Creature features and whatever new shark movie is coming is always on my radar. The Black Demon teased a story with “The Meg” similarity in a brand new setting. Starting with the barest threads of common sense explained away by the family’s ties to their heritage in Mexico there is no denying decision-making by adults in this group. Paul (Josh Lucas, American Psycho) leads the charge after being sent to Baja to investigate a deep sea oil rig.
Steeped in urban legend carried throughout generations of fishermen in Baja waters, The Black Demon is whispered about in a similar vein to The Loch Ness Monster or Yowi. A creature swam in the depths of open waters and is said to have un-alived thousands of men. During this killing spree, it also took out loads of whales in the Pacific Ocean. The Black Demon movie doesn’t zero in on folklore and superstition. It doesn’t create an atmosphere of dread knowing a megalodon has a reputation amongst those in the know to be lurking about nearby—instead, the title rattles by with a drama-filled narrative.
Is the Megalodon in The Black Demon Accurate?
Some of the more interesting aspects of what could have been a dark and ominous narrative are lightly skimmed on. The family’s youngest, Tommy, hones in on some small figurines on an altar while his family is nearly assaulted. His only justification for such an act is the fact he wears a megalodon tooth necklace that he seems to like. The figurines feature tiny people on a boat. And from there, anyone who’s anyone is waiting for their first sighting of the Black Demon poster’s star, the megalodon.
The Megalodon True Story
The town’s (El Diamante) name can be translated to mean The Diamond. It’s clear when Paul, Ines (Fernanda Urrejola), and their two children arrive in the small seaside village the place is a shadow of its former self. As a result, they are met with hostility. Additionally, Paul faces off with locals in a confrontation before carrying on with his plans of going to work. One would assume, Paul would take his family somewhere safer. Instead, he takes off and leaves his wife, Audrey, and Tommy to fend off the elements.
Aside from the first quarter, The Black Demon shifts into low gear. Ines finds herself in a perilous situation that causes her to flee to the nearest jetty. Not only that but she is forced to shove all her money at the only person who can save them. Once on board the oil rig, things don’t improve. To be frank, the scripting is low-key flat. Waiting for the chaos of being in close quarters on an unpredictable ocean, if you haven’t reached for your phone to pass the boredom of what’s happening on screen, you’re a better person than I.
The Black Demon Movie
By the time the nefarious megalodon makes its appearance, its screentime is so infrequent you’d be forgiven for thinking it was never going to arrive. CGI and special effects are best seen on the cover of the movie itself. Gore is reserved to be mostly centric to a blood-in-the-water affair. Although, one hapless oil rig worker does get a Deep Blue Sea exit.
How Big is the Megalodon?
Said to be 60 ft (18 m), one might wonder why the giant fish is fixed on this particular part of the ocean. Although never explained in full, El Demonio Negro is said to live here. This particular oil rig on its last leg is where the megalodon likes to chill. The filmmakers did reach into the chum bucket of far superior shark movies by including a quote from “Jaws” but that certainly wasn’t enough to save this monotone singular level and uninteresting creature feature.
The Black Demon is rated
1.5 Megalodon is still alive but please don’t make a sequel out of 5
Think you’ve seen every creature feature? Check out these hidden movie gems:
Red Billabong (Australian horror) | The Meg (another Megladon movie) | The Flood (Crocodile horror) | and Something in the Water are some titles with similar themes as The Black Demon.
Where is the Black Demon Streaming?
The Black Demon 2023 is streaming on:
