Between Dangerous Animals hitting big at the box office earlier this year and Under Paris storming the Netflix charts last year, the sharksploitation revival is in full swing. From Deep Blue Sea to Sharknado and, of course, Jaws, audiences have been left chilled by the sight of a fin cutting through the ocean waves. Despite its simple premise, somehow, directors are still finding new and inventive ways to package sharks tearing people apart limb from limb – enter: Beast Of War. The latest feature from Kiah Roache-Turner, best known for the spider chiller Sting, is a unique blend of a poignant war movie and a fight for survival against the elements and a killer shark that, on paper, should not blend, but works effortlessly well.

Set during World War II, Beast Of War follows a group of Australian soldiers sent to face the enemy, but their mission goes awry when a Japanese fighter wrecks their ship in the Timor Sea. With no way to contact their allies, the group is forced to fashion a makeshift raft from the wreckage and fight for survival – a task made all the more difficult when a great white shark begins picking them off one by one, forcing the soldiers to make devastating decisions to stay alive.

Far from just a run-of-the-mill shark-based action flick, Beast Of War has plenty of bite in its gripping, twisty narrative. It whips from laugh-out-loud moments to poignant reflections on the horrors of war in a heartbeat, yet never feels tonally jarring. Instead, the effect leaves the film feeling startlingly grounded in realism – or as realistic as a sharksploitation film can be. The characters each feel fully rounded and explored, making their plight all the more heart-wrenching. Their brotherhood and desperation to survive never feel forced, making it easy to root for every single one of them.

Instead of opting for a series of ever-more predictable jump scares, Beast Of War favours a brooding tension that steadily increases as the narrative unfolds, with uncomfortable close-ups of the soldiers' horrified faces, frenzied cuts during the shark's vicious attacks, and sudden twists that threaten the group's survival at every turn. Director Roache-Turner never allows the audience to get comfortable, forcing them to squirm in their seats as the situation unfolding onscreen becomes increasingly dire.

Despite being the latest in a long line of sharksploitation films, Beast Of War successfully turns the subgenre on its head with a full-throttle narrative packed full of twists, turns, and blood-pumping moments, giving plenty for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Beast of War had its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025 on 20 September