#sharksploitation

Chum is a 2026 American horror thriller film directed by Jonathan Zuck.

The complete main cast list includes: Alice Eve as Tina, Eric Michael Cole as Tom, Elle Haymond as Sadie, Sarah Siadat as Rachinda, Johnny Gaffney as Rick, Lisa Yaro as Britney, Jim Klock as Roy

Chum is an okay shark movie with some jumpscares, some plot twists and lot of red. Special effects are very realistic - I couldn't tell if it was good cgi or pratical. The subplots were interesting and the characters' motivations add just enough spice to keep the audience engaged. It's a bit too obvious to predict who the final girl is going to be from the diverse cast.

Overall it's good entertainment for all afi(n)cionados of horror and gore.

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‘The fight to survive is on’ The Last Breath is a 2024 horror thriller about scuba divers trapped in a WWII shipwreck by Great White sharks. Directed by Joachim Hedén (Breaking Surface) from a screenplay written by Nick Saltrese (Shark Bait; Prayer Before Dawn) based on a story by co-producer Andrew Prendergast (The Courier; An American Exorcism; Parasite 2004; Evil Elvis). Also produced by Chris…

It’s Shark Summer! (Shark Week is so ’90s) This year we have the usual swarm of scary shark movies including The MEG 2, The Black Demon, Cocaine Shark, and even Tommy “The Room” Wiseau is taking a dip with Big Shark, set in the Big Easy.

Perhaps the best of these films is the fintastic Shudder-exclusive documentary, Sharksploitation. Director Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune) tackles an array of shark flicks but of course, the whole genre is anchored by Jaws. Jaws, soon to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, remains the big kahuna—but it’s far from the first frightful fish tale. B-Movie King Roger Corman was making shlocky sea-fearing flicks, as were others.

However, Jaws was the first to make a splash as a big-budget blockbuster; many things set it apart from the rest and Sharksploitation calls in a wide array of experts to talk about that movie specifically, and the genre it spawned. There’s a vast pool of pundits including film historians, screenwriters, directors, folklorists, scientists, and marine biologists, each bringing their own intellect and perspective to the table. (These include:  Jaws screenwriter Carl Gottlieb; filmmaker Roger Corman; Sharknado impresario Anthony C. Ferrante; and Zombie Shark director Misty Talley.)

There is an impressive insight into the genre, which covers early films that depicted sharks as benevolent and fabled gods, spinoff genres such as alligator, piranha, and killer whales, as well as sharks in animated and superhero features. Films covered include The Reef, Open Water, The Shallows, The MEG, and there’s even a brief clip of Lucio Fulci’s famous “zombie vs. shark” fight scene from Zombie. Sharksploitation also takes a brief dive into the James Bond films, wherein more than a few villains sicced their sharks on 007.

There’s also a necessary but sad look at how vilified sharks have become following the success of Jaws—thousands of these beautiful creatures have been hunted down and killed for no reason other than unfounded fear, and our ecosystem has been upset. As a result, the author of the novel Jaws, Peter Benchley, devoted much of his life to conservation and education—his widow, Wendy Benchley, makes a welcome appearance in this documentary with her interesting discernments on fact and fiction. There are also a few scenes of sharks being killed during the filming of certain movies—briefly, and not gorily, but be warned.

Sharksploitation is an educational, entertaining, and enlightening documentary that’s perfect for all kinds of movie fans—not just horror aficionados.

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