aronharde

I appreciate every addition to the shark sub-genre that is not complete trash, so I was excited to see Fear Below. The story itself is actually kind of interesting and genuinely unique, even though it is a little bonkers. However, once you go with the flow of the movie, it turns out to be quite entertaining. The characters were likeable, even though some of the acting was poor. But I was here for some decent shark action anyway, and we do get that, although it is somewhat limited.

The shark itself looked believable enough, and the filmmakers chose to use quick close-ups without lingering on the animal for too long, which was a good choice and likely due to budgetary reasons. There are a few underwater scenes that are rather hard to follow since the setting is not a clear ocean but rather murky, unclear water. While this makes sense for the setting, it still takes a little time to get used to.

There are slight gore moments, but nothing out of the ordinary or particularly memorable. Overall, it was a decent flick that will likely bring some enjoyment to fans of the genre. However, the movie falls somewhere in between the two most effective approaches to shark films. It is not quite a fun, over-the-top action film like Deep Blue Sea or Bait, nor does it go for the sophisticated, realistic dread of The Reef or Open Water.

For what it is, this movie is decently enjoyable but will probably be forgotten soon and does not really stand out in the genre. Still, if you are like me and enjoy shark movies, you will have a decent time with this one. But if you are tired of seeing movies where sharks are the antagonists, this film definitely will not change your opinion.

[5.5/10]

For those of you who don't know, this is a spin-off of the movie The Priests from 2015, so I watched that one right before going into Dark Nuns. It was refreshing to see an exorcism movie from South Korea, and while the performances and overall execution were solid, I couldn't help but feel a little bored due to the tame approach. I'm used to the over-the-top Western executions of these kinds of movies.

The same applies to Dark Nuns, which takes a more sophisticated approach to the exorcism genre and doesn't try to entertain the audience with exaggerated possession scenes or cheap jump scares. The storytelling takes center stage in this film. However, I have to say that the story really dragged. The characters are not particularly interesting, and the movie contains many scenes that could have been cut in the editing room without affecting the outcome.

I'm getting tired of these two-hour-long movies, especially when they don't really justify their length. The performances were good, and the overall production quality was decent, aside from some CGI rats toward the end. The connection to The Priests was very brief and probably wouldn't have had much impact if I hadn't seen the original beforehand.

Overall, it's definitely a watchable film, but we've seen better from South Korea.

[5.2/10]

Let me start off this review by saying that I am grateful for every addition to the shark subgenre that is not complete trash. I really enjoy movies featuring shark attacks, but sadly most of them are filled with bad effects and poor writing, with only a few exceptions. Of course, Jaws remains at the top of the hill. Every now and then, a decently enjoyable shark movie gets released, and Dangerous Animals is one of those films, even though the sharks are not the main antagonists.

Instead, Jai Courtney plays a serial killer who disposes of his victims by feeding them to sharks in the middle of the ocean. It is an interesting and slightly bonkers idea, but the movie fully embraces that tone. Director Sean Byrne, who previously brought us two solid horror films (The Loved Ones and The Devil's Candy), once again delivers something entertaining with this one.

The setting on a boat in the middle of the ocean is refreshing and gives the movie a claustrophobic feeling that adds to the suspense. Jai Courtney's performance as the villain is excellent. He stands out and creates a memorable character.

In my opinion, the film could have benefited from more gore and shock value. Some scenes felt a little tame because of quick cutaways from violence, which reduced their impact. Some of the CGI near the end also looked noticeably weak, although the sharks appeared fairly realistic in most other scenes. I would have liked to see more shark-related moments, but they are not the central threat in this story, which the title cleverly hints at.

The film also features a few tired genre tropes that audiences have seen many times, but those can be overlooked. Overall, this is a decently enjoyable movie that includes a serial killer, a few sharks, an interesting location, and a memorable villain. [6.0/10]