Aahana Swrup
John Barr’s thriller film ‘Dangerous Waters’ charts the survival narrative of a young woman who faces overwhelming dangers while stranded in the sea against villainous characters. After Rose’s mother, Alma convinces the teenager to accompany her on a boat trip with the latter’s brand-new boyfriend, the girl reluctantly agrees. However, their trip soon turns into a nightmare once Derek’s dark past reveals itself after deadly criminals working for the elusive Captain attack their boat. As a result, Rose, stranded on the water without any support, has to fight for her life to return to the safety of solid land.
Despite its one-woman action-driven premise, the film’s storyline remains grounded in realism, offering a compelling narrative about the misadventures Rose gets roped into. For the same reason, viewers must wonder if the film’s criminal storyline has any basis in a real-life instance. SPOILERS AHEAD!
A Fictitious Survival at Sea Story
No, ‘Dangerous Waters’ is not based on a true story. The events depicted in the film are all fictionalized elements based on a story by Director John Barr. Screenwriter Mark Jackson worked on the script, crafting detailed renditions of the plot points and characters by infusing his own creativity and imagination into the narrative. Consequently, the film’s storyline is entirely fabricated and holds no tangible connections to real life.
The first half of the film emulates a classically familiar story about a contained but vastly lethal environment that looms over the characters as a perpetual threat. However, an inciting event introduces a tense interpersonal dynamic between the central characters, adding another layer of danger to the story. As such, the film seamlessly catches the audience’s attention, urging them to remain curious about Rose’s narrative and how it unfolds.
Similar instances of storytelling can be seen in other survival films, where nature and natural forces present an ever-present danger alongside the imminent antagonist’s presence. Some fitting examples that fans of the genre may relate to ‘Dangerous Waters’ are ‘River Wild,’ ‘Dead Calm,’ and ‘Adrift.’ Moreover, the intentional steps taken to ensure authenticity within this boat-focused narrative further infuse the film with realistic visuals.
Director Barr spoke about the same in an interview with ScreenRant and said, “We shot everything practically on the boat. We didn’t do any builds, which I thought was important to give the actors the feeling of being on the water the whole time.” He further added, “I think it helped Odeya [Rush] and Eric [Dane] and Saffron [Burrows] really experience it and be completely honest with the characters.”
Yet, as this film operates within the familiar confines of a sea survival tale, incorporating the genre essentials without fail, it also presents an additional storyline that increases the stakes within the film while also strengthening its ties to reality. Halfway through the film, as Rose’s sailing adventures take a turn for the worse, she comes across The Captain, a feared sailor who’s known for his human trafficking business, wherein he targets young girls specifically as his victims. Thus, with his incorporation in the film, Rose’s storyline shifts from simple survival to sought-out revenge and justice.
As a result, the sea-based human trafficking rings— an issue immensely prevalent in real life— end up lending a sense of realism to the tale. Lead Actress Odeya Rush, who helms the film as Rose, discussed the impact of this narrative addition and said, “That’s part of the reason I took on this project. There’s something so powerful about the fact that, at first, this journey is all about me [Rush’s character] surviving. And actually, when I see those girls [The Captain’s victims] for the first time in the room, and they’re being held captive, that’s the first time that it doesn’t become about me anymore and that it gives me even more fuel to keep going.”
Nonetheless, since the ring itself has no tangible connections to an actual group, even the same is cemented in fiction. Likewise, none of the other characters, including Rush’s Rose, have any connections to real life. Therefore, the film, though entertaining, remains confined to its fictionality.
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