Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we will be reviewing Tubi Original creature feature Shark Bait from 2022. Seems appropriate given that we are hitting the summer here in the Northern Hemisphere. Sun, sand, sea, and a huge killer shark. What could be better? This movie is part of our Low Budget Horror on Tubi feature.
Following the story of a group of friends heading out on vacation. Stealing a couple of Jet skis, wiping out on them and ending up in shark infested water. Shark Bait offered some promise compared to most Tubi horror. I mean, this has to have a fairly substantial budget, right? They can afford a CG shark and jet skis. That’s pretty impressive. Most Tubi movies can’t afford to pay anyone to make tea and coffee for the cast. This has to hold up pretty good, right?
Just Another Shark Movie
Well, the answer is a mix of “rather disappointingly” and “exactly as you would expect”. These shark movies just don’t do anything new, do they? A group of people do something stupid, they end up floating in the water, shark comes along for a nibble. The water gets a worrying shade of crimson red, something happens and most virtuous girl survives, rinse and repeat. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy them, but shark movies that stand out are few and far between.
My first thought when watching Shark Bait, aside from how obnoxious the characters were. Was “what the hell is going on with these accents?”. They are “sort of” American and they keep referring to Kansas and the Chiefs. But something feels incredibly sus. It turns out that Shark Bait is actually a British movie. These are all English actors putting on American accents. So, as a Welsh person which technically.. “technically”.. makes me British. I would like to apologise for our sins against horror cinema.
An Unlikable Cast
There really isn’t a tremendous amount to say about this one. I wouldn’t say it’s a particularly bad movie, if you know what you are getting into, Shark Bait might just scratch that specific toothy itch. But there’s also nothing to really recommend about it. It just doesn’t do a single thing differently from every other shark movie out there. It’s unlikable cast and focus on interpersonal drama really come at the cost of actual action and excitement.
I mean, Shark Bait really lacks in things to get the blood pumping. The few scenes of shark related shenanigans feel like facsimiles of scenes from other similar movies only with less stakes and less reason to invest. The characters here have a fairly stable platform to spend the majority of the movie floating around on. They rarely enter the water and, when they do, it’s difficult to give a crap whether they get eaten or not. In fact, the shark feels like the good guy in this movie thanks to the obnoxiousness of our cast.
It’s really down to main girl Nat, played by Holly Earl, to give the viewer something to latch onto. She’s the only character with any depth and the only likable one of the bunch. It’s Nat that spends the majority of the movie taking risks and jumping into the water and it’s Nat that the viewer is most likely to sympathise with. Whether this is a reflection of the director being aware that most of the other characters suck pretty hard or not, I am not sure. But it is a stark indictment of the rest of the characters here. They literally end up being nothing more than shark bait.
Low Adrenaline “Thrills”
The biggest problem here is the lack of actual shark related horror fun. There is just not that much. In fact, I would go as far to say the shark feels like something of an opening act rather than the main event. It is secondary to the relationships between the characters and the woes of people slowly bleeding to death. Whether this is due to lack of creativity or lack of budget is up for debate.
Effects are fine. I believe the majority of the shark stuff was done with CG and it looks okay for the most part. There is some fairly awkward looking green screen at a few points and the night time scenes are clearly filmed in a pool. But appearances by the shark aren’t exactly jarring for their quality which is, honestly, a pretty big win in low budget creature features.
Acting is Okay
Acting is, pretty much, what you would expect from a movie like this. Holly Earl, as Nat, is probably the most competent of the group. She does well with her accent, rarely faltering, and makes for a likable protagonist. Earl feels believable and she looked like she had come into this movie in tremendous shape. Obviously taking the demands of the role very seriously. Jack Trueman is fine, he is convincing for much of the movie but his character is an unlikable douche. Likewise for Thomas Flynn as Greg. He does a very nice job of suitably conveying the trauma his character goes through.
Malachi Pullar-Latchman, as Tyler, struggles badly with the American accent. It’s a major distraction and, at times, makes him fairly difficult to understand. He is fine, other than that, though in a very limited role. Catherine Hannay manages to feel awkward in nearly every part of the movie. Whether it’s being the provocative sex kitten or the damsel in distress, nothing really fits and she doesn’t do particularly well at any of it. Her accent is all over the place, as well.
James Nunn’s direction is okay. There are some shot inconsistencies here and there. Characters will be dry one minute and soaking wet the next. Some of the shots detract from the tension a little. There are a few goofs here and there as well. It’s nothing too detrimental to the movie, though. The script, on the other hand, is a different story. It’s very lacklustre and, to be honest, just plain awful at times.
Should You Watch Shark Bait?
If you are looking for a shark movie and you aren’t bothered about innovation or creativity. Shark Bait will probably be fine and completely worth a watch. It has a shark in it, some people get eaten, there is a lot of swimming. If you want something more from this type of movie, however. This will leave you wanting. It just doesn’t do anything at all new with the formula. Feeling like any other shark movie out there. Acting is okay, direction is fine, effects can be okay. It is exactly what you might expect.