THRASH -- Netflix's Attempt at a Shark Movie

Review by Steve Barton II

When it comes to horror, the amount of sub-genres are vast and plentiful. One of the most popular of the entire collection being shark movies, often nicknamed “Sharksploitation” by fans. Since the birth of the genre when Bruce swam onto the scene with Steven Spielberg's Jaws, hundreds of imitations have invaded cinemas, video stores and streamers alike. Thrash is the newest addition to this large ocean, but it may not survive with the kings of the sea. Thrash follows three simultaneous stories all happening during a category five hurricane that destroys their coastal town and the storm brings in some undesired guests.

The one thing you certainly can’t deny about Thrash is that it checks off all the boxes on the “must haves” list for a shark movie. You begin with minor character setup and set stakes high immediately with a marine researcher (played by the always great Djimon Honsou) who is desperate to save his agoraphobic niece, Dakota (Whitney Peak) who became trapped when the storm came in. Dakota’s character development is the only one worth mentioning because she’s forced to face her fears in order to save a pregnant woman, Lisa (Phoebe Dynevor) from being trapped in her car and becoming the next course in the shark buffet. The pregnant Lisa and her silly playlist were present purely to heighten stakes, build tension and bring cheap giggles. The third plot follows a group of foster children who are abused by their foster parents and they leave the kids behind when the storm hits. The kids’ plot felt like runtime padding more than a necessary story to tell in this silly shark movie.

The effects in Thrash were hit and miss throughout the runtime, especially when it came to the sharks. While the digital sharks certainly had some effort put into them, shark kills have looked better in the past with less. The filmmakers use some practical effects like blood splatter and fun weapons, but the actors acting against digital didn’t work too well. With Bruce the Shark proving that animatronic sharks won’t work, but I think they should’ve tried more tricks, rather than relying on the computer to sell the scare. There are a few tense moments with the sharks, but you can quickly see that the main characters have invisible plot armor on and no shark tooth will penetrate it. The sound effects team deserves the most praise when it comes to the production of Thrash. The eerie sounds and the tension it builds sells the movies more than anything on screen warrants. The music and sound design certainly aids in building the tension moments, but the practical cameo from Vanessa Carlton may be one of the goofiest needle drops of 2026!

In the end, Thrash is just another piece of bait for the shark movie fans to sink their teeth into and nothing more. Sony originally planned a theatrical release for Thrash, but they saw the writing on the wall (and script) and decided streaming would be a better fit. It’s a movie that would’ve done numbers on Blockbuster shelves or Walmart bargain bins back in 2008, but it’s just okay by today’s standards. With a higher budget and a bit more passion behind it, Thrash may have been something special, but its a carbon copy of the many others.  It may find its audience in the vast ocean of Netflix, but Thrash is only treading water at best.

Thrash splashes onto your television on April 10th on Netflix! 

Rating: 2.5/5