'Thrash' Review
- Connor Petrey
- Apr 13
- 2 min read
Release Date: 04/10/26 [Netflix]
Genre: Horror. Thriller.
MPAA: Rated R.
Distributor: Netflix.
The Verdict: A Maybe
A disaster movie with value behind its existence is difficult to come by these days and a shark movie with an original concept is just as rare, but mixing the two and getting a mighty solid affair elevates both sides of the coin. What makes this film something worth watching is the intensive work that went behind the scenes to make this feel like a natural disaster. Practical effects were a major part of the production when they could be utilized and it shows.
While the narrative may not bring anything special, especially with a lack of compelling characterization — it doesn’t necessarily matter because a true fan of these genres would be all in on the carnage. In truth, even with the minimal care that went into the characters beyond one having unexplored panic attacks related to her mother’s death and another fearing for the survival of her unborn child, the performances of Whitney Peak and Phoebe Dynevor are perfectly adequate considering the material. The issue lies in that the film doesn’t remain focused on just these two and yields part of the runtime to a trio of children that are suffering from a foster family extorting the system for profit and despising the kids — this story has legs, but it struggles to find a deeper emotional depth than the basic reveals due to constantly going back and forth between survivors. Crunching in these characters, along with the obvious shark victims, and a rescue crew, this 86-minute film mismanages its time.
While the sharks have their fair share of time in the spotlight, they spend just as much time fully submerged and hidden from view, adding more tension to the hurricane situation at hand. If you ever had the opportunity before they got rid of the Twister ride at Universal Studios, this plays similarly to that, where you can feel all the conduits working together in a fantastical and wonderful fashion to make everything feel all the more real within presumably a sound stage environment.
From the director of Violent Night and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Thrash is unlike the filmmaker’s other films, but it still supplies just as much chaos within. While it’s a feast for the eyes as we watch the disaster take over this little beach side town and then watch as sharks swarm the survivors, the lack of a cohesive flow to the story makes this an experience lacking an urgency to the tension and, without it, it makes a lot of the film feel mechanical and lacking any emotional consequences. At one point, the film is somewhat grounded with its reveal of a storm coming inbound and even the oncoming sharks that overflow into the town, but as time goes on, things start getting less and less grounded. It’s short, so even with the major faults within, this is an entertaining and captivating disaster movie that happens to have sharks… and the third act truly goes insane.
