It’s not often I get hyped for a movie like Beast of War. It’s inspired by actual events and involves a giant shark, so what could possibly go wrong? Director Kiah Roach-Turner gives himself plenty of challenges balancing the characters, historical wartime setting, and also yeah, the giant freaking shark. Does he pull it off?
- Directed by: Kiah Roache-Turner
- Written by: Kiah Roache-Turner
- Starring: Mark Coles Smith. Joel Nankervis. Sam Delich
The Set Up
The first act is dedicated to establishing setting and character. It’s time well-spent, as it establishes the casual racism some of the soldiers harbor towards the mixed-race member Leo. Taking the time to build these conflicts will pay off when tension is at its breaking point.
Survival Meets Shark
A while ago, I talked about the rhythm of movies. Survival movies have their own specific beats too, and Beast of War hits them very well. The soldiers are sailing off to war when their boat is hit by torpedoes and sunk. The desperate survivors cling to a makeshift raft, taking stock of their dire situation. Just as a glimmer of hope appears, so does the shark.
These are standard beats for any shark movie, but Beast of War plays them well. There aren’t any real deviations from the standards here. For me, there doesn’t have to be. I’m not watching a shark movie to overtax my brain. I want to see how this specific group makes it out of the situation.
Shark Bait
Every killer animal movie has its fair share of bait. If I had one complaint, it would be that some of the kills are far too obvious. There is one in particular I have very mixed feelings about. It’s surrounded by character moments that ring so true, but it also feels shoehorned in.
Historical Accuracy
Eh. That ends up being less important than the characters. This is not Band of Brothers or even “Band of Brothers with a shark”. This is a popcorn movie, and there is nothing wrong with that. The right characters learned the right lessons on time.
Yes, there are some convenient plot devices wrapped around the WWII setting. I’m also not a shark expert, but I’m pretty sure that’s the wrong shark for this area. It looks great though and doesn’t spend too much time onscreen.
Can I Be Pretentious? (With Some Light Spoilers)
On the surface, this is a “man vs nature” story. The survivors of the attack are battling difficult weather conditions, lack of supplies, and the giant, man-eating shark. It would not be an incredible stretch however to see the shark as a metaphor for something bigger.
For the survivors, there are in essence two sets of dangers. Like in all good survival movies, they are forced to deal with both obvious threats and those that are lurking under the surface (literally in this case).
The danger under the surface is a reoccurring theme in Beast of War. Much of the human conflict revolves around the racism that main character Leo faces from being half-aboriginal. That dark side of human nature lurking in Leo’s fellow soldiers is always there, circling and waiting for the right moment to strike. The pressure of the life-or-death situation, slow starvation and dehydration, and watching the shark pick them off one by one brings out the worst in already questionable characters.
A shark is a great metaphor for the evils of human nature. It’s an emotionless killer, moving unseen until it strikes. For the men adrift on the makeshift raft, it can pop up at any time and destroy whatever illusion of safety they have.
Good survival movies are aware of the role that strong symbolism can play. I think Beast of War is mostly successful. If the shark in Beast is a physical representation of the darkness under the surface, then the third act resolution makes an internal logical sense, as does the final shot of the movie.
HERE ARE THE SPOILERS
Leo is dealing with his own buried issues. There is a past trauma that haunts him, which he is now being forced to relive and confront. He can only save himself and the remaining survivor when he confronts his trauma, and the shark, head-on. This is all great stuff, and pretty standard for this kind of movie. The interesting part comes after. The last shot of the movie is the shark alive and well, even though it should have been destroyed in the final confrontation. Now, this could just be a nice, dramatic way to end a shark movie. Or, we could have some fun with this.
What we have for most of the movie is a group of soldiers dealing with dehydration and exposure. Throw in some blood loss, possible shock, and trauma. Then, account for the overall hazy and dreamlike look that some scenes take on in the back-half of the movie.
Did Leo defeat the shark in the end? Was his final confrontation more symbolic? Am I giving this movie way more time and thought than it deserves? Who knows, but it’s all very fun to think about. Maybe on my rewatch, I’ll come away with a totally different take.
END SPOILER
Final Thoughts
Beast of War is a movie that sticks with what it does best. The shark never overstays its welcome, nor does the human drama become too much of the focus. It’s a lean movie, just under an hour and a half, but it does everything it needs to in that time. If you are looking for accurate historical representation, or an overwhelmingly high on-screen body count, maybe skip this one. If you want a more casual survival movie that briefly touches on some deeper themes, check out Beast of War. Oh, and the shark looks great too.
Beast of War is on Streaming now.
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