Rating: B-
Dir: Cody Clarke
Star: Francesca DiPaola and various New Yorkers
This shark fest could not be complete without something from Clarke, who is the unquestionable master of the surreal, non-shark film, with entries such as No Shark. Like the Fast Shark quadrilogy, this was made as part of Joel Haver’s challenge, to shoot a feature-length film during the 3-4 hours of that year’s Oscars. At forty-nine minutes, this does technically qualify as a feature by Academy standards, and is basically a series of vox populi interviews carried out on the New York transit system regarding the titular urban legend. Like many such things, there’s a grain of truth here, with a 2013 incident in which a dead shark turned up in a train carriage.
Here, TV presenter Sarah McFieldston (DiPaola) spins an alternative version of the tale in which the found fish escaped its humiliating fate, slithering out of the carriage and into the water on the tracks. It has survived in the system ever since, getting fat on a mix of trash, rats, and the occasional passenger who carelessly strayed too close to the edge of the platform. She quizzes users of the subway system about their knowledge of the situation, their level of concern regarding the threat, what should be done about it, and any personal experiences they may have had with the shark. However, it turns out one of the people to whom Sarah talks, has some shocking information which will upend her entire belief system regarding the phenomena.
The end caption suggests that, outside of DiPaola and the camera operators (Clarke and long-time collaborator, Chloe Pelletier), everyone else involved were random citizens. While that may be true for some, I strongly suspect some were ringers. Though I suppose it’s possible you could randomly bump into someone on the New York subway, who just happens to have a IMDb profile. Complete with head-shot. And a history which includes a role in No Shark. Hmm, yeah: I have doubts. But there are others who appear more natural, answering Sarah’s questions with apparent sincerity. The responses are often deliciously Noo Yawkish. When told the shark “has captured and possibly, allegedly, killed millions of New Yorkers,” one person answers, “Is it also eating the rats? In which case, maybe it’s okay.”
This is a trifling idea, and the brief running time is likely a wise decision, even after the twist which upends everything you thought you knew. However, it’s still an interesting exercise in urban folklore, and how half-remembered events can become the seed from which legends arise. As well as how journalists can coax people to say dumb things in support of an existing agenda. Which is not really a topic I expected to be considering during this. It definitely counts as a better use of your time during the Academy Awards ceremony, than watching the Academy Awards ceremony.
The film is available on Clarke’s YouTube channel. This review is part of our feature, Shark Week 2026: Gill-ty as charged.