Dustin Ferguson, who has over 169 directorial credits, including Arachnado and Mega Ape, is behind the first-ever “Vertical Creature Feature,” titled Deep Water. And it is about to take a bite out of your screen.
The Premise: Birthday Drinks and Prehistoric Terrors
The story kicks off with a classic horror setup, but with a modern, “found footage” twist. Two couples head out for a sun-soaked birthday weekend on a luxury yacht, expecting nothing but champagne and ocean breezes. However, the party comes to a screeching halt when engine trouble leaves them dead in the water.
As the sun sets, they realize they aren’t just stranded; they’re being stalked. Deep beneath the hull, a prehistoric beast has surfaced, and it’s looking for its next course.
The entire film was shot in a vertical format over the course of a single, high-intensity day, capturing the survivors’ frantic, real-time panic through the lenses of their own devices.
A New Way to Watch Horror
By filming vertically, Ferguson leans into the “smartphone era” of found footage, making the narrow field of vision part of the terror. You only see what the characters see, creating a sense of dread for what might be lurking just off-screen.
Where and When to Catch It
Whether you’re a digital streamer or a physical media collector, you’ve got plenty of ways to dive in:
The film will make its world debut on The Monster Channel on Friday, January 30th, at 6:00 PM PST. However, if you want to own a piece of horror history, SoCal Cinema Studios is dropping a Limited Edition DVD and Blu-ray on February 1st. For those who prefer a wider release, Allied Vaughn will be bringing the DVD to retail shelves everywhere this March.
Why It’s a Must-Watch
Dustin Ferguson has built a reputation for delivering high-octane, imaginative genre films that don’t take themselves too seriously but always deliver on the “creature” front. DeWaterter looks to be a fun, experimental addition to the subgenre, proving you don’t need a massive studio budget to make a big splash.
