The worst thing isn’t the enemy in Beast of War; the WW2 shark horror film isplaying at Fantastic Fest 2025.
Beast of War is the kind of B-Movie horror action film that’s clever, gory, and scary in all the right ways. Writer/Director Kiah Roache-Turner takes his talents from zombies to killer spiders to finally the gnarliest of all killers… sharks.
A platoon of Australian soldiers prepares itself for the hell that awaits them in the midst of WW2 Pacific Theater. The group of men never makes it to their destination, being attacked in the middle of the ocean by Japanese fighters. The small group of survivors must now deal with something far worse… a shark with a taste for human blood. As they attempt to fight for survival, the shark begins to take them out one by one.
Beast of War is far more adept at storytelling than just a series of shark maulings and gore FX. The script by Roache-Turner manages to find the most inventive ways to make its runtime more dramatic and human than one would expect. In fact, Roache-Turner’s film adroitly mimics the structure of Full Metal Jacket’s story structure for maximum effect. By allowing us to meet Leo (Mark Coles Smith), Will (Joel Nankervis), and the other soldiers of the company of men, the film feels less exploitation shark film and more elevated genre piece. Yes, some of the story and dynamics between the men are archetypal of this type of wartime thriller. Those moments are done with such sincerity and earnestness that they rise above the cliché.
Though the secret weapon at Roache-Turner’s disposal is the one-two combo of cinematographer Mark Wareham’s atmospheric visuals and production designer Esther Rosenberg’s clever stage work, both feel big-budget in the best way possible. Adding to the trio’s accomplished work is the FX work by Forma7on Effects, which handled the Shark Animatronics, and the Visual FX work by Resin that only augmented the animatronics when necessary. Their stylish work should be commended as the passion and stylish flair make the production feel that much bigger and more engrossing.
Beast of War is the kind of lower-budget genre picture one looks for but rarely finds. Film of the highest quality, where the budget never feels like a constraint but rather a call to be great.
Beast of War plays Fantastic Fest 2025 on September 20th and 23rd, and is in theaters on October 10th
The worst thing isn’t the enemy in Beast of War; the WW2 shark horror film is playing at Fantastic Fest 2025.
Beast of War is the kind of B-Movie horror action film that’s clever, gory, and scary in all the right ways. Writer/Director Kiah Roache-Turner takes his talents from zombies to killer spiders to finally the gnarliest of all killers… sharks.
A platoon of Australian soldiers prepares itself for the hell that awaits them in the midst of WW2 Pacific Theater. The group of men never makes it to their destination, being attacked in the middle of the ocean by Japanese fighters. The small group of survivors must now deal with something far worse… a shark with a taste for human blood. As they attempt to fight for survival, the shark begins to take them out one by one.
Beast of War is far more adept at storytelling than just a series of shark maulings and gore FX. The script by Roache-Turner manages to find the most inventive ways to make its runtime more dramatic and human than one would expect. In fact, Roache-Turner’s film adroitly mimics the structure of Full Metal Jacket’s story structure for maximum effect. By allowing us to meet Leo (Mark Coles Smith), Will (Joel Nankervis), and the other soldiers of the company of men, the film feels less exploitation shark film and more elevated genre piece. Yes, some of the story and dynamics between the men are archetypal of this type of wartime thriller. Those moments are done with such sincerity and earnestness that they rise above the cliché.
Though the secret weapon at Roache-Turner’s disposal is the one-two combo of cinematographer Mark Wareham’s atmospheric visuals and production designer Esther Rosenberg’s clever stage work, both feel big-budget in the best way possible. Adding to the trio’s accomplished work is the FX work by Forma7on Effects, which handled the Shark Animatronics, and the Visual FX work by Resin that only augmented the animatronics when necessary. Their stylish work should be commended as the passion and stylish flair make the production feel that much bigger and more engrossing.
Beast of War is the kind of lower-budget genre picture one looks for but rarely finds. Film of the highest quality, where the budget never feels like a constraint but rather a call to be great.
Beast of War plays Fantastic Fest 2025 on September 20th and 23rd, and is in theaters on October 10th
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