A group of dangerous mob men are travelling by car, armed with weapons. Hidden in the car’s trunk are several wooden boxes of gold bullion. While driving at high speed, the driver swerves to avoid something on the road, causing a tragic accident. Although the men are unharmed, the car and all the gold bullion plunge into a river and sink to the bottom. The mob boss, Dylan “Bull” Maddock (Jake Ryan), is furious. As using a crane to pull the car and gold out would attract too much attention, he decides to enlist a skilled team to retrieve his sunken fortune.
Sea Dog Diving, managed by Ernie (Arthur Angel) along with his two staff members, Jimmy (Jacob Junior Nayinggul) and Clara (Hermione Corfield), work in the areas of repairs, piping, and salvage operations. However, the business has struggled lately, with no paid jobs for the past four months. Fortunately, a new job opportunity arises for Ernie and his team. They are tasked with doing a deep dive into a river filled with fallen trees and dirty water to retrieve the contents from the rear of a crashed car. The pay for this job is excellent, provided they can keep it off the books. Ernie accepts the job, and the dive begins as the team arrives on site. However, they soon discover it won’t be easy, as they encounter an adult female bull shark in the river. This shark is large, highly aggressive, and potentially pregnant, posing a serious threat to anyone near its territory.
The team is not equipped to handle such a dangerous creature, so they call a local fisherman and shark hunter named Bob Drummond (Clayton Watson) for assistance. The crew will now work with Bob to collect the gold bullion from the giant bull shark safely. However, given the mob’s sinister intention, the Sea Dog Divers soon learn there’s a significant threat to them in the river and on dry land. This small group must somehow work together to find a safe solution and escape both the bull shark and the dangerous mob.
Fear Below can be best described as a thriller film with elements of horror and adventure. The plot is relatively straightforward and introduces the various characters right away. The film was co-written and directed by Matthew Holmes, who previously directed The Legend of Ben Hall (2016) and The Cost (2022).
Those who enjoy horror films will be pleased to know that the bull shark and the various kills are satisfying. I applaud the shark’s appearance and the work done on the special effects and puppetry. The bull shark is attractive whenever she appears and looks impressive. The violence that comes with the bull shark is also an incredible sight to see. The aftermath includes blood spilling and limbs. At its core, Fear Below feels more like a thriller, and audiences will be curious about the film’s outcomes and if any survivors will still be alive at the film’s end.
The performances were generally good, but some lines of dialogue felt forced and distracting at times. The musical score was effective during tense and horrifying moments. Still, sometimes, it felt unnecessary or excessive, especially during simple conversations when the background score didn’t match or seemed never-ending.
Overall, Fear Below is an enjoyable Australian film that delivers a straightforward plot, a short runtime, and thrilling moments. If you are a fan of shark films, intense scenes and bloody violence, I highly recommend watching this movie. The visuals of the shark are stunning, and the special effects are praiseworthy. The gore, blood, and dismemberment scenes are also well-done. The performances are good, although a few lines of dialogue feel out of place, and the film’s music score doesn’t always match the scenes. The costumes are praiseworthy and contribute to the convincing time period. Despite minor concerns, I am confident that audiences will have a good time with this film, and it’s another Australian movie worth supporting!
Fear Below (2024) is Available at Monster Fest from Melbourne from October 4th to 12th!
5.9/10
5th October 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
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