We’re halfway through August, but it’s still heating up! Coming to UK digital platforms is shark-infested Slasher, Chum.
A newlywed couple joins friends on a Mediterranean yacht excursion, only to find themselves caught between a predatory shark and a psychopathic killer in their midst-transforming a sun-drenched escape into a fight for survival.
Chum, IMDB
Shark attack. As a man recounts in poetic fashion his wife’s death, we see it unfold on screen — an idyllic lagoon retreat stained with blood and teeth. Elsewhere on Malta, Tina and Tom manage to get through their wedding while staving off arguments until they’re alone in their room again. An unhappy start to their marriage surely puts them at odds, but the offer of a yacht ride on the Mediterranean provides a remedy for both hangovers and marital strife. That is, until disaster strikes — both under the water, and above it.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a shark-Slasher combo like Chum before. The violent tendencies of ocean animals are scary enough, but you’re safe as long as you stay out of the water. Chum turns that safe haven into an unimaginable cruise of terror as well. The wedding party must use their smarts the best the killer, all while swimming for their lives if they happen to fall into the deep ocean water. Once Chum leaves the resort and reaches the ocean, it’s no holds barred when love and life are on the line.
Being a shark movie and a Slasher, Chum has some rather high expectations for blood and guts (the “chum” in question here). And I would say that it does pretty well in that regard. Close-ups of bitten-off legs, whole body chomps, and waves of blood grace our screens as the group fights for survival on a fishing boat. I will also say that the shark in question wasn’t too shabby-looking either. Filming underwater scenes with a man-eating fish is a hard job, requiring plenty of CGI*. The shark is obviously not real, but I think the filmmakers did a good job at making it believable with swift action shots and closeups of razor sharp teeth.
Now I will say that Chum‘s underlying relationship drama was a bit lackluster — and in my opinion, the reasoning behind it was dumb. Good thing we don’t harp too much on it! While Tom and Tina’s love life grows soft, antagonist Roy’s past loss comes back with a vengeance (he’s the unfortunate husband from the start of the film). I was worried about the reasoning behind his transgressions but it does end up making at least a bit of sense.
Chum isn’t just your average shark movie; with the addition of that extra killer motive, it turns into an even bigger fight for survival. An animal attack movie involving a very human killer, Chum‘s trouble in paradise makes for yet another seaside slaughterhouse.
Chum is available on UK digital platforms today. Follow Plaion Pictures on Instagram for more.
*There are accusations of AI use that the filmmakers and producers have (at the time of this writing) denied implementing. This review is based on the assumption of a non-AI production.
