Director: Jonathan Zuck
Writers: Dick Grunert, Ryan R. Johnson, James Kondelik
Stars: Alice Eve, Eric Michael Cole, Jim Klock
Synopsis: 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.
Shark films occupy a fascinating corner of cinema. For every genre-defining masterpiece like Jaws, there have been countless imitators hoping to capture the same magic. Some have succeeded surprisingly well. Films such as The Shallows and Deep Blue Sea understood that audiences come for the sharks but stay for the tension. Others have embraced outright absurdity, with everything from Sharknado to giant prehistoric predators leaping through blockbuster spectacles. Yet for every memorable shark movie, dozens disappear without a trace, lost somewhere in the murky depths between suspense and silliness. Thankfully, Chum falls into the more entertaining category. It embraces its ridiculous premise with enough enthusiasm to make for a surprisingly enjoyable film.
The setup is wonderfully chaotic from the start. It wastes no time in action and drama, letting audiences know exactly what this film is about. What should be a dream wedding in the sun-drenched beauty of Malta quickly spirals into a nightmare when a deadly shark begins circling the celebrations. If that wasn’t enough trouble, a mysterious fisherman with his own sinister agenda enters the picture, turning a survival story into something far more unpredictable. Suddenly, the wedding guests find themselves trapped between a hungry predator in the water and a dangerous human threat on land. It’s a premise that sounds like several different films stitched together, and in many ways, that’s exactly what makes Chum entertaining.
Visually, the film benefits enormously from its setting. Malta provides a beautiful backdrop that contrasts nicely with the increasingly bloody events unfolding throughout the story. The crystal-clear waters and picturesque scenery create a false sense of security that the film gleefully destroys whenever possible. The music is very important and used extremely well in building the suspense in this film, as well as creating the overall party and easy vibe the characters are feeling before dread and despair set in.
Alice Eve brings welcome credibility to the production, delivering a committed performance even when the script occasionally veers into familiar genre territory. She’s joined by a solid ensemble that helps bring this story to life – convincingly. Nobody plays the material as a joke, but neither does anyone take it so seriously that the fun disappears.
One of Chum’s more enjoyable qualities is its willingness to add extra layers to what could have been a straightforward shark attack movie. The inclusion of the fisherman subplot introduces an additional threat that keeps the narrative moving whenever the shark isn’t actively causing problems. This dual-threat approach gives the film a slightly different flavor from many of its aquatic horror contemporaries.
That said, the screenplay occasionally struggles to juggle all of its moving parts. The shark, the fisherman, the wedding drama, and the relationship tensions don’t always fit together seamlessly. There are moments where the film feels torn between being a creature feature, a survival thriller, and a relationship drama.
The shark effects themselves are a mixed bag. At times, the creature looks genuinely intimidating, particularly when glimpsed beneath the water’s surface. At other moments, budget limitations become more noticeable. Thankfully, the film’s overall aesthetic allows for this without it being cheesy or cheap. Just watch out for some pieces of dialogue and how they’re executed; it can be pretty basic, but that’s what we love B-movies for.
What works particularly well is the pacing. At just 87 minutes, Chum isn’t as dull as dishwater. The film moves quickly from one crisis to the next, keeping audiences entertained without getting bogged down in unnecessary exposition. The body count steadily rises and not just in the form of added side characters you know are there to be shark bait.
It’s messy in places, occasionally predictable, and sometimes held back by its budget, but it’s also entertaining, self-aware, and surprisingly suspenseful. In a crowded sea of shark movies, Chum manages to avoid sinking entirely and instead offers a fun, blood-soaked diversion that knows how to have a good time. A must-watch for shark-thriller fans!
