Thrash review
Two-dimensional characters try to survive the storm of the century, and the killer sharks it brings with it. And it’s kind of fun to watch them do it.
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Thrash
Directed by Tommy Wirkola
Written by Tommy Wirkola
Starring Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak, Djimon Hounsou, Alyla Browne, Stacey Clausen, Dante Ubaldi and Tyler Coppin
Thrash Review
Shark movies, if you’ll pardon the pun, are in the same boat as exorcism movies. Someone in the 1970’s made the best version of the story that your subgenre is ever going to put out. Jaws and The Exorcist effectively broke those kinds of movies forever. Shark movies have faired much better than exorcism movies, if we’re being honest. They can get silly in a way that possession stories often can’t without undercutting everything they’re trying to do. We’ve all seen enough super serious possession stories to be aware of the struggles those movies face post-The Exorcist. But shark movies…they find a way to keep going, don’t they? Dangerous Animals was one of last year’s best horror movies. Thrash isn’t one of this year’s best…but it does deliver a perfectly enjoyable streaming option in its own right.
Make no mistake…Thrash does eventually let its silly side out. You might not expect that given how dire it paints its weather and shark combination of imminent danger. Or, given how it paints its characters with a quick, broad brush to get introductions out of the way quickly…maybe you would expect it. Most of Thrash’s more ridiculous moments are saved for the climax of its story. If you’re afraid that things are being taken too seriously before that…just be aware that a woman who just gave birth will be punching a shark before those credits roll.
The first two acts of Thrash are probably its strongest parts anyway. A weather disaster rocks a small town…stranding locals with rising tides and hungry sharks. Thrash introduces us to all of its characters in a hurry…which is the preferred option when you’re telling an ensemble survivor story. Essentially…there are four people or groups that the movie focuses on. A young girl stuck in her house…grieving the recent loss of her mother. The girl’s uncle…a convenient marine biologist with the knowledge to save her from what’s coming…if he can get to her. A pregnant woman who is due any minute. And a trio of foster kids being raised by a cartoon character. Ok…not a literal cartoon character. But Thrash isn’t going to waste time giving depth to a minor character…so their foster father is just the angriest, dumbest redneck you’ve ever seen.
Eventually, the pregnant woman finds her way to the girl stuck in her house so that Thrash can narrow its focus onto three stories instead of four. The woman goes into labor, of course, providing their situation with an extra ticking clock. The foster kids have their own ticking clock situation to deal with as their home is flooded, and they’re surrounded by man eating sharks. Djimon Hounsou plays the marine biologist who braves the conditions to try and find his niece. That’s about it for what Thrash has in store for plot…and that turns out to be a good choice. No need to bog yourself down in narrative when people just want to see the survival/disaster/shark parts anyway.
Those parts are largely where Thrash shines. The initial storm that floods the town is a pretty incredible sight to behold. The movie does an excellent job with these effects. Water engulfs everything…which would be bad enough if it wasn’t filled with killer sharks. Perhaps calling Thrash a shark movie is overstating things a bit. While the sharks are an ever present threat…and they munch on enough people to pile up a fine body count…the flood is the coolest part of the movie. Watching it fill (or collapse) houses, bust through walls and windows, carry trucks away in its wake…there are a lot of well done moments here. Plus, sharks. Which are also cool…even if they aren’t always the immediate threat.
The production value in Thrash is very good. Director Tommy Wirkola gets a lot of strong moments on screen. That shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who has seen Violent Night or his Dead Snow movies. He knows how to make fun movies about dangerous situations. This is the kind of movie that gets mixed reviews, but when you watch it you think “am I crazy…because I liked it”. Perfect for a streaming option if you already subscribe to Netflix. It isn’t going to reinvent survival or shark movies…and it gets overly silly in its final moments…but it’s pretty entertaining throughout. Fast paced…strong effects…some cool situations. Depending on how ok you are with two dimensional characters meeting completely predictable fates…you could do a lot worse than Thrash when you fire up your Netflix account.
Scare Value
I sometimes think that movies like Thrash are why this website exists. Are there some dumb characters and ridiculous moments here? Absolutely. Is it fun to watch anyway? Yes. This website has always tried to focus on the value of that last part. Genre movies often don’t get a fair shake…even when they deliver what fans of those genre movies are looking for. Yeah…Thrash isn’t the best film you can put your eyes on this week. But it’s a pretty entertaining watch for the less than 90-minute commitment it asks of you. The storm sequences are legit. The characters leave something to be desired. But the actors are all in…and sometimes that’s enough.
3/5
Thrash Link
Streaming on Netflix
