The Shallows' Set Is All Too Mysterious

There are some phobias I never thought I had until someone brought them to my attention and I realized, "oh, that's totally me." For instance, I don't live near particularly thrilling surfing waters. New York City is known for many things, but killer waves isn't one of them. With surfing virtually eliminated as a form of recreation for me, I never had to fear sharks, or the water. Well, it seems as if now I have every reason to have this fear, thanks to Blake Lively's new thriller, The Shallows. Luckily for me, however, The Shallows is not based on a true story. And even better for those terrified of encountering sharks on their vacations, the beach from The Shallows isn't a real place, either.

For awhile, I did wonder if there was some truth behind the mystical "paradise" where Lively's character, Nancy, flocks to surf. Unfortunately, it seems that there will be no paradise found for adventurists and thrill-seekers, at least not in that particular location. As it turns out, this mystical surfing destination off the coast of Mexico might be nothing more than fiction. There doesn't seem to be a lot of information with beaches in Mexico fitting the description of the "paradise" from the film. Then again, if it's secret, would there be any information available to the public at all? While there may indeed be a secret spot somewhere in Mexico that is perfect for surfing just like the one in the movie, it remains hidden.

OK, so if "paradise" isn't real, then where the heck did they film The Shallows? After some sleuthing on IMDB, I learned that most of the movie was shot in a giant pool inside a studio in Queensland, Australia. Yet there was also a magical, mystical island that, according to Lively in an interview on the Today Show, said had never featured filming before: Lord Howe Island. This place is located in New South Wales, Australia and it seems that it can honestly be described as paradise. It's no surprise, then, that the production team behind The Shallows chose it to be the place to film their shark thriller.

While it's a shame that the secret "paradise" of The Shallows doesn't seem to actually exist, maybe it's for the best. After all, this is a movie about a woman being attacked by a Great White Shark. Not exactly vacation material.

Images: Columbia Pictures; Giphy