In an abandoned 6-meter deep pool, a couple is stranded there with a deadly predator.
Nothing beats a good desert island story. “Castaway,” “The Martian,” and “Gravity” make up the greatest hits list of ‘people stranded alone’ movies. Well, I would like to firmly add “The Pool” to this list for its ingenuity in concept as much as its tension-ratcheting execution. It very much honors the desperate inventor vibes of its forefathers (even calling out “Castaway” in a throwaway joke) but kicks things up a notch by adding a carnivorous mama crocodile. No one is safe. “The Pool” hits a perfect balance of ingenuity in its execution and in its story guaranteeing an unforgettable joyride.
Theeradej Wongpuapan plays Day. He’s an art assistant for commercials and movie shoots working one night at an abandoned pool. As he cleans up the crew’s handiwork a series of accidents lead to him getting trapped in an ever-draining pool 6 meters (or 20+ feet for you Americans) deep. Even as his struggle begins his girlfriend, Koi (Ratnamom Ratchiratham) playfully joins in the fun only to suffer a massive concussion. Together, the two must outwit the elements in order to survive. Oh! And if that wasn’t enough, a rogue Crocodile joins them in the pool making any second their last.
The genius of this movie is how thoroughly it follows through on its premise. It’s not big budget, like being trapped on Mars or an entire island. It’s small, cramped, and has narrow walls. Instead of a space station, our hero is left with a pool floatie, a roll of tape, and a small prop couch. It’s always a question of ‘how will he get out of this next problem?’ and truly the problems never stop coming. Between insulin loss, dehydration, starvation, a concussed pregnant girlfriend, and one villainous crocodile, this movie is a litany of near-misses breath-holding tension and edge-of-your-seat action. If it weren’t for the short breaks to develop character I’d be a wrung-out mess a la “Uncut Gems.”
When it comes to camera this movie doesn’t hold back. When he’s first swimming trying to climb the edge the camera bobs and smacks aggressively as if perched on the surface of the water. In heavy action scenes, it whips from protagonist to animal and more than once it slows down with a reduced frame rate. Lots of moments feel inspired by ’80s action movies and the scoring enhances the beat.
The movie never overstays its welcome and knows how to stay paced. Whether it’s displaying concurrent sequences or just slowing down to let the protagonists breathe, each beat feels earned and in sync with the one before it. More than anything it unfolds in front of you with such impressive linear progression that you have to admire its ability to pay off every. Single. Thing.
I enjoyed this movie from top to bottom. I’d heard a lot about it, but more importantly, I got to see it for myself and learn: it really is as cool as I’d heard. What sounds like a lo-fi concept turned out to be a total joyride. I found myself on the edge of my seat quite a lot. I’d recommend this to everyone!
Now available to stream on Shudder
