“It’s not a sharksploitation movie unless someone screams ‘Get out of the water!'”

Story: The history of shark films, focusing on the fun, gory, and/or amazing world of sharksploitation.

Scares: Zero unless a few brief clips of sharky jump scares count for you.
Splat Factor: Clips from sharky movies.

Subgenre: Comprehensive Horror Movie Subgenre Documentaries
Year Released: 2023
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Original

Trick or Treat?: I love shark movies. Even the shitty ones. So when Shudder added this doc to their list, I snapped it up immediately. Then I sat with it a while, and re-watched it for Hallo-month. Damn, this is one impeccably researched documentary y’all. And at an hour and forty five minutes, it gets into so much stuff, including films you’re all but guaranteed to have never heard of before. From the initial shark movies of the mid-20th Century to today’s silly SyFy channel mockbusters, this documentary covers it all.

But for some reason I just couldn’t get as hyped watching this doc. Or at least not as hyped as other horror docs, like Terror in the Aisles, Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film, or Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror. And I don’t know why.

It’s not from this doc’s lack of trying. The interviewees are awesome – c’mon, we’re getting insights from Joe Dante! Film scholar Rebekah McKendry! Monstrum’s Emily Zarka! (Seriously, watch Monstrum on the YouTubes. You’re welcome.)Mario Van Peebles! RODGER FREAKING CORMAN! Plus many other film, marine biology, and mythology superstars.There are so many great folks here, talking about their time making these movies, their knowledge of sharks, and how films and sharks intersect. It should be fascinating, but while it’s good, I just couldn’t truly sink in.

While it’s run time may not be as long as other horror documentaries – The 50 Best Horror Movies You’ve Never Seen immediately springs to mind – it felt like it went on forever. My problem with this doc? While I loved all the info, putting a tighter focus on the films, rather than giving history, lore, and films equal time, would have made a more interesting film about shark movies. Or maybe I just didn’t have the focus for this one when I watched/re-watched this. Or perhaps giving theses films equal/equal-ish time, rather than doing long bits on better known films like the Jaws franchise, and then flashing other films and TV shows here and there. Or maybe putting chapter cuts into the doc that kept ideas focused would have helped the meandering feeling. Because there’s so much great info here, it’s a pity it feels tedious. Y’know, like this review.

But when you’re down for a horror doc to wash over you, and want something different? Need a hit of knowledge and want something to wash over you? Sharksploitation could fit the bill.

Score: 2.5 out of 5 pumpkins.