PLOT: When their boat is sunk whereas crossing the Timor Sea throughout World Battle II, a younger troop of Australian troopers should discover a option to survive the tough seas on a rapidly shrinking life raft. A whole lot of miles from wherever, they have to confront interpersonal conflicts, enemy assaults, and the advances of 1 very massive, very hungry nice white shark.
REVIEW: It’s unlucky that so many shark motion pictures have simply been relegated to being crammed with low cost CGI leap scares. The Jaws fiftieth Anniversary launch was a reminder of what’s really attainable whenever you care concerning the product. And I hope that Beast of Battle is an indicator of the form of shark movie that we will count on going ahead; the place the creature is solely a device for storytelling. That’s to not say that the Nice White featured isn’t the primary occasion, because it’s completely the grand spectacle of the film. However there’s a lot extra to the movie and the story than that.
The primary act is just not your typical shark film, because it largely introduces us to the Australian troopers we’ll be spending our time with. There’s clearly some battle happening between them earlier than their boat will get blown up, however they largely band collectively to try to survive this harrowing state of affairs. We really don’t get our first actual look from the Nice White till the 33-minute mark. It permits us to stew within the pressure of the primary look. However simply because it’s launched, it doesn’t imply the stress dissipates in any manner. These guys are nonetheless on a raft in the midst of the ocean with a hungry shark after them. There’s at all times the query of when the shark goes to strike and the place it really is.
The particular FX are extraordinarily spectacular, with the filmmakers going the sensible route for the shark. It actually helps the shark really really feel like part of the world versus one thing that the actors are merely reacting to. There are some summary photographs of the shark within the water which are true nightmare gas. That doesn’t imply it’s utterly void of CGI, as there’s nonetheless some used, particularly for a number of the photographs of it swimming underwater. However as a rule, it’s sensible and completely terrifying. There’s one second specifically, when one of many troopers is within the water and simply barely will get away from the shark, but it’s not even acknowledged exterior of a short look beneath the floor.
That’s to not say that there isn’t utilization of CGI, however it’s largely to construct the world round them. Whether or not it’s an upward shot, trying on the raft from underwater, or the fog protecting their environment, it’s all dealt with with such technical precision. The performances from all of the troopers are nice and make it simple to really feel for them on this horrible state of affairs. There have been a number of deaths that felt a bit like “we need to get a body count going,” however fortunately, it by no means takes the mystique of the shark away. Author/Director Kiah Roache-Turner is aware of precisely when to deliver the creature again, and when to provide us a breather.
I actually loved Beast of Battle and the way visually beautiful it was. That is simply the best-looking shark film we’ve gotten in a while, and a lot of that has to do with the sensible nature of the shark. There have been some plot developments that I didn’t love, as I felt the shark and the survival of being stranded have been greater than sufficient for drama. However I used to be utterly invested within the story of those misfit troopers. Right here’s hoping different filmmakers take observe when making a shark film: CGI isn’t at all times the reply.
Beast of Battle is In Theaters and On Digital on October tenth, 2025.
