'The Shallows' trailer: Blake Lively versus killer shark equals edge-of-seat thrills

When it comes to “Man versus Predator” types of situations, it seems we simply cannot get enough. Especially if the predator in question happens to be a killer shark. A cursory Google search will present no fewer than 50 films (these include the three Jaws iterations) — all based on the premise of a shark looking for tasty human morsels. Speedboat chases, massive snapping jaws, hapless people falling overboard – these are just some of the tropes shark attack films have established as de rigueur for the genre.[caption id="attachment_2771962" align="alignleft" width="380"] Blake Lively in a still from The Shallows[/caption]So it is surprising indeed that the trailer of the new Blake Lively film The Shallows manages to hold our interest. The second trailer, released on 4 May by Sony Pictures has fleshed out more details from the plot that was unveiled in its first teaser-trailer.Lively stars as Nancy, who is taking a break from the rigours of city life to explore an isolated beach haven called “Paradise”. The island is green, the sand is white, the waters an azure shade of blue. And lurking somewhere in these waters is a creature that has strayed far from its playing ground in the deep.Lively’s Nancy — attacked by this shark — finds herself stranded atop a tiny atoll. The shore is not too far away, but with the shark cruising freely in the waters between her temporary refuge and land, Nancy must find a way to outwit the predator and make her way home.Shark movies have the inbuilt advantage of having such a compelling character at their chore — an unrivalled killing machine that you simply cannot afford to underestimate. The Deep Blue Sea further added to the villainy of the sharks by making them the subjects of a genetic experiments and giving them hyper-intelligent brains.The Shallows has a protagonist in Blake Lively who is as compelling – if not more so – than the shark. And from the look of the trailer, it’s got the nail-biting quotient down pat. Need we say more?Watch the new trailer for The Shallows here: