In theaters June 24, 2016.

From Columbia Pictures: In the taut thriller, The Shallows, Nancy Adams (Blake Lively) is surfing on a secluded beach when she finds herself in the feeding ground of a great white shark. Though she is stranded only two hundred yards from shore, survival proves to be the ultimate test of wills, requiring all of Nancy’s ingenuity, resourcefulness, and fortitude. (Rated PG-13)

Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra

This transcript has been lightly edited:

The Referee: Hey, there, listeners! We have a “Sneak Peek” for you!

The Critic: Hey, listeners!

Both: Duh-nunt. Duh-nunt. Duh-nunt, duh-nunt, duh-nunt … (scream)

Ref: Yes, that’s the theme from “Jaws.” This is not what we’re reviewing, but, instead, we’re reviewing “The Shallows,” starring Blake Lively, that’s coming out this weekend. And, it is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, a Spaniard. And, it’s also written by Anthony Jaswinski. It’s basically … if you’re afraid of water, you’re really going to be afraid of water after seeing this (laughter) … or sharks, we should say. It was a very interesting experience, and we’d love to share our thoughts with you.

Critic: Yes, we do. Now, just so you know, I was sitting next to … a man who was in a crisis. (laughter) I thought that maybe he was in the water with Blake. (laughter) And, that, for me, made it really enjoyable, just to listen to him react. So, here’s what happens, everybody. Blake Lively plays a former medical student who has gone to find this beach area — this secluded beach area …

Ref: A sentimental beach area.

Critic: … yes … that was where her mother took these pictures. And, you know, she has them, because her mother is no longer with us. So, it’s like the Ref said: It’s this sentimentality coming in. But, again, this is a secret beach. People don’t even know the name or won’t share it — the locals won’t — with her. So, she gets there, and she gets on her surfboard and has some fun in the water. She meets two guys in the water. They have a good time surfing. So you get those shots, which were great. The water, I mean, really, Ref, I could almost smell the water. 

Ref: Yeah, going in and out of, between air and water was wonderful.

Critic: Yes. Now, along the way, those guys, they leave. She encounters … I think it was a whale, wasn’t it, Ref?

Ref: Yeah, it was definitely a wounded, dead whale.

Critic: Yes. And, the question is, everyone: Who or what killed that whale?

Ref: Yeah.

Critic: Well, she finds out. And, boy, oh, boy, it’s not good. So, the rest of the film is about her trying to survive and get back to shore. And, the title, “The Shallows,” references where she is. She’s not that far from the shore. She’s just far enough to be in danger.

Ref: Yup. And, the danger is the shark. There’s no secret about it. And, this is not your “Jaws.” They show the shark. And, I would say this: She’s probably encountered every, single bad thing that could ever happen …

Critic: (laughter)

Ref: in the shallows — everything that could ever happen.

Critic: Yeah, and she’s like a MacGyver at sea. I mean, she just uses everything that’s around her to try to stay (drop in voice) alive.

Ref: Right. So, let’s talk about our thoughts about the movie. … That was the gist of what happened. … You, first. (laughter)

Critic: Oh. Now, listeners, did you hear that punt? Did ya hear it? So, let’s break it down this way: Blake Lively — this is her film. OK? But, this is the kind of film that requires your body to act. That’s really what it’s about. It’s about reacting and all of that. What I would say is: The lines — I just didn’t need all of them. I didn’t need those lines. Like, seeing it …

Ref: We didn’t need 90 percent.

Critic: Right. Look, it would’ve been even better if it was just quiet. Take the music away. No lines. We hear the water. We see that shark. When the shark goes after something, we hear the sound of that. That would’ve been compelling. Now, I think, like we said, I liked the way it looked. I liked the way they shot it. It’s not too long, and that’s key. So, here’s what I will say: If you’re with a group of friends — I’m really thinking this is for a millennial audience. … You’re together. You just want to go have fun. You wanna laugh. You wanna scream. You wanna hold your face, like the guy next to me. Great, see this. However, if that’s not you, I don’t know that you need to go see this. I was thinking, Ref, of “Open Water,” which is a horror film in the water, when I was watching this. “Jaws,” of course, comes to mind. It’s not that. It’s not that scary. It’s, really, more of: Let’s get a group together, and just scream, and have fun, and laugh. Otherwise, you know …

Ref: Well, here are my thoughts: I agree with everything. The way it’s shot. The way, aesthetically, it looks. The water’s so clear. The daytime versus the nighttime scenes were wonderful …

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: … just the aesthetics of the rocks and the coral and things of that nature. Now, there are some digital effects: Obviously, with the shark, but also, there’s a particular scene, where they use a particular fish in the water — a school of them, we’ll say — that was digitally enhanced, that looked quite silly to be honest with you. But, everything else looked great. As far as Blake Lively’s performance, I think I was very much challenged with it — not because she’s a bad actress, but because she was given those very challenging lines. And, secondly …

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: … think about this: Think of the movie, “Cast Away” … 

Critic: I was trying to hold this, but go ahead. Go ahead.

Ref: … how Tom Hanks holds the entire film. There’s not very much music. There’s a lot of him reacting, a lot of him telling us a story with his eyes.

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: It’s just something that I think, in time, Blake Lively will be able to deliver, hopefully. But, for this particular movie, whether she was directed that way or whether she just made those choices herself, it was CHALLENGING to really grasp all of what she was thinking. Because, this particular character, remember this is an ex-medical student who is a survivor. I mean, she’s survived her mother’s death, takes care of her sister. She is a very on-her-feet, kind of, thinking woman. And, I wasn’t able to see that. It didn’t quite translate physically from Blake Lively. So, my verdict is: Uh … rent it. Rent it for fun, if you want to. I don’t think you need to see it on the big screen, necessarily. But, if you do, just be prepared for some unexpected laughter. (laughing)

Critic: Yes. That’s why, you know, get the group together. And, to end on this note, think of this movie, this way: It’s “Blake Lively Meets Her Soulmate,” and they try to survive. And, her soulmate is a seabird. 

Ref: OK. Thank you. And, that is (laughing) enough for tonight. (laughter) You can check out “The Shallows” this weekend. It opens in a theater probably very close to you.