After reading the blurb about Black Water being a film about humans V crocodile in the wilds of Australia I must admit, I did have visions of Alf Stewart from Home Away wrestling with a reptile-shaped lilo and yelling "Fair dinkum, this croc's a flamin' mongrel!" Fortunately the reality is a lot more gripping and impressive and plays upon the primal fear of what lurks beneath the rippling surface of the water. I can relate to that, ever since that time I got in the bath and sat on that rubber ducky... I still have the odd flashback. Ahem, anyway... moving on to the plot.

During a sightseeing trip, Grace (Diana Glenn), her boyfriend Adam (Andy Rodoreda) and her younger sister Lee (Maeve Dermody) decide to go on a little fishing expedition in a predictably flimsy motor boat into some isolated mangrove swamps where their grizzled guide confidently informs them that: "There are no more crocodiles left in these parts so it's totally safe" which is pretty much akin to saying "I'll be right back" or "I
think its dead" in the Bad Things To Say In A Thriller/Horror Manual.

After the boat is mysteriously capsized and the guide disappears in the confusion, the trio scramble into the nearest tree. Trapped with no hope of rescue and menaced by the unseen predator lying in wait below, they have to decide what to do next... At this point you could be forgiven for thinking the film could be more of an Open Water style psychological drama with three paranoid people in a tree cringing at every splash, but no, Black Water does have (literally) more bite to it than that. The croc soon makes an appearance and thankfully (and surprisingly considering the low budget) the creature effects are very good, and trust me, I've seen my share of bad ones (Lake Placid 2 anyone?). It makes satisfyingly startling entrances throughout the film, and seems to possess a Jaws-style malevolence that makes it a great villain.

There are several factors that elevate Black Water above the standard creature-feature fare too. The cinematography is very good, capturing the setting's eerie beauty in the calmer moments, with the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees and the gnarled roots of the mangrove trees descending into the water. When the pace moves up a gear it copes equally well - a night sequence periodically lit by lightning where the terrified trio listen to the crocodile crunching on flesh and bone is a memorable example. Plus there are some nice visual touches, like a poignant moment where Diana is looking up through the green tree canopy and silently gazes at the distant streak of a jetliner across the blue sky. The flicker of emotion on her face says it all. The visuals are backed up by an understated musical score that almost seems to mirror the actions of the crocodile itself, lurking in the background and then suddenly surging from nowhere to unleash itself at traumatic moments.

Obviously, since the responsibility for sustaining the film rests on the shoulders of the three leads, their acting abilities are critical. All credit to them, they do a great job and convincingly veer between despair, anger and determination. The sheer realism of the performances elicits a lot more sympathy than you might feel for the usual creature film fodder - you want these three to overcome adversity and survive and possibly head home with a matching set of crocodile skin belts.

Although I've praised the film so far, it isn't perfect -some plot events feel a little too convenient and you get the sense they've been levered in to tie things up neatly. Also the setting has its weaknesses - the fact they are trapped in a tree may be good for tension purposes, but it also limits the scope of their actions - there are only so many times they can attempt to recover the boat before "Oh, they're trying that again?" creeps into your mind. Luckily the fairly short running time manages to forestall any feeling of monotony.

In all, if you want fast, flashy, high budget and gore-soaked horror then you may want to skip Black Water. But if you don't mind a slower pace, and enjoy a taut experience that stimulates your nerve fibres like an award winning massage therapist, then I really recommend you give this film a try. Maybe it's time that crocodiles bumped sharks off the top of the Killer Animals league table.