The Reef

The Reef is a 2010 Australian survival horror film, written, directed and produced by Andrew Traucki in his second feature film (the first being Black Water). The film is about a group of friends who capsize while sailing to Indonesia and are stalked by a great white shark as they try to swim to a nearby island. A spiritual sequel titled The Reef: Stalked, also written, directed and produced by Traucki, was released in 2022, and similarly features a cast of characters trying to survive a great white shark stalking them. Plot Luke (Damian Walshe-Howling) is delivering a yacht to a customer in Indonesia, and invites his friend, Matt (Gyton Grantley), and Matt's girlfriend, Suzie (Adrienne Pickering), to join him as he sails there, along with Matt's sister, Kate (Zoe Naylor), and fellow sailor, Warren (Kieran Darcy-Smith). To get to Indonesia, they must sail through a coral reef. On the second day of their journey, the yacht strikes part of the reef and capsizes when the keel is destroyed, allowing water in. With the current taking them further away from land, Luke gathers supplies from the overturned vessel with the intention of swimming to nearby Turtle Island. With the group gathered on top of the overturned hull, Warren activates the yacht's EPIRB, but Luke informs him that it is an older model that requires a plane to fly overhead to receive the signal. When Luke suggests the others join him in swimming to the island, which he estimates to be twelve miles away, Warren refuses, as he believes the water is shark-infested. With encouragement, Suzie and Matt follow Luke into the water as he begins the journey. Kate also initially refuses, but changes her mind shortly after and comes with the group, leaving Warren alone on the overturned boat.