The Pool is a Thai survival thriller released in 2018 that was written and directed by Ping Lumpraploeng. Theeradej Wongpat and Ratnamon Ratchiratham star in this film. The Pool is a combination of bold absurdism and grit. The film takes relentless deep dives into the themes of desperation and emotional endurance.
Plot Summary
The film follows a character named Day, who is a film set decorator, and is finishing up the work of an old six meter deep diving pool that is used for a film shoot. To wrap up the work, Day needs the inflatable raft to a portion of the pool that has less water. Day desiring to take a short nap drifts off into a slumber. To his dismay when he wakes up, the water has discharged too much water for him to escape.
While Day is trying to escape the water, his dog by the name of Lucky accidentally stumbles too close to the pool and falls in. In the process of trying to save Lucky, Day accidentally injures himself, losing a fingernail in the process. The pool is being drained quickly and without a ladder, the chances of escape are nearly impossible. The tension and stakes continue to rise.Day’s fiancée Koi shows up at the pool. She does not realize how much the water has lowered due to the couple’s struggles, and in jumping in, hurts herself. She and Day are now stuck together. The situation goes from bad to worse once a crocodile that escaped from a nearby crocodile farm tumble into the pool. What started out just from a mere accident has now turned into a multi-day struggle to not go primal and survive that slowly creeps out the rest of the couple’s instincts over the course of days.
With water, food and now insulin along with various other supplies dwindling, staying locked together with a crocodile becomes the least of their problems as their life slowly turns into a nightmare with everyday sounding simple tasks turning into injuries and struggles. The stress of dire circumstances along with Koi’s soon to be revealed reality in a few minutes comes in the form of a pregnancy turns the nightmare better. Day becomes emotionally vulnerable and in admitting to himself that he does not want to be a father reveals a side of himself that he has never shown.
Sustenance is fueled by crocodile eggs that the couple goes on to discover and turns fuel to their burning crocodile desire to hunt. Escape during a ill fated attempt at traveling through the drain tunnel with the last all failed surreal hopes results in locked away cages inside, no escape in sight. After each attempt at leaving the water and doing the impossible bit more slowly cuts away to a sense of normalcy with each failed your goal plan that leaves more of them emaciated and starving.
The new dangers that lie ahead become increasingly difficult as rising waters trap Koi in the drainage tunnel, while a torrential rainstorm floods the pool. Day, in a desperate attempt, calls out for help. Unfortnately, help in the form of two strangers arrives, but ends up leaving before realizing the extent of the problem. Slipping further away remains hope.
Tragic Sacrifice and Final Push
In his last attempt of reaching them, Lucky the dog attempts to help, but ends up tragically strangling to his own leash. This loss devastates Day, yet also spurs his final burst of determination. He’s able to use the leash to gain a new angle toward the crocodile and in a violent confrontation, Day kills the beast with a sharp metal rod.
Days emotional journey may still be unresolved, but physical turmoil is no longer a concern. Day breaks open the tunnel grate, rescues Koi from the risk of drowning and emerges exhausted, collapses beside Koi who is injured. Together, they no longer have to deal with the ordeal they have been through.
Cast and Performances
Theeradej Wongpuapan as Day brings forward a performance layered with frustration, fear, and reluctant courage. His portrayal is of a sympathetic man pushed to the edge is believable.
Ratnamon Ratchiratham as Koi balances vulnerability with strength, expanding to roles that would be considered limited to a damsel in distress.
The supporting characters in the film are not as significant. Nevertheless, the film’s closeness remains on the locked couple and their unfortunate dog.
Creative Team & Production
Ping Lumpraploeng, the Director, utilizes the film’s only location to its full potential. The location’s confinement serves as a visual challenge and a dramatic advantage. It enables the characters to solve the dramatic tension in the film through clever staging and pacing.
Cinematographer Prayuk Srithongkul ensures the viewers are not visually bored through multiple angle shots of the pool. In addition to the couple’s dwindling options, the lighting also shifts throughout the day. The lighting starts with bright, oppressive daylight and then ominous shadows of night fills the space reinforcing the couple’s dwindling options.
Chapavich Temnitikul the composer, supports the visuals with a score that fits the unpredictable elements of the film. The score incorporates silence and sudden sharp urgency. This complements the unpredictability of the crocodile and the unfolding survival stakes.
Key Themes & Emotional Heart
The Pool falls into the survival-thriller genre. But it also serves as a character study. The physical cage reflects the emotional cage Day is trapped in, which involves grappling with fatherhood, mending his relationship with Koi, and facing his internal self-doubt. The crocodile is a physical menace, but the deeper conflict is whether Day has the capability to protect someone when his own fears is the very thing threatening to stunt movement.
The key themes are:
Isolation – There is a layer of mental strain that deeply increases as the subject becomes physically trapped.
Resourcefulness – Adapting to new challenges is a necessity, and in this case it is life or death.
Sacrifice – The price of enduring sees Lucky’s fate and Day’s own injuries.
Transformation – Day shifts from a partner who is reluctant to step up into a protector who is determined.
Reception & Legacy
Reviews and audiences were favorable for The Pool, which is distinctly absurd. What people found odd, however, is that a man is the main character, and he is stuck in a pool with a crocodile. people Interesting, given the praise it drew for maintaining high levels of tension in the film. Though some were unhappy with the visual of the crocodile as it was made with CGI, a majority of viewers and critics highlighted the narrative components made up for the visual shortcomings. The stakes were high, emotionally and physically, which were gripping and supported with strong performances.
Festival audiences especially enjoyed the film, labeling it as thrilling and entertaining. Its bare bones setting and scarce resources put it in the category of, “bottle” or survival stories where a single location heightens the action.
Conclusion
The Pool transforms an unbelievable situation into a captivating, tense storyline by tying it to human fear, their will to survive, and broken resilience. The characters suffer for over seven days as they endure the heat, injuries, thirst, and a relentless predator. Yet the film’s most striking impression isn’t solely about escaping a physical trap, but the emotional voyage of a man learning to embrace the will to protect what he cherishes the most.
The Pool’s blend of physical jeopardy and emotional fragility demonstrates that a simple setting can yield the greatest tension. The film is proof that even the most severe self imposed boundaries can enhance a story to the point that the intensity will leave audiences gripping their seats long after the ending credits are rolling.
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