Sharksploitation(2023)(Review)

A couple of weeks ago, Shudder released a new documentary to the world that perfectly lined up with Discovery’s Shark Week & Ben Wheatley’s “The Meg 2”. It’s a documentary that explicitly dives into the world of shark-based media, exploring everything from it’s inception, to it’s evolution and copycats, all the way to it’s impact.
Writer/director Stephen Scarlata previously gave us another fantastic documentary titled ‘Jodorowsky’s Dune’, so he has already displayed his prowess as a historian, critic, and nerd. His attention to detail, consistent cast of interviewees and experts, and his own projected humor create a well thought-out experience that is equally as entertaining as it is informative.

It goes from the early Pre-Code films, to the explosion of Stephen Spielberg’s ‘Jaws’, to it’s many, many imitators and infamous sequels, up to modern-day releases that keep the spirit alive. It spends significant amounts of time on some of the most memorable entries (Deep Blue Sea, Sharknado, etc.) while touching base on practically every bizarre offering that you most likely have never heard of. Along the chronologic journey we take, we are also addressed by scientists, oceanographers, and marine biologists who talk about the misconceptions of sharks in general, urban legends and common folklore, humanity’s lifelong fascination in wonder of these sea creatures, the negative impact these films have contributed to society’s consciousness, and proposals to how we can atone.

The summer may be dwindling down, and we may be slowly getting out of the waters for the rest of the season, but this is absolutely a grand experience to dive right into.

4/5
“Sharksploitation” is streaming exclusively on Shudder.

‘Til Next Time,
Mike Cleopatra