Caught Inside

Emerging Visions
D: Adam Blaiklock; with Ben Oxenbould, Daisy Betts, Sam Lyndon

The rules of the sea are almost superstition. So when the captain of the yacht The Hedonist tells his vacationing Australian passengers that his sole law is “Don’t be that dick head,” something fearful will follow its breach. When self-indulgent surfer Bull (Oxenbould) and nice-guy Rob (Lyndon) jealously compete over emotionally volatile Sam (Betts), that rule is bound to be broken, and with bloody consequences. Mention Aussies lost at sea, and the compass points to Dead Calm, and Blaiklock adds the quasi-documentary style of Open Water as an undercurrent. A small boat, a big ocean, and some bad intentions are all you need for horror, but Caught Inside exceeds its ship-in-a-bottle paradigm. The atolls of the Maldives look gorgeous and dangerous, and the surf footage is shot with a documentarian’s eye for wild places. Yet the true force of nature is Oxenbould’s brilliant turn as Bull, by turns preening, sympathetic, and brutal.

Friday, March 18, 11am, State Theatre

This article appears in March 18 • 2011.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.