The Mother of Movies likes films about sharks. I am also a fan of writer-director Andrew Traucki. He has pumped out some of the best creature feature movies around. Films like “Black Water”, “The Reef”, and a segment of “The ABCs of Death” have all sat very well among films I like. Suffice it to say, it pains me that the sequel to the very good original 2010 movie The Reef: Stalked wasn’t what I was expecting. I immediately heard the chatter about this film, and early reviews suggested fans weren’t overly happy. The title is sitting on IMBd.com at a lowly 4.1/10.
Initially, some of the complaints I heard about The Reef: Stalked were the usual routine. Some said the acting was bad, others that the CGI was terrible and that it was simply bad storytelling in general. At first, I wasn’t put off. I like Great White (Martin Wilson) and I have a fairly high tolerance for horror movie tropes. I read an interview with the director himself and saw that Traucki had also incorporated some important social themes about domestic abuse. Subsequently, I went in thinking, that shark horror movie fans are just a little picky sometimes.
But then I watched it.
The opening scenes of The Reef were beautifully executed. Filmmakers set the stage with a group of adventurous girls, brimming with girl-power as they embark on a spearfishing expedition. What truly impressed me was the way the shark, a persistent presence, gradually infiltrates its unsuspecting prey’s surroundings. Despite having already had a taste of the action, this relentless predator lingers, making it abundantly clear that it is not ready to back down.
Definition For Stalked
The first quarter showed no signs of terrible performances as people were saying. More importantly, after Nic goes through the trauma of finding her sister murdered at the hands of her husband, not much time passes before we get to see the man in the grey suit. Cinematography isn’t overly reliant on CGI, there are some well-executed underwater shots of real sharks timed with above-water attacks. However, between all these positive notes and the end, the complaints unquestionably come thick and fast.
Inconsistent characters for example. What I wanted was the experience of deep sea divers and I got a bunch of women who looked like they forgot sharks live in the ocean too. While I liked the concept of drawing attention to trauma and having Nic relive her ordeal, there were enough flashbacks about it to sink a small ship.
The middle of The Reef: Stalked was so excruciatingly slow I almost fast-forwarded through it despite loving the idea of including indigenous residents into the mix. By the time this group of friends has lost one of their own and seen a young girl narrowly escape the Great White’s jaws, there is no reason for them to sticky tape some Kayaks together and attempt to drown them with a fish they caught attached to a buoy.
Watch The Reef: Stalked 2022 Exclusive Final Trailer below
Movies With Shark Attacks
The title of The Reef Stalked full movie was released to cinemas on the 28th of July, 2022. The creature feature movie was available digitally in the UK on the same date. You can purchase the DVD from Amazon.com. Additionally, this movie is available to stream on the Shudder platform and AMC+ Prime Video from July 29th. For more options on where to watch The Reef 2, Stalked, check the link below.
Director and writer Andrew Traucki
The Cast of The Reef Stalked has Teressa Liane, Ann Truong, Saskia Archer, Kate Lister, and Bridget Burt.
And yes that was as ridiculous as it sounds.
The Reef: Stalked is rated
2.5 Sorry not sorry out of 5
