Film Review: Beast of War (2025) - Australia
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critic Circle of Australia)
I rated it 8/10
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Australian director Kiah Roache-Turner, that maestro of Aussie mayhem who brought us the gonzo gasoline-fueled zombie apocalypse of “Wyrmwood”, has traded desert highways for the unforgiving Timor Sea. In “Beast of War”, he delivers not just a shark movie, but a visceral, saltwater-soaked survival epic that feels ripped from a war journal found in Davy Jones' locker. Forget the bloated CGI spectacles that often pass for creature features; this is a film that believes in the primal terror of weight, displacement, and the gnashing of real teeth. It earns its points by being lean, mean, and terrifyingly tactile.
It's 1942. A ragged band of Australian soldiers, their ship shattered by Japanese fighters, clings to life on a flimsy raft. No water. No food. Only the vast, indifferent Pacific and the simmering tensions of men pushed to the brink. Then, the circling begins. Not planes this time, but something far older, far hungrier. A great white shark, yes, but one rendered mythic and demonic by its sheer, battle-scarred presence. This isn't Spielberg's sleek assassin; this is a 20-foot nightmare relic, its grey eyes windows to a predatory soul untouched by time. The ocean transforms from a prison of exposure into a claustrophobic arena of pure Darwinian horror.
The Beast Itself - The star of the show isn't human, it's the shark. Roache-Turner's gamble on a **predominantly animatronic terror pays off magnificently. This creature exists”. You feel its mass churning the water, the terrifying physics of its attacks. The scars, the worn teeth, those "soul-shattering grey eyes" – they create a presence no algorithm can replicate. It feels ancient, relentless, and utterly real. This is practical horror filmmaking at its most potent and persuasive.
Cinematographer Mark Wareham paints the screen with a palette of desperation and dread. Thick, clinging fog isn't just atmosphere; it's a character, a shroud that amplifies every ripple and splash into a potential death knell. It also masterfully disguises the film's scale, turning a likely studio tank into the boundless, terrifying Pacific. And then come the nights: illuminated by eerie bioluminescence, the raft floats in a neon-green hellscape, a stroke of visual genius that elevates this far beyond “Jaws” redux into something uniquely haunting and almost sci-fi.
Amidst the archetypal "soldier talk" (more on that later), Mark Coles Smith emerges as the film’s vital heart. His portrayal of Leo, an Indigenous soldier, adds crucial layers. He's not just battling the shark; he's navigating the treacherous waters of prejudice within his own crew. Smith brings a grounded intensity and weary resilience that makes his survival feel paramount, lending the carnage genuine human stakes. This blends particularly well with the rest of the battlers (played by Joel Nankervis, Sam Delich, Maximilian Johnson and Lee Tiger Halley) as they all reacts to the brink of death that calls upon them.
No film is perfect, especially one gleefully diving into B-movie waters. At a brisk 87 minutes, “Beast of War” is admirably relentless, but that pace leaves some characters feeling like body count fodder. Their motivations can be thin, their demises occasionally predictable genre beats. While the script captures the desperate camaraderie of stranded men, it sometimes leans a little heavily on familiar soldier archetypes and dialogue tropes. And yes, a few wider shots of the beast remind you of the budget – fleeting moments where the digital seams show against the otherwise impeccable physicality of the shark.
“Beast of War” is a hidden gem that understands the fundamental power of simplicity executed with passion and precision. It prioritizes dread over jump scares, atmosphere over excess. Roache-Turner crafts a world where the water itself feels hostile, and the creature within it is a force of pure, terrifying nature. It’s a blood-soaked, beautifully shot testament to the enduring power of practical effects and raw tension. Forget the imitators; this is easily one of the better shark movie in years, a gung-ho WWII nightmare that proves a primal premise, handled with technical skill and a palpable love for the craft, can still churn the stomach and quicken the pulse. It doesn't just bite; it mauls your expectations. See it. (Neo, 2026)