CHUM — Stink Bait for Shark Simps

Review by Steve Barton II

​In the year of 2026, we have no shortage of large monster attack horror/thrillers, each with its own unique style and attention to special effects on the creatures themselves. Whether it’s a post-World War II Yeti or a shark attacking a crashed plane in the ocean, these creature features take pride in nailing the look and impact of their monster. With the new film Chum, they made the unfortunate decision to either use artificial intelligence or the cheapest technology available to create their murderous shark and it's disappointing to say the least. Chum follows a newlywed couple celebrating their wedding on a yacht trip in the Mediterranean. As their relationship begins to show cracks, their trip does as well when they find themselves trapped between a crazy ship captain and a shark who smells blood in the water.


Chum is a perfect name for this film, because it’s using the rotted remains of past films in an attempt to repurpose them for their own gain. From the opening scene being a cheap recreation/reimagining of the iconic opening sequence of Jaws, even down to the bastardizing John Williams’ incredible score. Any horror genre fans will immediately spot those references along with blatantly obvious lines like the villain stating “because you we’re here” like he’s one of the lame creeps from the newest Strangers trilogy. It’s one thing to pay homage to past inspirations with a creative twist or flair, but these examples just feel lazy and unnecessary.

The movie has five credited writers and it makes so much sense because it feels like we’re watching multiple movies at once. Certain movies like Dangerous Animals from last year can balance a shark and serial killer plot and flesh out both to make a coherent narrative, but Chum doesn’t. Jim Klock as the crazy captain Roy doesn’t feel believable as this mentally unstable guy, but his efforts in selling it become cartoonish. Unfortunately, they also failed to make their shark look even remotely realistic or menacing. The VFX team either went on strike, plugged a prompt into the trash robot of ChatGPT and produced absolute slop or they simply just didn’t get paid enough because Chum makes Sharknado look like Avatar by comparison. Either way you slice it, the villains of this movie are neither thrilling nor entertaining and leave the audience feeling unfulfilled and frustrated.


The one saving grace that Chum has is the familiar beautiful face of Alice Eve as our lead bride. While she does have a few dramatic moments where she can show her acting prowess, unfortunately she alone couldn’t save the sinking ship that is Chum. The remainder of the cast are fairly unknown actors who do their best with their poorly developed characters who are ultimately just cannon fodder for the carnivorous sea beast. Johnny Gaffney’s performance as the annoying comic relief is easily the most memorable of the crew but not enough to warrant the price of admission.


In the end, Chum is a film that’s truly missing its own identity. Whilst paying tribute to the gods who laid the foundation, director Johnathan Zuck forgot the best and most important aspect of a horror/thriller and that’s to make it thrilling or frightening in any way. People who aren’t craving the brutal carnage may find the lack of scares or disturbing visuals refreshing, but audiences looking for a realistic shark attack won’t find anything resembling that with Chum. Chum will be best enjoyed with commentary from the MST3K crew or at a party with friends looking to laugh at a silly B-movie, but it won’t be joining the monster movie Mount Rushmore.

Chum swims its way into theaters and VOD on June 5th!

Rating: 1/5