Index Investing News
Sunday, May 25, 2025
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Index Investing News
No Result
View All Result

‘No Way Up’ Serves Up Disaster Movie Thrills With Just Enough Bite

by Index Investing News
February 22, 2024
in Entertainment
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
0
Home Entertainment
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Pair it with 2022’s ‘Fall’ for a fun double feature.

By Rob Hunter · Published on February 20th, 2024

It’s not easy being a fan of shark attack cinema these days. The subgenre has its classics (Jaws, 1975), its mean-spirited entertainment (Tintorera: Killer Shark, 1977), its big B-movie blasts (Deep Blue Sea, 1999), and its unexpected surprises (Deep Blue Sea 3, 2020), but most entries immediately sink to the bottom. It’s especially bad these days as cheap, ugly CG sharks have become the norm. Too many filmmakers don’t seem to be making the effort to deliver anything fresher than week-old fish, so it’s a joy when something outside of the box comes splashing into view. No Way Up is a disaster/survival thriller with a very specific, and very unexpected threat — sharks on a plane.

The early flight from Los Angeles to Cabo is a mostly empty one with only a couple dozen people between the passengers and crew, but it’s about to get a whole lot leaner. An engine explodes after a bird strike, a large hole blows out the side of the plane, and after a brief respite floating atop the ocean, the plane quickly submerges beneath the surface. Some are killed on impact, and others drown in their seats, but a handful of people take refuge at the back of the plane where an air bubble has formed. Wait for a possible rescue? Swim out the hole and hope to reach the surface? Better decide quick as the water is rising… and the sharks have come calling to this unexpected buffet.

There’s no two ways about it. “Sharks on a plane” is a dumb idea. Where 2006’s Samuel L. Jackson vehicle Snakes on a Plane made a point of leaning in to the silliness of its premise, No Way Up takes the opposite approach. A serious thriller about sharks on a motherfucking plane won’t work for everyone, but jump in with the appropriate B-movie expectations, and you’re likely to be pleasantly surprised by its personality, thrills, and resourcefulness.

The film wisely gives over only a brief time to introducing its characters before plunging them into chaos, but it’s enough time to get familiar with the ensemble. Ava (Sophie McIntosh) is the governor’s daughter, an insecure young woman so nervous about a vacation with her boyfriend Jed (Jeremias Amoore) and their friend Kyle (Will Attenborough) that she asks her bodyguard Brandon (Colm Meaney) to join them. Hank (James Caroll Jordan) and Mardy (Phyllis Logan) are heading to a tropical timeshare with their granddaughter Rosa (Grace Nettle) in tow. And finally, Danilo (Manuel Pacific) is the flight attendant lucky enough to be assigned the rear of the plane. To be sure, whether due to performances or writing, none of them manage to truly endear themselves to viewers. The plus side, though, is that none of them will immediately have you wishing they’d become shark food either.

It’s a basic bunch, but once they’re established, director Claudio Fäh and writer Andy Mayson shift their focus towards keeping No Way Up moving even after the plane has come to a stop. The best disaster/survival thrillers know that the “big” challenge works best when preceded by a series of smaller, equally dangerous threats. The ultimate goal for these characters is to reach the surface and safety, but new prompts arrive on a steadily increasing schedule. The water is rising inside the plane, and oxygen is limited. The plane itself is on an underwater ledge and occasionally shifting closer to the edge. Injuries complicate options for some of the survivors. And finally, sharks have begun swimming through the hole and feasting on the dead. It’s not long before the predators set their sights on the living too.

The sharks themselves are visible enough without ever being so in your face that you can see the pixels, and they appear to be a mix of both the practical and the digital (albeit more of the latter than the former). They’re effective even as Fäh uses them a bit too often for jump scares with loud stingers, and they serve as fun exclamation marks on the film’s various suspense scenes. Mayson’s script does a good job keeping those sequences coming, and it’s not always clear which characters, if any, will live to breath fresh air again.

Budget prevents things from ever feeling big or grand, but cinematographer Andrew Rodger makes the most of the plane’s claustrophobic interior. We can feel the oxygen growing stale, sense the fear overcoming the rational, and the rising water continues to leave more room for uninvited guests. It’s a ticking clock thriller, of sorts, with hungry sharks representing the minute hand, and even if it never soars it moves pretty slickly through the water.

Look, No Way Up is a low budget, direct-to-video disaster thriller, so if you “need” studio budgets and precision in order to buy in this isn’t the plane ride for you. Slow your beans, though, and settle in for an entertaining B-movie about a group of people facing a deadly but ridiculous predicament, and you won’t be disappointed.

Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he’s so damn young. He’s our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists ‘Broadcast News’ as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.



Tags: biteDisastermovieservesThrills
ShareTweetShareShare
Previous Post

Transcript: Bill Dudley, NY Fed Chief

Next Post

More Black women are becoming homeowners — it doesn’t mean it’s easier

Related Posts

Inside a Trump Household Venture in Vietnam

Inside a Trump Household Venture in Vietnam

by Index Investing News
May 25, 2025
0

new video loaded: Inside a Trump Household Venture in VietnamLatest episodes in Newest VideoWhether or not it’s reporting on conflicts...

Naomi Teases Main SmackDown Showdown With Cryptic Warning

Naomi Teases Main SmackDown Showdown With Cryptic Warning

by Index Investing News
May 25, 2025
0

X/@TheTrinity_Fatu Trinity, having been named Naomi earlier than her exit from WWE, continues to make waves with a cryptic tweet...

Cannes 2025: Spectacular Thriller ‘The Plague’ from Charlie Polinger

Cannes 2025: Spectacular Thriller ‘The Plague’ from Charlie Polinger

by Index Investing News
May 25, 2025
0

Cannes 2025: Spectacular Thriller 'The Plague' from Charlie Polinger by Alex Billington Might 24, 2025 A contemporary new debut from...

Barry Keoghan Opens Up About Drug Habit Battle

Barry Keoghan Opens Up About Drug Habit Battle

by Index Investing News
May 25, 2025
0

"I am not in denial anymore," admitted the actor, who detailed how his "curiosity" after his household's historical past of...

‘Lilo & Sew’ Director Explains Why One Character Is not In Remake

‘Lilo & Sew’ Director Explains Why One Character Is not In Remake

by Index Investing News
May 24, 2025
0

With Lilo & Sew‘s journey to live-action, a minimum of one character didn’t return from the unique 2002 Disney animated...

Next Post
More Black women are becoming homeowners — it doesn’t mean it’s easier

More Black women are becoming homeowners — it doesn’t mean it's easier

At War’s Two-Year Mark, Ukraine Needs a “Plot Twist”

At War’s Two-Year Mark, Ukraine Needs a “Plot Twist”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECOMMENDED

Will Tel Aviv light rail start operating in November?

Will Tel Aviv light rail start operating in November?

August 28, 2022
TRX/USD Spikes to Cross Above alt=

TRX/USD Spikes to Cross Above $0.095 Resistance

July 23, 2023
Courageous New World at D23 Brazil

Courageous New World at D23 Brazil

November 10, 2024
Chinese small-cap stocks surge in meme-like rally By Reuters

Chinese small-cap stocks surge in meme-like rally By Reuters

April 28, 2023
China indicators no massive stimulus is coming, whereas Covid controls stay

China indicators no massive stimulus is coming, whereas Covid controls stay

July 29, 2022
Franklin County Republicans apparently must toe the line — or else

Franklin County Republicans apparently must toe the line — or else

November 2, 2022
Federal Reserve ought to minimize US rates of interest ‘step by step’, says prime official

Federal Reserve ought to minimize US rates of interest ‘step by step’, says prime official

September 28, 2024
Iran vows revenge for ‘terrorist act’ after bomb blasts kill nearly 100

Iran vows revenge for ‘terrorist act’ after bomb blasts kill nearly 100

January 4, 2024
Index Investing News

Get the latest news and follow the coverage of Investing, World News, Stocks, Market Analysis, Business & Financial News, and more from the top trusted sources.

  • 1717575246.7
  • Browse the latest news about investing and more
  • Contact us
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • DMCA
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • xtw18387b488

Copyright © 2022 - Index Investing News.
Index Investing News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion

Copyright © 2022 - Index Investing News.
Index Investing News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In