Comparable to the overlooked Australian horror film Bait, Netflix’s Thrash realizes that after a Category 5 hurricane hits, tsunamis are the least of your worries in a cinematic experience. Sharks (indeed, sharks) arrive with the tide in the latest offering from writer/director Tommy Wirkola (Violent Night, Dead Snow), delivering a genuine nail-biter.
With spine-chilling cinematography, increasingly submerged and deteriorating sets, perilous situations, and strong performances from Djimon Hounsou, Whitney Peak, and Phoebe Dynevor, Thrash secures its spot in the lengthy, notable legacy of shark survival films.
What is Thrash all about?
Disaster films related to climate change span various genres, and in Thrash (prominent production by Don’t Look Up’s Adam McKay), Wirkola embraces the extreme weather effects of a warming world without directly confronting it. Climate change doesn’t produce extreme weather; it amplifies the intensity, frequency, and duration of such events. And nothing’s quite as intense as witnessing a Category 5 hurricane wreak havoc on the town of Annieville, South Carolina, with ferocious winds, devastating floods, and sharks gliding down Main Street. (I’m not assessing the scientific validity of this film.)
In this film, we encounter several residents left stranded: Whitney Peak as Dakota, who turns off weather alerts to view videos of her recently deceased mother; Phoebe Dynevor as Lisa, an executive at a meatpacking plant who might give birth any instant now; and Stacy Clausen, Alyla Browne, and Dante Ubaldi as the Olsens, a trio of siblings whose crooked foster parents perceive the storm as “just a little bit of weather.” Meanwhile, Djimon Hounsou is on his way as oceanic researcher Dale, who has identified bull sharks arriving with the storm, seeking refuge in freshwater wetlands. He also happens to be Dakota’s uncle.
You will genuinely root for these individuals as they find themselves unexpectedly huddled on kitchen counters, balancing on rooftops, and nearing labor as the floodwaters surge. Crafting characters you don’t wish to see become shark bait in a narrative like this is no easy task, but Thrash’s ensemble accomplishes it with skill, despite Wirkola providing minimal background. Peak’s physicality is flawless, merging Ninja Warrior challenges with authentic anxiety, Hounsou’s commanding presence lends the film credibility, and as for Dynevor, well, such labor scenes are not an everyday occurrence. (And yes, I believe the soundtrack in Lisa’s segments is internet-ready, but I’m not displeased.)
Thrash is an intense barrage of visual effects and breathtaking cinematography.
Even though Thrash is a significant-budget Netflix feature, the nerve-wracking scenarios Wirkola presents are straightforward; often, it’s about navigating from point A to B through shark-infested waters. Similar to other contained shark horrors like The Reef, Open Water, The Shallows, and more recently Under Paris, Thrash propels its characters into survival predicaments where simply crossing a small body of water appears impossible. In this case, Wirkola steers clear of the supershark territory of The Meg or Deep Blue Sea, keeping his aquatic threats life-sized and emphasizing their genuinely frightening behaviors. Nonetheless, he adheres to certain shark movie conventions, such as characters being abruptly yanked underwater and utilizing shark vision camera perspectives.
Production designer David Ingram curates a progressively inundated and devastated town, presenting an impressive and lamentably realistic depiction of disaster — one that sets the stage for tense action sequences. Cinematographer Matthew Weston’s shots consistently evoke horror movie posters, from a teenager balancing over a kitchen entrance as a shark glides beneath to a rooftop SOS amidst circling sharks below. Each aerial shot manipulates shadow, scale, and tension to heighten the danger, before editor Martin Stoltz brings us back into the action. As for the action, Thrash unleashes all visual effects to sequences like the shocking storm surge, which obliterates the entire town of Annieville in mere moments.
Do not be mistaken, Thrash is ruthlessly intense. The bull sharks, in particular, serve as brutal antagonists, with the species’ characteristic aggressive traits showcased through horrific work by visual effects supervisor Bryan Jones and his team. (At the risk of sounding like a bull shark advocate, bull shark attacks are exceedingly rare).
If you appreciate shark films, Thrash stands out as a gripping survival thriller featuring a skilled cast and visuals that had me fully engaged. Wirkola’s talent in balancing horror, action, and humor remains commendable. Dive into it.
Thrash debuts on Netflix April 10.