Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * *
Cast: Katrina Bowden, Aaron Jakubenko, Tim Kano, Kimie Tsukakoshi, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Jason Wilder, Tatjana Marjanovic.
Where Jaws rewarded its fans and cinema audiences with the unexpected shock factor, other films that have tried their best to match the intensity of a natural predator, have failed to note the several factors that makes a good film about the dangers of the sea and the creatures that live there, into a great one that adds truth to the situation when humans trespass into the vast deep blue sea.
The Martin Wilson directed 2021 film Great White unfortunately does stray into the same point driven by many others in its genre, and the narrative does suffer for it, not by a wide amount, but enough to show that once again, like Jaws, that the story-line refuses to show that what the shark is doing is feeding, not attacking humans for the sake of it, as if it were an evil to defeat, but because like all creatures in the universe, it is hungry.
Such a neglect makes any film, if not as sensationalist as 1975’s Jaws, feel as though no amount of cinematography and underwater scenes that capture the imagination, understandably feel as though they are exploiting a fear that perpetuates the myth, thankfully for Great White, the exploitation is kept to a minimum, and whilst the sound of sharks screaming in pain grinds on the senses and adds to the incredulity of sensationalism, the idea that the film is over-confident is banished, and unlike other cinematic efforts in recent years, does not leave the audience feeling fatigued and looking for the next scare.
It is a tough genre to capture, and even in the best horror writers available, such insights into nature and the habits of other species need to be handled with care and sensitivity, and Great White does at least allude to them unlike many of the film’s peers.
Partly this is due to the presence of Katrina Bowden in the role of Kaz Fellows, and the support of Te Kohe Tuhaka as her and her husband’s friend and cook, Benny. Both actors bring a human quality of respect to the creature, and it is one that must be acknowledged brightly.
Looking back at Jaws now, it is understandable of how much damage it did sharks in general; it remains a classic due to its originality, but its legacy is one not to be admired, Great White does much to redress the balance, not quite enough to make the film a classic, but one that has a nodding respect to the delicate balance between humanity and the ocean.
Ian D. Hall