WARNING: This post contains very heavy spoilers for "The Shallows." If you plan on watching the film without having the plot ruined, you should close this tab.
Last Friday, Blake Lively's shark thriller "The Shallows" hit theaters, which means we got answers to all those questions we had after watching the various clips and trailers. To be honest, we weren't expecting much from the shark flick, which a fellow Huffington Post editor dubbed "torture porn and travel porn," but we were pleasantly surprised. "The Shallows" won't be winning an Oscar, but it's a fun summer movie that keeps its audience in suspense.
If you're someone who doesn't care to watch Blake Lively (who plays a medical student named Nancy) fight a shark, but still want to know what goes down, this post is for you.
Before we begin, please watch the trailer to refresh your memory.
1. Who is that little boy playing soccer?
The little boy seems to be the son of the man who drove Nancy to the island. He ultimately saves her life in the end.
2. Will he be safe?
Yes!
3. Where did Blake get that apple?
Still not sure.
4. And how is it so crunchy, after what was probably a major trek to get to this island?
Also, not sure.
5. Isn't it against the rules to bring fruit on planes to different countries?
It seems like you can bring fresh fruit from the United States into Mexico (if that's where she got the apple), "according to their origin and manufacturing process and [if] they have fulfilled the importation requirements."
6. How does she have Wi-Fi/cell service on such a remote island?
As some people pointed out to us on Twitter, Lively could very well have a satellite phone. But we're still skeptical. She had better service than we sometimes have in New York City.
7. Do people actually live on this island?
That's unclear -- people definitely visit the island, so they may live there or travel from other places.
8. Where is she staying?
Lively was staying in some sort of hotel or rental house. This aspect was also unclear.
9. Did she just get off the plane and land on this island?
No. Lively was dropped off on the island by a nice local man.
10. Why does the shark only bite her but swallow the other guys?
We can't read a shark's mind, but our guess is the great white was super hungry after getting a taste of Lively's leg. Just a hunch.
11. How did those other guys not see the shark coming if they're in such shallow water?
Beats us. They also didn't listen to Lively when she warned them about the shark.
12. What is the chance there is actually a working gun in that buoy?
As it turns out, the gun, which was actually a flare gun, didn't work perfectly. The first shot was a total dud. But it did come in handy eventually.
13. How did she know there’d even be a gun there?
She didn't, but she sure got lucky.
14. Do all buoys in the movie have weapons in them?
Since a flare gun isn't really a weapon, the answer here is probably no. Though it does seem likely that the type of pillar Nancy clings to -- a pillar buoy -- would have some sort of emergency kit strapped to it.
15. Is the seagull her Wilson?
Most definitely. The seagull, dubbed Steven Seagull, becomes the Wilson to Nancy's Chuck Noland. Oh, and he also steals the entire show.
16. Where did she get the knife?
It wasn't actually a knife. It was a shark tooth that was stuck in the dead surfer's helmet. Pay attention!
17. Why is her sleeve ripped off at one point but attached at another?
That was just due to editing in the trailer. Nancy takes the sleeve off her rash guard to use as a compression bandage for her leg (resourceful!). It doesn't end up back on her arm.
18. Did she use her sleeve as a tourniquet?
No, she used her surfboard ankle strap as a tourniquet. As mentioned, she used her sleeve as a compression bandage.
19. How did she rip her sleeve so perfectly?
She literally ripped out the seams until she could tear it with her mouth. Impressive in such a distressing situation.
20. How much of this movie actually takes place on this rock?
Most of it! Probably about 80 percent. The rest takes place either on the buoy, in an a SUV or on the beach.
21. How did she retrieve that guy's helmet?
She used all her willpower to reach out and grab it in the water when it floated by.
22. How long could she realistically go without medical help?
Well, judging by that giant gash on her leg, she'd probably have to go to a doctor right away. Lucky for her, she's a medical student!
We also checked out a couple of her injuries on WebMD (aka the most reliable medical advice site on the web, duh) and let's just say, things didn't look so good. For a severe jellyfish sting (covers half the arm), the site says a person should be hospitalized for a few days. Also, if it was a box jellyfish, her fate could have been death. Nancy knew enough to notice that gangrene (a condition caused by blood loss that occurs when body tissue dies) had set in on her giant leg gash, and WebMD says all types of the condition require immediate medical attention. Plus, if an infection from gangrene gets into the blood, one can go into septic shock, which could be life-threatening.
23. How much time passes in this movie?
Nancy spends about two days stranded at sea, then the film flashes forward one year.
24. Do you think she actually kills the shark with that gun?
We guess you'll have to watch the movie to find out!
"The Shallows" is in theaters now.
Before You Go
