‘Panic feeds on fear’
The Bay is a 2012 American sci-fi found footage eco-horror thriller film about the chaos that breaks out after an ecological disaster occurs.
Directed by Barry Levinson (Sphere; Sleepers; Rain Man; Good Morning, Vietnam; Tin Men; Young Sherlock Holmes; Diner) from a screenplay co-written with associate producer Michael Wallach.
Plot:
A seaside Chesapeake Bay town nestled on Maryland’s Eastern Shore thrives on water. When two French researchers find a staggering level of toxicity in the water, they attempt to alert the mayor, but he refuses to create a panic. As a result, a deadly plague is unleashed, turning the people into hosts for a deadly, mutant breed of the parasite Cymothoa exigua.
The town attempts to fight the parasite. This spins off into several stories. The most prominent being of a young news reporter and her cameraman, who are in town to report on the July 4th festivities.
The other stories include two police deputies, a young teenage couple who go swimming, a teenage girl who is using ‘facetime’ to contact a friend, a doctor who continues to contact the CDC and among others, a young married couple with a baby who is visiting family for the holidays…
Capsule review:
Director Barry Levinson blends the footage from various sources together smoothly – given the wide variety of camera quality, from security cameras to iPhones, the film doesn’t seem particularly visually jarring.
The performances also feel authentic, the sparsely used special effects – the skin blisters, the bugs beneath the skin – work well and there are a few genuinely shocking moments – if the scenes of isopods emerging from beneath the flesh don’t make your skin crawl, you’re obviously made of sterner stuff than most of us.
David Flint, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
“Punctuated by a dark sense of humor, a handful of strong performances from actors who have a tough job (all things considered), and an obvious but clearly angry message about the ways in which we’re poisoning our own planet, The Bay is “modern” in presentation, old-school in attitude, and rather well-crafted throughout.” FEAR.net
“The Bay is most certainly worth your time. It’s a film from an over-exposed and used sub-genre, with many horror tropes that have been used many times over by other horror films, but it’s tackled by a veteran director very well, and that makes all the difference between it and the countless other films.” CHUD.com
YouTube reviews:
Trailer:
“What is crawling on those people?” clip:
“The culprit” clip:
“Really hurt” clip:
“Please help me!” clip:
