Horror Film Open Water Was Derived From A Terrifying And Very Real Shark Encounter

I don't know about you, but I have a weird fascination and sheer fear of the ocean. The sight of open water, particularly at night when the horizon isn't visible you can't see where the ocean ends and the sky begins, it's utterly terrifying, yet there is an alluring sight of mystery and wonder. It is easy to see why so many horror movies feature underwater scenes, because as a setting it is dark and full of terrors. 

One of the ocean-based films that made the biggest impact on me was not "Jaws," but rather the 2003 survival horror thriller "Open Water." Written and directed by Chris Kentis, the film follows an American couple scuba diving while on vacation, in a trip meant to improve their relationship. While diving, they briefly separate from the rest of their tour group, miss the head count, and are accidentally left stranded at sea.

The film is a minimalistic horror story, one that uses real live sharks to perpetuate the worst part of Steven Spielberg's legacy and makes the magnificent creatures into scary monsters. Still, no matter the horrors the two divers face (and they face many), nothing surpasses the initial terror of being left behind on open water. Making things worse, that part is based on a true story.

"Open Water" is loosely based on the true story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan. In 1998, the Lonergans went out on a scuba diving trip on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. During the trip, a headcount went wrong and the Lonergans were accidentally left behind. The crew of the boat did not notice their absence until two days later, when they found some of their belongings, but no bodies were ever recovered and both are presumed dead. 

Now, a popular belief is that the Lonergans were killed by sharks, but their vest and tanks, which would have helped them stay afloat were later found — and there were no clear tooth marks that would indicate a shark attack. So as much as "Open Water" sells itself as a true story, it likely starts and ends with the initial "left alone at sea" part and not with the savage animal attacks (like these other creature features).

As a result of their disappearance, the government of Queensland introduced stricter regulations for scuba diving trips, like requiring independent confirmations of headcounts from captains and dive masters.