Cave diving — that scuba variant in which divers explore long passages and water-filled voids without having a simple path upwards to safety — is so inherently frightening that even a schlocky film like 2011’s Sanctum or Juan Reina’s limited-resources doc Diving into the Unknown can get moviegoers biting their nails pretty easily; sharks are a simpler but equally sure-fire source of terror.
Combining the two is a no-brainer for Johannes Roberts and screenwriter Ernest Riera, who need to capitalize on the success of their minimalist aquatic thriller 47 Meters Down without doing something as unimaginative as just going further beneath the surface. (Reportedly, the filmmakers did toy with the idea of making 48 Meters Down.) In 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, the filmmakers set sightless great whites loose in an ancient underwater ruin, and despite having no connection in terms of character or setting to the first film, the results are very similar: The picture delivers enough easy scares to please crowds, while missing many opportunities to up the ante and tossing in moments likely to make discerning moviegoers groan.