Fantastic Fest 2025 Review: BEAST OF WAR is a Dread-Packed WWII Shark Attack Flick

The basis for any memorable shark movie isn't rocket science. Does your bloodthirsty animal look the part (hopefully practical)? Do your attack scenes make a messy splash? Can you believe the scenario unlucky victims find themselves in barring a wibbly-wobbly yet acceptable suspension of belief? Kiah Roache-Turner's Australian "Fin Flick" Beast of War checks all three boxes, set against the backdrop of 1942's World War II tensions. It's a simple formula, but the titular beast looks excellent, the torn-apart gore is gnarly, and desperation hangs dreadfully thick.

Mark Coles Smith stars as Leo, an Aussie trooper who finds himself stranded in the Timor Sea. His platoon's boat sinks en route to enemy frontlines, and the threat of Japanese fighter planes looms overhead. Even worse, a massive great white is circling beneath the 20-foot plank of wood that Leo and a few other survivors are using as a makeshift raft. With limited rations and the threat of bullets raining from the sky, Leo must avoid becoming shark bait while devising a rescue plan—none of which was included in basic training.

Roache-Turner's screenplay is deceptive, at least on the frontlines. Beast of War starts with Leo's commandos going through their introductory drills, plenty safe on land. There's enough time for Leo to befriend the weaker and more hesitant Will (Joel Nankervis) and start a rivalry with the dickish Des (Sam Delich). Fears begin to manifest that Beast of War will be one of those bummer experiences where the aquatic threat doesn't appear until the third act, but Roache-Turner isn't that cruel. After some jolly-good montages that build the main soldiers' camaraderie, we jump time and immediately find ourselves floating aimlessly with Leo, and no sooner does Mrs. Sharky breach the surface.

Thankfully, creature effects appear to be entirely practical (sans some post-production touch-ups, I'm sure). Roache-Turner's very own Bruce might show limited mobility, with its mouth agape outside the chewing function, but still looks infinitely better than any of the low-budget animated swill you'll choke down in recent examples like The Black Demon or Into the Deep. There's a chunk missing from the predatory villain's skin, along with other presumed battle wounds, suggesting this shark has caused havoc plenty before. Cinematographer Mark Wareham does well to frame the female great white as it pierces through calm waters, which paints a picturesque horror visual when captured in front of a hazy sunset. Different color overlays, from midnight coolness to alarming bright reds, accentuate the events on screen—and it's the shark effects that benefit most.

In terms of non-shark-related tension, Beast of War makes ample use of Australian vs. Japanese warfare, inter-squadron turmoil, and recurring flashbacks of Leo's previous tragedy involving a shark. Frankly, the replays of his prior trauma over a fatal shark attack weren't 100% necessary, given there's enough drama to mine between panicked, often cloudy-minded soldiers who will do anything to escape becoming chewed-up chum. Thompson (Sam Parsonson), for example, continually misreads situations due to a head wound, like eating all their peaches because there are "more on the boat." Then there's Leo and Des' antagonistic relationship, given Des' racist tendencies and Will's inability to make spot decisions. It's all well-acted and dynamic enough to keep us going, making Leo's peppered-in memories a tad overkill.

Beast of War is a ferocious blend of battlefield anxieties, wartime strife, and creature feature horrors. Roache-Turner does enough to ensure we care about characters who aren't just nameless snacks, but doesn't sacrifice the nastier bits that involve hand grenades, dismembered bodies, and piles of guts. It's a Fin Flick flavor that's gruesome and harrowing, but also swells with heroism at the right moments. At 87 minutes, it might still be overstuffed, and sure, it'd be radder if the shark had a little more animation (not digital, like mobility), but those are all pipe dreams. As is, with gunfire whizzing and teeth gnashing, Beast of War is a dire yet rousing tale of men vs. shark.

Movie Score: 3.5/5