Scout Taylor-Compton stars as Cassidy in the new shark thriller “Into the Deep.” Cassidy is an oceanographer haunted by a traumatic childhood incident where her father was killed by a shark. Despite her fears, she joins her husband Gregg, played by Callum McGowan, on a treasure hunting expedition in the same waters where the tragedy occurred. The couple sets sail with Gregg’s friend Benz, portrayed by Stuart Townsend, on his reliable but aging boat.
As they search for a cache of gold coins Gregg discovered, the waters prove treacherous with an abundance of sharks. The treasure hunt quickly turns into a bloody nightmare. To make matters worse, a group of vicious pirates led by Jon Seda’s character Jordan takes the crew hostage.
The pirates force them to dive into the shark-infested depths to retrieve a lost drug stash. Richard Dreyfuss appears as Cassidy’s grandfather Seamus, an oceanography professor who offers advice about marine life.
Treacherous waters and hidden fears
He encourages Cassidy to face her past traumas. However, Dreyfuss’ role feels disconnected from the main plot, almost as if he’s in a separate movie. Director Christian Sesma delivers some well-crafted underwater scenes, but the acting sometimes falls flat.
Dreyfuss, despite his top billing, seems underused with a thinly written character. Interestingly, the end credits feature Dreyfuss himself advocating for shark conservation. He stresses the vital role sharks play in ocean ecosystems.
“The shark is never the villain; it’s just being a shark,” Dreyfuss states, contrasting with the film’s depiction of sharks as terrifying predators. “Into the Deep” delivers some thrills and gore as a shark movie, but leaves viewers wishing Dreyfuss had a more substantial role, preferably out at sea where his character belongs. The film is a watchable but flawed entry in the shark thriller genre.