Beast of War
| Beast of War | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Kiah Roache-Turner |
| Screenplay by | Kiah Roache-Turner |
| Produced by | Blake NorthField Chris Brown |
| Starring | Mark Coles Smith Joel Nankervis Sam Delich Lee Tiger Halley Maximillian Johnson |
| Cinematography | Mark Wareham |
| Edited by | Kiah Roache-Turner Regg Skwarko |
| Music by | Francois Tetaz |
Production companies | Bronte Pictures Pictures in Paradise |
| Distributed by | Cornerstone |
Release dates | |
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
Beast of War is a 2025 Australian shark horror-thriller film merging creature feature with war survival drama set during World War II directed by Kiah Roache-Turner and starring Mark Coles Smith, Joel Nankervis, Sam Delich, Lee Tiger Halley, Masa Yamaguchi, and Maximillian Johnson.
Plot
A group of young soldiers, fresh out of boot camp, find themselves stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean after their ship is sunk by the enemy and must battle for their lives against a giant hungry great white shark.[2]
Cast
- Mark Coles smith as Leo
- Joel Nankervis as Will
- Sam Delich as Des Kelly
- Maximillian Johnson as Stan
- Lee Tiger Halley as Teddy
- Sam Parsonson as Thompson
- Triston McKinnon as Bobby
- Aswan Reid as Archie
- Masa Yamaguchi as Commander Tetsuo Harada
- Lauren Grimson as Hazel
- Laura Brogan Browne as Susan
- Steve Le Marquand as Sergeant
- Jay Gallagher as Corporal 1
- John Sparke as Corporal 2
- Matthew Scully as Lone Soldier
Production
Beast of War began filming on 1 August 2024 in South Australia. The filmmakers used a prosthetic shark, like Steven Spielberg had with Jaws. The film's director, Kiah Roache-Turner, revealed that their shark was female and nicknamed 'Shazza' by the crew.[3]
The film came about when producer Blake Northfield messaged Kiah, telling him he had access to a water tank and asked him to write a screenplay for a horror film set on water.[4]
The director claimed that the making of the shark flick was "the hardest thing" he had ever filmed, stating that lighting, stunt work and the construction of the 40-meter water tank was incredibly difficult.[5][6]
Release
Beast of War premiered worldwide at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival. The film was released worldwide on Blu-ray in November that year.[7] It received a direct to streaming release and was released on Shudder in January 2026.[8][9]
Critical reception
The feature received mostly positive reviews. The Guardian gave it a four out of five star rating, stating "This smashingly well-paced and gung-ho film feels like it exists on the edge of consciousness – not quite reality, not entirely a nightmare, and certainly not a history lesson."[1]
OutKick referred to the film as "the shark movie we've all been waiting for—no tornadoes, no CGI".[10]
ScreenAnarchy claimed the shark flick was a "blend of genre thrills, historical drama, and social commentary" and said it "came with an unexpected emotional weight behind a premise that sounds like pure pulp". Kiah Roache-Turner also got praise for his directing skills, with Anarchy saying that "Roache-Turner remains visually ambitious and will be praised for his commitment to practical effects".[11]
Bloody Disgusting said the film impressed with "slick practical effects and strong performances".[12]
Digital Spy called the film a "clever and tense must see".[13]
References
- 1 2 Buckmaster, Luke (15 August 2025). "Beast of War review – a gung-ho second world war movie, with a great white twist". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ "Beast of War movie review & film summary". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ "BEAST OF WAR Interview: Director Kiah Roache-Turner, Sharks, Soldiers, And The Soul of a Nation". ScreenAnarchy. 7 October 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ Navarro, Meagan. "'Beast of War' Shark Practical Effects Made Cast and Crew Scared to Get in the Water [Interview] - Bloody Disgusting". bloody-disgusting.com. Archived from the original on 20 July 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ Comments, Tom Chang | (26 October 2025). "Beast of War Director on Stunts, Shark, Diving Further into War-Horror". bleedingcool.com. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ Comments, Tom Chang | (24 October 2025). "Beast of War Director Talks World War II & Shark Survival Horror Film". bleedingcool.com. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ DiVincenzo, Alex. "World War II Shark Thriller 'Beast of War' Swims Onto Blu-ray Next Month - Bloody Disgusting". bloody-disgusting.com. Archived from the original on 5 November 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ "'Beast of War' Shudder Review: Stream It or Skip It?". 24 January 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ DiVincenzo, Alex. "World War II Shark Thriller 'Beast of War' Swims Onto Shudder in January - Bloody Disgusting". bloody-disgusting.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ Reigle, Matt (10 October 2025). "'Beast Of War' Looks Like The Shark Movie We've Been Waiting For — No Tornadoes, No CGI". OutKick. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ "BEAST OF WAR Review: Kiah Roache-Turner's Shark Horror Thriller is Full of Teeth -- And Purpose". ScreenAnarchy. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ Navarro, Meagan. "Beast of War Review - Slick Shark Thriller Impresses". bloody-disgusting.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ ""Clever" and "tense" Australian survival thriller that's a "must-see" lands new UK streaming home". Digital Spy. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
External links
- Beast of War at IMDb