Rating: C-
Dir: Kiah Roache-Turner
Star: Mark Coles Smith, Joel Nankervis, Sam Delich, Maximillian Johnson
If I had a nickel for every period shark piece I’ve seen in the past month, made in Australia and set in the forties… I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. Yep, in the wake of Fear Below, where I ruminated on the lack of historical shark films, we find this. Roughly the same period, albeit in the Timor Sea rather than an outback river. This also claims to be based on a historical event. Probably the sinking of HMAS Armidale in 1942, where survivors did indeed take to a raft. In that, however, there were no survivors, the raft being lost. If nothing specifically indicates sharks were involved, it’s probably not a stretch.
The least realistic thing here, might be a group of Australian squaddies, shipwrecked and under siege from a large, hungry shark, never using the word “cunt” at any point. Does the director even Aussie? Might have been a bit too busy being right-on – the hero here being Leo (Smith), an Aborigine, who endures racial discrimination from some of his comrades. Because unsubtle social commentary is just what I want in my shark movies. It’s a shame, because Roache-Turner has done better work before, including Nekrotronic. It doesn’t help that the film was, very obviously, shot in a kiddie pool – no matter how much fog (and it’s a lot) the director pumps in, to try and cover up the fact.
While the combination is a little clunky, credit is due for trying to combine a war film with a shark movie. The conflict is not just a backdrop either. There is a fairly lengthy prologue, over half an hour, before any finned creatures show up. This sets out the lesson – indeed, it’s explicitly stated – that “On the battlefield, all you’ve got are your mates.” Naturally, Leo grasps this. Racist jerks like Des (Delich)? Not so much. Guess which one gets eaten. Speaking of which, this is definitely in the top tier for gore among shark movies. Though we reach peak splatter, not through any gnawing, but when an errant grenade goes off immediately under one of the survivors. No prizes for guessing the method of shark dispatch.
Probably the biggest weakness is the way the creature shows up only when dramatically necessary. You eventually realize, falling in the water is only a threat if you have previously been mean to Leo. The fact an air-raid siren gets attached to the shark is similarly contrived, and if spooky, never amounts to anything significant. Did like the heavy lean towards the practical side for effects: something more movies could use. Towards the end, a Japanese Zero fighter shows up, presenting another threat, presumably while the shark is on its lunch-break. If this paragraph feels bitty and lacks flow, that’s an accurate reflection of a movie which does the same thing. Better than having to drink your own urine though. Yeah, you get that too.