12 Feet Deep

12 Feet Deep

Year: 2017

Runtime: 85 mins

Language: English

Director: Matt Eskandari

Thriller

Trapped beneath the fiberglass cover of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, two sisters face a terrifying ordeal. Surrounded by 100,000 gallons of water, they must find a way to survive the frigid night and overcome their differences to escape their watery prison. The vastness of their confinement offers no easy way out, and their resilience will be tested to the extreme.

12 Feet Deep (2017) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at 12 Feet Deep (2017) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In the quiet aftermath of a bustling day, an Olympic‑sized aquatic center transforms into a cavern of glass and water. When the massive fiberglass cover slides shut for the night, the vast, echoing pool becomes an unexpected prison, its chilly depths reflecting only the thin sliver of light that filters in. The setting is both sleek and oppressive, a modern facility turned into a stark arena where the ordinary comforts of a public space give way to a palpable sense of isolation and urgency.

Bree arrives at the center carrying the hopes of an upcoming marriage and the hidden weight of a chronic health condition, while her younger sister Jonna has just celebrated three months of sobriety after a turbulent past. Their bond, forged through years of shared hardship, is tested by the stark contrast between Bree’s careful planning and Jonna’s raw, instinctive resilience. The sisters’ divergent personalities create a dynamic tension that is both tender and charged, hinting at deeper secrets and unspoken histories that have kept them close despite frequent clashes.

The film’s tone hovers between claustrophobic suspense and intimate drama. The relentless hum of the pool’s filtration system and the omnipresent chill of the water amplify the feeling that every breath is a decision. As the night deepens, the sisters must confront not only the physical constraints of their watery enclosure but also the emotional currents that have long guided their relationship. Their resolve is forged in a silent, desperate fight against time, temperature, and the fear of being forgotten beneath the endless blue.

Against this backdrop of stark lighting and echoing emptiness, the story promises a tense, atmospheric journey. It invites viewers to wonder how far two people will go to protect each other when the world outside seems to have vanished, and whether the darkness beneath the surface can reveal a glimmer of unexpected strength.

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 16:53

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Trapped survival thrillers like 12 Feet Deep

Characters pushed to their absolute limits while trapped in a deadly environment.If the claustrophobic fight for survival in 12 Feet Deep had you on the edge of your seat, explore more movies like it. This thread gathers thrillers where characters are physically confined in deadly situations, forcing extreme ingenuity and resilience to escape.

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Narrative Summary

These stories typically begin with a sudden, violent shift from normalcy into a life-threatening trap. The plot unfolds in real-time or near real-time, with escalating environmental dangers and a ticking clock. The narrative structure is a linear battle against overwhelming odds, where escape is the singular, clear goal.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared high-intensity, tense tone and the central premise of physical confinement as the primary antagonist. They deliver a gripping, anxious viewing experience defined by raw survival instincts and the stripping away of safety.

Movies where trauma bonds characters like in 12 Feet Deep

Healing old wounds and finding solidarity in the face of a new, extreme crisis.If you appreciated how 12 Feet Deep used a survival scenario to heal a broken sibling relationship, you'll find similar movies here. These stories focus on characters overcoming a dark shared history through a new, intense shared experience, leading to emotional catharsis.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a dual-track conflict: the immediate physical danger and the long-buried emotional one. The external threat strips away pretense, forcing secrets and resentments to the surface. The climax often involves conquering both the external threat and the internal 'monster' of the past, resulting in a bittersweet victory that is more about emotional survival than a purely happy ending.

Why These Movies?

These films are unified by their heavy emotional weight and the specific character arc of finding redemption and connection through extreme duress. They blend high-tension plots with deeply emotional, relationship-driven cores, offering a cathartic release.

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12 Feet Deep Summary

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12 Feet Deep Summary

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12 Feet Deep Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in 12 Feet Deep

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Characters, Settings & Themes in 12 Feet Deep

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