Connect with us

Published

on

Summer (unofficially) kicks off this week, so it’s time we head back into the water…

With the release of Jaws back in 1975, Steven Spielberg not only paved the way for the “summer blockbuster” as we know it today, but he also wrote the book on killer shark cinema. In the 40+ years since Jaws came out, no other filmmaker has even come close to capturing the terror of Spielberg’s horror masterpiece, though many have of course tried. Countless imitators came in the wake of Jaws, with the shark attack sub-genre hitting new lows in more recent years thanks to silly Syfy efforts like Sharknado and Sharktopus.

All hope is not lost, however, as quality shark cinema seems to be on the rise.

Jaume Collet-Serra’s The Shallows was, if you’re asking me, the best shark attack horror movie since Jaws, and last year’s Johannes Roberts-directed 47 Meters Down wasn’t too shabby in its own right. With the release of the big-budget The Meg on the horizon for this summer, you could say that sharks are back in a big way in the horror genre.

We even just got a direct-to-video sequel to super fun ’90s shark flick Deep Blue Sea, almost 20 years after the fact, further suggesting we’ve got a trend on our hands.

But make no mistake. As rare as it may have been, quality shark attack horror wasn’t completely nonexistent between Deep Blue Sea and The Shallows, with two films in particular standing out.

Released in 2003, Chris Kentis’ minimalist horror flick Open Water reminded audiences why they should probably think twice before going for a swim, while over in Australia, The Reef did much the same back in 2010. It’s the latter film that we’re here to shine the spotlight on today, as it hasn’t quite gotten the same attention as the American film that would seem to have inspired it.

Written and directed by Andrew Traucki, The Reef (based, horrifyingly, on true events) centers on a group of five friends who take a sailboat into Australia’s Great Barrier Reef for a little fun in the sun. Not long after they arrive, the boat runs into a patch of coral reef and capsizes, stranding the three men and two women quite literally in the middle of the ocean. Drifting further and further out with each passing minute, they soon make the decision to swim for an island several miles away; that’s when they realize they’re being methodically hunted by a Great White.

If there’s one thing about modern shark movies that sucks the fear right out of them it’s unquestionably bad CGI, and one need only re-watch Jaws to be reminded how much more effective a movie monster can be when it’s practically created in the real world. But The Reef, rather than utilizing digital effects or even animatronics, takes the sub-genre to a whole new level by employing real sharks. Yes, the sharks in Australia’s answer to Open Water are 100% real, and it’s because there’s not an ounce of noticeable CGI in sight that the film is so very effective at, well, scaring the living shit out of you.

Whenever you see a shark in The Reef, it’s obvious that it’s the real deal, and there are a few thoroughly breathtaking, pants-shitting sequences where the shark is in such close proximity to the actors that it’s hard to tell how Traucki even pulled it off. You fear not just for the characters but also for the actors, and there’s just something so potent and real about the whole thing. But what really seals the deal on The Reef being one of the best shark attack horror flicks in the past ten years is not just how terrifying those attack scenes are, but perhaps more importantly, how terrifying it is when you see nothing at all.

Like Open Water, The Reef could best be described as a minimalist horror film, and it’s Traucki’s “less is more” approach that really works wonders here. It’s 50-minutes into the film before we catch our first glimpse of the shark, and even after he does show up, Traucki mostly makes us – right along with the ill-fated characters – anticipate the beast’s return. We often have no idea when the shark is around or when he’s going to strike, and the fear and paranoia etched onto the faces of the characters really tells the whole story. When it comes to horror, what you don’t quite see tends to be way more terrifying than what you do, and The Reef knocks that particular method of restrained suspense out of the park.

As for the kill scenes, of which there are a few, they’re executed with much the same restraint. Some viewers may be disappointed that Traucki doesn’t go a little further with them, showing more and perhaps even adding some gruesome gore into the mix, but that’s just not the movie he set out to make here. The name of the game is realism, and The Reef smartly dials back the action in service of that realism.

So if you’re looking for a genuinely scary shark film, look no further than The Reef. Pair it with Open Water for a double feature that will ensure you never go into the water again.

At the time of writing this, The Reef is streaming through Amazon Prime.

Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

Published

on

leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

Continue Reading