside the pool. Watching the three interact as the girls try to convince the employee to open the cover will put you through swings of tension, anger, and sadness. And the three main characters don't feel one-dimensional, you will actually care and show emotions towards each one.
It's a nice, fun little movie overall. It's a little bit slow at the beginning, there are a couple of flaws (you never know how long the girls stay in there, the water is supposed to get colder as the movie goes on but towards the end they suddenly don't notice it anymore), and the ending makes you wonder why it took so long to use that method to finally get out, but those are the only negatives and they don't harm the entertainment value too much. Would recommend. -
tim-arnold77722 June 2017I don't care if the film was based on a true story, there were just too many holes that made the story line implausible. First of all, why would an indoor olympic size swimming pool have an expensive mechanized plexiglas cover? A cover keeps dust dirt leaves and debris out of the pool to keep maintenance to a minimum. A cover also helps retain the temperature of a heated pool, by isolating the pool surface from cold evening air temperatures.Why would EITHER of those reasons apply to AN INDOOR POOL??
I worked briefly at a community rec center with a pool. Shutting down a facility like the one in this movie isn't as simple and turn-key as they show. The person charged with closing the facility would have at least 60 minutes worth of tasks before the place could be shut down and locked up. The movie made it look as though the man in charge walked out the door along with the last person leaving without doing a sweep of the facility AFTER lock down to make sure no stragglers or mischief makers remained hidden behind. Vehicles remaining in the pool parking would be a big red flag.
Most community pools I know of are run to take in revenue. They charge admission and sell concessions and make vending machines available at steeply elevated prices. No outside food or drink is allowed in. I can't buy the notion that a heated indoor community pool would be closed for a 3 day weekend. That is when they take in the most revenue. It's almost as though they had this story about some girls who got trapped underneath a mechanical pool cover, but didn't bother to do any homework about how community pools are run. No attempt to patch some of these gaping holes in logic and common sense.
In the end, the jailbird woman tries to punch in the code to free the trapped girls, but upon failing, she refuses to call cops because she's afraid she'll go back to the joint. But I guess being charged with murder is a non-issue. Please!
I made it to the end, which says it kept me interested. My only reason for not giving it one star. But as the credits rolled, it seemed as though the writers just ran out of ideas about how to close it up. Would never recommend this film to anyone unless they were in an iron lung with absolutely nothing else to do and were bored to the point of suicide. -
rc20111119 July 2017Suspend your disbelief a bit here, but what movie doesn't require it? It is basically 127 Hours or Open Water in a swimming pool.
Two sisters visit a public pool the eve before a long holiday weekend. One loses her engagement ring in the pool so both swim down for it. Unaware the sisters are still under the water, Tobin Bell closes the fiberglass covering, trapping the sisters underneath.
Unlike most trapped movies, this is differently NOT a horror movie. Or a horror-thriller. In the end, this film is a drama about the demons three women face over the course of 12 hours.
If this film has a big issue it's that we aren't given a sense of a ticking clock. We are not made aware what time they get trapped, or how long they have been under the covering as time goes on.
Above I said the film takes place over the course of 12 hours, but that is a guess, there is no way of knowing. Other than it's still night when the end comes (I think, there are no windows).
What a trapped-thriller NEEDS is a ticking clock.
We need to know how long the trapped have been in this situation. We need to know how long it will be before we can expect rescue. The film only states the pool will be closed for the holiday weekend, which basically means long enough for them to die. Not good enough.
That small - but major - issue aside, this is a tight thriller.
Well-made and slick at every turn. The leads are likable enough and the actresses give them simple human touches that many might overlook.
The film's villain is the best part but I won't spoil who that is here. Wish there had been more with the villain.
The final scenes leave a bit to be desired as the film opts for the opposite direction of most trapped-thrillers. I'm going to leave that vague, but the film ends with a Pixar whimper, instead of a Blum house bang.
And we all know which one of those studio's movies we prefer.
So is the ending bad? Not by any means. It's just not what this guy expected. But that's sometimes a welcome change of pace. As a guy that can count out every beat of every movie as I'm watching it, this flick surprised me with its ending.
And that's something. -
ivegonemod13 August 2017I thought this movie was intense. I didn't find a second of it to be boring. This is just the kind of thriller I like when it comes to movies and books.
I can only hope that the janitor paid in some way for what she did. There was no excuse for her behavior. She could have at least given the girls the medication but she wouldn't even look in the purse.
This movie did not waste my time. I don't like when people leave reviews telling you not to waste your time on something, as though all people feel the same way they did about things.
I also don't like when people claim good reviews are fake just because they didn't like a movie and somebody else did. Do these people really believe theirs is the only opinion? -
gemmabunce-520954 November 2017OK so not only pointing this out as a type 1 diabetic myself but if you are going to do a movie make sure you research the disease first. An insulin injection wouldn't save her at the end it would kill her if she was low, for the people that would say but it was a glucagon needle um no they are a syringe and bright orange case and container and have to be left in a fridge and no diabetic carries that with them they keep it with them at home in case of a fit at night, carry Jelly beans or juice or something. I have the same pen they used that supposedly was to save her from going so low she was going into a coma, it's a novorapid insulin it does the opposite. also her symptoms of being low would have been worse than that and she would have at least had a fit and started hallucinating if it was that bad. Anyway stopping my rant but that really ruined the whole film other than the stupid things they could have done from the beginning to escape, also she cut open her hand at the end trying to squeeze her hand through the tiny whole she created with the drain lid, pointless keep hitting it maybe once or twice over and an easy climb out.
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A very interesting and original little thriller. I definitely was pulled in by the acting and the tension. Was following the sister's journey and hoping they find a way out. It makes good use of the limited set, the pool and the small gap of air between the surface and the pool cover provide plenty of chilling close-ups of the women's failing faces as they come to grips with their surreal reality. Estranged already, we learn of a bitterness between them stemming from years of opposing paths begun by a tragedy in their youth that haunts them to this day The muted blue tones of the pool help keep some desperation and the dialogue, which is crucial since there is–by extension of the premise–nearly no action, is mostly compelling, though the entire setup edges a little too close to metaphorical.
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Don't bother watching this terrible movie.
"Inspired by true events" is an absolute lie and the director admits it's not based on a particular story.
This is by far the worst movie I have seen in YEARS.
So many things wrong in this movie.
Standing on the grate she's trying to lift up.
Both gals diving in for a ring instead of telling the manager.
Bringing up old unnecessary family drama instead of focusing on the task at hand.
Conveniently has a serious medical issue.
A heated pool that once turned off instantly hits freezing temperatures.
And don't forget to throw in a sadistic janitor.
This was god awful/ lazy directing. I regret having watched this. -
writtenbydanbarton9 September 2017This tense contained thriller directed by Matt Eskandari finds its real depth in character development as well as its simple but diabolical premise.
Trapped in an indoor public pool after the cover has been locked in place over a holiday weekend, two estranged sisters desperately cling to each other for survival, at the mercy of an unknown tormentor. Think about it: how long could you survive if you had to float with no food, no rest, and no heat, clad only in a bathing suit?
The "good" older sister Bree projects a strength and vulnerability that at first leads the viewer to think she will be the key to their survival, but as her condition worsens (she's diabetic) it is black sheep Jonna who has to somehow find it in herself to step up to the plate and fight back against their circumstances, using skills she most likely learned in places her sister has never been.
And here is the real star of the film: the performances between the two lead actors as they dissect not only their environment for means of escape but their entire relationship as they face possible death. There are conflicts and confessions, and writers Eskandari and Michael Hultquist skillfully play out not only each beat of suspense but the breaking and making of the precious and perilous bonds only siblings know.
Tobin Bell's role is little more than a cameo and it is dispensed of early, so the real villain is Clara, a larcenous attendant fired just before the action begins. She doesn't show up until well into the film, but Diane Farr's haunting, taunting presence is what gives "12 Feet Deep" its memorable antagonist. Like Tobin Bell's Jigsaw, Clara is not there just to kill, but to teach a lesson in how precious life and loved ones are.
Thanks to excellent underwater cinematography by Byron Werner--the camera roams the pool's confines like the belly of an enormous whale--and a suspenseful score by Todd Haberman, "12 Feet Deep" steers clear of clichés and easy outs all the way to its satisfying end. -
plusonechecker17 July 2017Two sisters swimming at a public indoor pool get trapped beneath the pool cover. Things get really bad for them fast as the place closes up for holidays.
I thought it seemed hokey to be stuck under a cover but a thick fiberglass sheet is a different story. One of the ladies is diabetic which ups the ante. Things get even worse when possible help turns around and extorts them. Similar to Extortion (2017).
An emotional roller-coaster for sure as we find out they were abused and they lost their father in a fire. So all these different elements are wearing them down slowly. It is one of those films you find yourself yelling at the screen for them to either do this or don't do that. Which you can either love or hate.
If you tune in for Tobin Bell his role is limited to telling people to get out and then he closes the pool cover. More of a fan winking cameo than anything.
Overall the flick is pretty good and you might even shed a tear or two. -
ascheer-6697110 September 2022I don't ever write film reviews but this one was so bad i had to come on here and write a review. I do respect the actors and their craft, but the story line for this is just plain bad. So many loopholes in this plot. Didn't make any sense, so bad. Don't waste your time with this one. They get stuck under fiberglass at a public pool and then the janitor finds them and doesn't help them, instead taunts them, robs them, and just hangs around talking to them. They unpack childhood trauma while they're stuck under the fiberglass. And eventually the janitor leaves and they figure out how to get out. It's really unrealistic.0/10. Do not recommend. Also, the film says it's inspired by true events but come to find out that isn't true.
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I'm not even sure *where* to begin about what an egregious waste of time this movie is, but please do yourself a favor and skip it.
The plot has more holes than swiss cheese and the acting is horrendous. While I can appreciate the symbolism of the claustrophobic space (tumultuous relationship between the 2 sisters) and precarious circumstances (both sisters having been abused as children making their lives veer off in totally different paths and fighting off the possibility of an unpleasant watery death), it just does not flow with any cohesion or realism.
The corrupt ex-con janitor is laughably cliched with horribly wooden acting and in the end tries to redeem herself but at that point you are just waiting for the credits to roll.
I appreciate that it's based on a true story but how far of a leap did the writers take to overly-dramatize it in this way? Please do yourself a favor and skip this movie. It will be an hour and a half of your life you will never get back.