The Bay

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The Bay

R

2012

1h 24m

Horror

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

75%

Tomatometer

88 Reviews

44%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

The residents of a seaside Maryland community become the unfortunate hosts of mutant, waterborne parasites that take control of their minds and bodies.

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Critics Consensus

Barry Levinson's eco-horror flick cleverly utilizes familiar found-footage methods in service of a gruesome yet atmospheric chiller.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Mar 24, 2022

2.5/4

This disgustingly suspenseful yarn got under my skin, and I kept shivering long after I left the theatre.

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David Gritten

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Mar 1, 2013

3/5

Gruesome but oddly riveting.

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

Mar 1, 2013

3/5

Seeking to merge the conventions of found-footage horror with targeted social commentary, the film does its job with some skill ...

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Brian Bisesi

Horror Movie Club Podcast

Jul 8, 2026

1.5/5

Awkward performances, unnatural dialogue, and a lack of narrative structure make for a baffling offering from the same director who brought us such classics as Rain Man. The gory effects are the film’s only highlight.

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Sharai Bohannon

A Nightmare On Fierce Street Podcast

Mar 8, 2026

3/5

You can practically smell this movie while it's reawakening pandemic anxiety you thought you had healed. 'The Bay' is not for the weak.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 22, 2023

2/5

Falls short of expectations both as a found-footage horror movie and as a creature feature.

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Robert P

@Superbad 4 days ago

This is a repeat of any older movie thus my 2.5 star Movie!

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Reggie S

@Beebers Sep 13, 2026

Really not impressive or scary. Good idea but not executed well. The dialogue was stilted and unnatural. I also thought it was boring. I watched it on Tubi so I couldn't fast forward through anything I was tired of wading through. A lot of sameness. The upside, the make-up effects were excellent but unfortunately that wasn't enough for me. Someone might like it, just not me.

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Jake G

@jgoretski Jul 19, 2026

It was ok I wouldn’t ever watch it again I’m a fan of movies that are filmed the way it is but this just didn’t work for me personally. I liked the idea of the movie just not how they filmed it and the acting was definitely a little corny.

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Derek C

@aquickone May 14, 2026

Well worth a watch low budget but in a good way.

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Shannon B.

@ShannonB May 13, 2026

Really gross but good found footage movie. Don’t watch if you plan on going swimming later!

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Jordan B.

@JordanIsNotBrown Apr 28, 2026

It’s really good. Very low budget and feels a bit outdated. But man does it make me never want to go into the ocean again.

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Synopsis

The residents of a seaside Maryland community become the unfortunate hosts of mutant, waterborne parasites that take control of their minds and bodies.

Director: Barry Levinson
Producer: Barry Levinson, Jason Blum, Steven Schneider, Oren Peli
Screenwriter: Michael Wallach
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Production Co: Haunted Movies, Automatik Entertainment
Rating: R (Disturbing Violent Content|Bloody Images|Language)
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 2, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 17, 2014
Runtime: 1h 24m

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