These picture in picture additions of technology are used throughout the film, but it is never a helpful or necessary addition. This is also when we see a phone-to-screen projection of a skype conversation that looks atrocious on screen. You’re right, but it’s about all we get, save for shoe-horned backstory solely meant to quickly drum up sympathy for Nancy in order to justify torturing her later. Wait, I hear you saying, that’s not a narrative. Narratively, this film’s first act is composed of montage sequences and a bad soundtrack. All others are standard or lesser, especially whenever we see the POV of the surfer’s headcam. The best shots in the film are extreme long shots of water from above. For the rest of us, these are merely unnecessary shots.
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Of course, if you came for a bikini clad Blake Lively, as opposed to good cinematography, don’t worry, for there are plenty of shots trailing across the actress’ body as she strips down in preparation to surf. The intent is to show the sanctuary of dry land in the wake of the impending danger, but it looks strange and forced. Lens flares and distortion caused by the angle of the camera on the car causes Nancy to be caught in frame encompassed by an awkward blur. This scene is shot like a dream sequence, but unintentionally.
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She decides to go out to sea on her own, though, given the sentimental value of the beach that she doesn’t know the name of. We then cut to an unnaturally high key-lit, lens flare-heavy jungle road in which Nancy (Blake Lively) is being driven to a beach, only to find that her surfing buddy has flaked on her. On a Latin American beach, a young boy finds a helmet with a waterproof camera attached to it that depicts the brutal death of a surfer at the hands of a shark.