Kiah Roache-Turner’s Beast of War is an intense battle for survival stranded in the Pacific with a ferocious Great White on the prowl. Utilizing the best of the environment to make for an always eerie atmosphere, covered in blaze and fog from the ongoing war, waiting for a looming attack from above or below. 

 

Unlike modern shark films that decide to take the easy way out and crank up the CGI shark to eleven, Roache-Turner has decided to pay homage to the G.O.A.T. This shark is all mechanical and it’s somehow worked like a charm, its giant presence can simultaneously send shivers down your spine and nostalgia bursting through your veins just like the first time witnessing Jaw’s Bruce on the big screen. 

 

The carnage is a lot of fun, the best part of any shark film is not knowing who (if any) will survive the onslaught. It’s also mutually beneficial when the potential survivors have a little bit of depth built into their characterization.

 

These men are soldiers, training to head out to war, where we witness some rivalries and comradery blossom within a limited amount of time at base camp, but enough to understand the dynamic of who to root for and who to have an eye on. After being deployed to sail overseas for the fight, an attack causes their ship to explode, leaving only a small number of the many alive but stranded on debris from the wreckage. 

 

Soon after the few join together on one float and consider the wounded, the Great White makes her appearance. Worrying about what’s below is one thing, but these men are stranded in the open where any Japanese planes could fly over and execute them at will. Nowhere is safe. 

 

The film was shot in a water tank on a soundstage and it looks fantastic. Truly at points in the film, I was so invested into thinking this was filmed on the actual Pacific because of how beautifully shot this entire film is. The sunrise and sunsets, the glow from the wreckage under the water - the film feels perfectly encapsulated during this period in the war. We’ve already spoken about the practical shark, but the effects surrounding it are terrific as well, with the gore and carnage truly packing a punch with each bite, grenade or stray bullet. 

 

There’s one shot in particular that is haunting to watch transpire and it has nothing to do with the shark, it’s watching these three injured men as they decide what to do when a Japanese lifeboat floats their way with a sword-wielding soldier on board. Beast of War is a terrific shark thriller, but it’s more than that, there are so many elements to these men’s survival and you can’t help but wonder if any will make it back to the homeland alive, or better yet in one piece.