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Netflix seems particularly obsessed with survival thriller movies this April. At the start of the week, they brought Idris Elba's "Beast" to the platform, and they're due to bring us Baltasar Kormákur's cat-and-mouse thriller "Apex" later this month, and as of today (April 10), the streaming service is home to "Thrash," a brand new original that pits the trapped denizens of a coastal American town against a horde of hungry bull sharks.
- Rating: 2/5 stars
- Verdict: "Netflix survival thriller "Thrash" feels caught between the demands of pleasing every shark movie fan, delivering muted thrills but also only the occasional laugh. It's elevated by some decent performances and will probably do well on the streamer, but it's no must-watch."
- Premiere date/time: Streaming now
- Where to watch: Netflix
Even though "new shark movie" is probably enough to lure a certain type of viewer in, and Netflix subscribers definitely have an appetite for this kind of release — the 2024 French original shark thriller "Under Paris" is still the streamer's second most-watched non-English movie, globally— but I'd urge you to temper your expectations here.
Despite getting a kick out of the occasional hammy shark movie myself, I would be lying if I said I found "Thrash" to be buckets of fun. Sadly, I left the movie feeling fairly nonplussed — you can read my "Thrash" review to find out why below.
What is 'Thrash' about?
Tommy Wirkola's "Thrash" sees the town of Annieville, South Carolina, devastated by a Category 5 hurricane.
The freak weather brings with it fierce winds and destructive waves that flood the streets with water and open the way for a herd of aggressive bull sharks to run (swim) rampant in the streets, lured in by blood that's seeping into the water from a wayward meat truck. Of course, that leaves the unlucky residents who were unable to skip town locked in a fight for their lives with the fearsome forces of nature cruising through the water.
"Thrash" stars Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak, Djimon Hounsou, Matt Nable, Alyla Browne, and Stacey Clausen (among others).
Netflix's 'Thrash' is at best a so-so shark movie
The main feeling I had post-viewing (aside from "hey, this reminds me of "Crawl") is that "Thrash" feels like it's aiming to please every kind of shark movie fan, both those looking to be terrified of getting back in the water and devotees of the dozens of schlocky shark creature features that have preceded it. In doing so, it emerges as a neutered thriller that never truly works in either department; "Thrash" lacks suspense, but only offers an occasional laugh, too.
Scenes of the film's tropey characters trying to cross stretches of water patrolled by swimming predators are staged well, but failed to engineer any real sense of dread, and when the CGI sharks do strike, the reactions don't exactly confer fear, either: take the attack about halfway through the above trailer as proof.
Those in search of carnage or laughs will find an odd sequence to enjoy. Take, for example, the moment our requisite shark expert (Djimon Hounsou) rebuffs a clueless reporter with an all-time line ("We lived in Mozambique, not the f**king Jungle Book!"). Pregnant mother Lisa (Phoebe Dynevor) gets her own quip too, immediately after giving birth in the water ("mommy's here, mommy's just gotta fight some f**king sharks").
Other set-pieces and other moments fall flat, such as a forced mention of "shark week" or a late-in-the-day save that I can only describe as "shark ex machina," and the need to cram in an exposition drop or to hop between the movie's storylines/muted characters interrupts the flow of action.
The claustrophobic, waterlogged sets and some compelling enough performances from both Dynevor and Peak render stretches of "Thrash" watchable, and at least it hurtles towards a more fun final act pretty briskly, but that's faint praise. I'd have been madder if I paid to see "Thrahs" in theaters; as a streaming original, it barely scrapes by.
While I can confidently say I've sat through worse shark movies in my time, and I decided against dwelling on preposterous plotting in a creature feature, Netflix's newest arrival is hardly apex entertainment. If you're in the market for a watchable B-movie this weekend, then "Thrash" might fit the bill; otherwise, I'd steer clear.
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