This seems to be the decade of the shark. In recent years, we have even seen sharks in France (Under Paris) and on a plane (No Way Up). So, we shouldn’t be surprised that writer and director Kiah Roache-Turner has inserted them into a World War II movie called Beast of War. It shares a very niche intersection with USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage. On paper, it seems like a great idea to marry sharks and war. After all, shark fans and people who love war movies are two of the most dedicated fan bases. It also gives the characters the ability to truly be attacked from above and below. While this movie is silly and feels like something we would have seen repeatedly on TBS in the ’90s, there are also some cool things to note.
Beast of War follows a group of young Australian soldiers crossing the Timor Sea who find themselves under enemy fire. Their boat sinks, and a small band of survivors manages to make their way to a raft where they are forced to depend on each other for survival. As if the ongoing war, infighting, and being stranded in the middle of the ocean aren’t enough, a large great white shark would like to have them for dinner.
Also Read: ‘Black Phone 2’ Review: Supernatural Slasher Meets Christian After-School Special in Scott Derrickson’s Highly Anticipated Sequel [Fantastic Fest 2025]
One of the things working in Beast of War favors is that it never lets you forget that these guys are fresh out of boot camp. They are young and ill-equipped to deal with war in general, let alone this awful situation. The cast does what they can with these stock characters who feel snatched out of movies from a bygone era.
We have the racist Des (Sam Delich), who is self-serving and sadly not killed off soon enough. Des’ love of slurs was sadly more prominent than most of the interesting things this movie reached for. Then, we have Thompson (Sam Parsonson), who suffers a head wound. He somehow makes things worse for the other survivors every time they take their eyes off him. We even have characters like Will (Joel Nankervis), a literal kid not cut out for any of this. He still has a moral compass and believes in this unearned brotherhood.
However, Leo (Mark Coles Smith) is our lead with the tragic backstory. He has previous shark trauma, and we get a lot of beautifully lit flashbacks to constantly remind us of that fact. Smith churns out a performance worth noting and brings a level of likability and charm. Is he the one to bring up pay discrepancies due to racism? Yes, and we love to see it. Does his character begin making ridiculous decisions to get the hero edit in the last act? Yes. But he had us in the first half, coach. Smith is committed even in the goofiest moments, and we must salute the effort.
Also Read: ‘Dolly’ Review: ‘Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ For The Girlies With Mommy Issues [Fantastic Fest 2025]
Another reason Leo stands out is that many of us can relate to being the sole voice of reason. Oftentimes, the person being othered has to carry the team on their back. Leo does not have the privilege to fall apart due to the lack of survival skills. But this part of this story isn’t fleshed out nearly enough because Beast of War has to prioritize the shark battles.
Roache-Turner’s film has no shortage of guts and gore. Whether they are wearing bits of organs from a fallen comrade or holding pieces of their own stomach closed, the boys go through it. The splatter and the lighting keep the film from becoming a toothy twist on The Floor is Lava. These elements help break up the repetitive nature of a group of guys floating on a raft and having the same conversations a few times over. Whenever you are about to roll your eyes, someone gets eaten or blown up, and it makes you lean in again. Cinematographer Mark Wareham gives us some pretty pictures that hit me right in my recovering theatre kid heart. Dare I say, the shark of the hour was upstaged by the gorgeous lighting and buckets of practical guts being thrown around.
Also Read: ‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’ Review: Carnage and Chaos [Fantastic Fest 2025]
The shark is dangerous and mean in Beast of War. She mostly swims over when the soldiers inadvertently ring the dinner bell. It is not quite as petty as the shark in Jaws 2, and does not instill the same terror as the ones in Dangerous Animals. However, there is something to this shark using this raft as her personal charcuterie board. It adds another layer of tension and makes the open sea feel very claustrophobic. That’s one of the many admirable things about this silly movie. It’s also one of the reasons I can’t completely throw it away.
Beast of War is chaotic in the wrong ways, but boasts beautiful design elements. It also has a few performances that are unfortunately living in the dark belly of this beast. This ship will not go down as one of the greatest war or shark movies. However, it is surprisingly not unwatchable. No matter what, you at least get some sick practical effects to look at. That feels like a pretty sweet parting gift, all things considered.
https://ift.tt/oeB9AGH https://ift.tt/TH5a21s
No comments:
Post a Comment