‘Shark Terror’ VOD Review
Stars: Michael Paré, Sarah Lieving, Carly Medina, Javier Duran, Joe Maria Fernandez, Jude Merkel, Jenna Day, Travis Lincoln Cox, Bryce Tipple | Written by Ryan Ebert | Directed by Mario N. Bonassin
Shark Terror is the latest in a long line of quick-turnaround shark movies from The Asylum, and if you’ve seen a few of these before, you’ll know exactly the kind of waters we’re swimming in. Starring ever-reliable genre workhorse Michael Paré, this one delivers a no-frills, low-budget shark survival tale that’s perfectly watchable – as long as expectations are firmly set to “Asylum mode.”
The setup is simple enough: a luxury cruise ship (that looks suspiciously like a repurposed military or cargo vessel) becomes the backdrop for a crime gone wrong. A trio of shady crew members attempt to rob a wealthy passenger’s cabin, only for things to escalate dramatically when the daughter catches them in the act. A struggle, a fall overboard, and suddenly, we’ve got people stranded in shark-infested waters. Cue panic, cover-ups, delayed rescue attempts, and, inevitably, a lot of teeth.
To the film’s credit, Shark Terror does try to keep things moving by splitting the action between two separate survival scenarios. One group ends up marooned on a rapidly vanishing outcrop of land, while a second rescue party soon finds itself in just as much danger. This structure means you’re never waiting too long between shark encounters, and there’s a surprisingly decent amount of fin-based carnage on offer. There’s even a gloriously silly moment involving a man attempting to fist-fight a shark, which is exactly the kind of absurd genre beat Asylum fans tend to appreciate.
The CGI is… fine. And for an Asylum production, that’s actually faint praise. Roughly three-quarters of the shark effects are perfectly serviceable, showing clear improvement over some of the studio’s earlier efforts. There are a couple of ropey shots, particularly involving a capsizing dinghy, but overall, the sharks look decent enough for the budget. Stock footage is used liberally, leading to some visual inconsistency, especially during night scenes, but it’s par for the course.
Where the film struggles is in its thin narrative and stretched runtime. The premise doesn’t have much depth, and it shows. Scenes linger longer than they should, dialogue pads things out, and the story treads water for extended periods. Characterisation is minimal, acting is occasionally hokey even by Asylum standards, and logic sometimes takes a holiday – such as characters worrying about food after being stranded for barely an hour. Still, there is at least an attempt to inject themes of selfishness and moral failure, with one character even given a half-hearted redemption arc.
In the end, Shark Terror is exactly what it promises: a cheap, cheerful shark attack movie with a handful of fun moments and passable effects. It’s not going to convert sceptics, but genre completists and Asylum regulars will likely get what they came for.
**½ 2.5/5
Shark Terror is available on digital platforms now.
