Australian genre filmmaker Kiah Roache-Turner brings bone-crushing bite back to the shark movie with Beast of War, an intense and gnarly horror-war crossover in which a marooned group of soldiers battle against a man-eating shark.
The shark movie is perhaps the most over presented horror sub-genre, with quality lacking amongst the quantity. Beast of War is that rare catch that reminds why the man-eating shark is such an effective horror movie monster, with this hulking razor-toothed creature of the deep driven only by the need to feed and in Beast of War the dinner bell tolls loudly.
Based on true events, the 1942 set Beast of War stars Mark Coles Smith as Leo, an indigenous Australian soldier who is stranded alongside a troop of soldiers on a makeshift raft after their ship - the HMAS Armadale - is torpedoed by Japanese planes. While contending with enemy combatants from above, the group finds themselves marked by a monstrous 20-foot great white shark whose appetite is matched only by its savagery.
Much like his approach to zombies (Wyrmwood) and giant spiders (Sting), director Kiah Roache-Turner brings a ferocity to the horrors of Beast of War that is equally impressive and gruesome. The shark of Beast of War – an impressive practical creation built by Formation Effects – is as dread filled and blood curling as they come; a creature of almost demonic force that makes sharks-on-film scary again.
Roache-Turner pulls off another shark-film miracle in having his human characters be just as engaging. It always helps in having Mark Coles Smith – one of Australia’s best working actors – as his leading man. Smith’s portrayal of an indigenous solider in 1942 Australia brings with it many themes to chew on, namely that other great white monster of racism within his ranks namely from fellow soldier Des Kelly who is suitably portrayed as a sleazy slimeball by Sam Delich.
Shot partly in Australia’s largest indoor water tank, Beast of War often dabbles into the surreal with the use of thick fog and vibrant colour schemes beautifully captured by cinematographer Mark Wareham (The Drover’s Wife) presented as a hell on Earth with Satan himself slashing through the water. The use of dark humour grounds the film from floating away into pretentious territory.
Beast of War is premium, high-grade chum in the water for shark movie fans. Roache-Turner successfully emerges tinges of art-house spectacle with prime-cut exploitation thrills to make for a great new entry in an overpopulated genre of horror.
