Written and directed by Le-Van Kiet, The Requin follows Jaelyn (Alicia Silverstone) and Kyle (James Tupper), who have taken off to vacation in Vietnam and escape some recent pain. One night, a horrible storm sweeps in and wreaks havoc on their villa, which just so happens to be standing over the water. The ferocity of the storm rips the villa away from the rest of the resort, pulling Jaelyn and Kyle far out into the ocean. There, they must do all they can to survive, and hope someone comes to save them. That premise alone may sound like a few other aqua related horror stories you’ve seen or read before – but you may not be ready for what The Requin has to offer.
The reasoning behind the couple’s vacation involves a tragic loss they have suffered; Jaelyn is struggling with trauma and the couple are doing what they can to be together and heal. This background does allow for sincere moments of emotion – yet ultimately doesn’t do much for the movie. From the moment this film starts, there is a jarring tone to the dialogue. As one of the first scenes involving the couple plays out, one comes to feel a sense that these are actors striving to act like a married couple, rather than provide performances that make us feel they are one. From there, The Requin unravels into a work of goofy and bland melodrama.
It is very tough to take much of anything serious throughout the film. To The Requin’s credit, while there are those more emotional moments that provide some depth to the characters, there’s also the initial shark encounter, which does make for strong tension. That is until you see the sharks. Some of the CGI is cartoonish, totally undercutting scenes that should be thrilling or suspenseful. That said, the CGI could honestly be forgivable if it weren’t for everything else. The Requin suffers the most from weak writing, a tonally odd narrative, and lackluster performances.
Outside of the early scenes where we learn why the couple are away, so much of their performances either over sell on emotion, or under sell when something should be more seriousness. The latter tends to pertain more to that of Tupper’s performance. Silverstone’s efforts to convey fear and anxiety provide a discomfort that is like hearing nails scratch across a chalk board. Though some scenes with her do convey a genuine feeling of distress, several scenes feel like that initial one where we first hear the couple talking to one another; here is a person being told to act scared and panicked, rather than provide a real essence that they are feeling those things.
While a lot of the dialogue either comes across too goofy or melodramatic, the story also goes to some weird tonal places at times. When the film strives to convey something that’s meant to be serious, it unfortunately falls victim to the melodramatic writing – conveying more silliness than heartfelt sincerity. One can tell there is a serious intent behind this work – and in some few cases, that intent shines through. However, those brief periods can’t do much to save this movie from its glaring issues. With a rough script, wonky CGI, and lackluster performances, The Requin has little to offer in terms of thrilling aquatic horror.
The Requin is now available on VOD outlets.
The post ‘The Requin’ Review – Alicia Silverstone Shark Movie Is Submerged Under Rough Waters appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.