The Megalodon film with a conscience is a battle between Black Demon and White Devil. It’s competently acted, but it doesn’t stand out from other films in the giant killer shark genre.
Oilman Paul Sturges’ (Josh Lucas, Ford v. Ferrari, The Forever Purge) family is sent on a trip for business to Baja. They soon discover that the community, which was once vibrant and built by his company, has now become an empty shell. This has happened due to environmental damage, or perhaps something bigger, caused by the offshore oil platform Paul had been assigned to inspect.
Now stranded together in the middle of the ocean on the decaying rig, the well-to-do family must join forces with the two surviving blue-collar workers to fight their way back to the safety of the shore while trying to outwit a vengeful, seemingly supernaturally-manifested swimming metaphor and a literal ticking clock.
Human Nature vs. Sharks is a simple to understand film that focuses on the people at the heart of the issue. Horror/thriller based on nature. The film is a nature horror/thriller.
Josh Lucas may have added some credibility and stardom to Walking White Privilege but Fernanda Urejola’s ( Cry Macho, Narcos Mexico ) performance as Ines Paul’s wife, a streetwise mother with a firm foot in the Mexican and corporate cultures and Julio Cesar Cedillo’s ( Queen of the South, Narcos Mexico ) portrayal of Chato an oil worker, who selflessly chose
As Paul goes from being a hero to a villain and finds his way to redemption, Ines and Chato are the ones who keep us interested, while sharks’ exploits that follow the rules play out around them in the oily, black murk.
Grunberg’s “man’s greed unleashed an angry spirit creature from local legend who took out its anger on a evil corporation that was destroying the earth” angle is effective. Unfortunately, the intriguing supernatural elements that were introduced early in the film are almost completely abandoned at the halfway point. This was a huge missed opportunity which would have allowed the film to be able to stand alone.
The Black Demon won’t be winning any awards in terms of originality. But that doesn’t matter as long as the movie serves one purpose: to entertain. If you want to enjoy some Man vs. Megalodon-inspired comfort food, you can’t do better than The Black Demon.
You may leave the dinner table hungry.
Javier Chapa and Jon Silk produced the film.
Arianne Fraser, Delphine Perrier
Boise Esquerra and Carlos Cisco
Directored by Adrian Grunberg
Starring Josh Lucas, Fernanda Urrejola,
Julio Cedillo, Hector Jimenez, Raul Mendez,
Venus Ariel, Jorge A. Jimenez, Edgar Flores,
Omar Patin, Arturo Duverge, Luis del Valle