Movies
[Review] ‘The Meg’ Is Well Aware What Kind of Movie It Is and Delivers Monster Sized Fun
Discerning genre geeks face a weird dilemma when it comes to shark movies: basically, Jaws is one of the best movies ever made (obviously) and the basic concept of “shark vs. people” is of course very appealing to those who like horror, action, or quality b-movies in general. So why are decent shark movies so damn rare? It’s not exactly brain surgery here, but despite the massive success of Jaws, there have only been a small handful of half-decent flicks on the Shark Attack shelf. You’ll find plenty of people who like Jaws 2, Deep Blue Sea, Shark Night, and The Shallows — and if you dig into the indies you’ll find some good stuff like The Reef and 47 Meters Down — but let’s face it; shark movies you’d sit through more than once are pretty few and far between, which is sort of a shame.
So obviously as a fan of all things shark-related I sat down with Hollywood’s latest effort and prepared myself for a goofy good time. The Meg, after all, is about a giant, prehistoric shark that makes its way into populated waters and the only thing that can stand in its way is ass-kicker Jason Statham and an amiably eclectic group of sidekicks and supporting characters. Much like Shark Night, The Meg has a very firm sense of humor about the ridiculousness of its premise, and it’s that sort of “we’re all in on the joke” approach that makes The Meg unexpectedly amusing, even during the talky bits.
Based on the (fun!) novel by Steve Alten, The Meg feels like little more than a SyFy Channel movie with much better actors and a much bigger budget. So, of course, there are some confusing editorial missteps, a few flat line readings, and a handful of digital effects that look about half-finished. But at its best moments (and it does have several) The Meg is simply a broad, simple monster movie with a solid sense of humor, some basic but likable characters, and one really epic monster.
Fans of stoic action star Jason Statham will certainly enjoy his work here, as he’s asked to be a bit lighter and more pleasant this time around. Hell, the man actually smiles a few times, as if to remind us “Yep, this is the guy you want as the hero in your giant shark flick.” Fortunately Statham is flanked by a solid handful of support; Bingbing Li, Ruby Rose, Cliff Curtis, Rainn Wilson, Page Kennedy, and Robert Taylor each add their own little spice to the stew in between all the Megalodon attacks and tracking beacons and imploding submarines, but The Meg exists for pretty much one reason: to put a giant freakin’ shark up on the big screen, and to do so with a relative amount of logic and sense. (“Relative” being the key word there.)
And let’s make no mistake. The Meg does struggle with a few of the talky bits. It’s as if the filmmakers know their story is pulp nonsense, yet they still have to give us 45 minutes of (fairly entertaining) set-up before we can get to the (PG-13-level) carnage, if only because that’s how most monster movies are structured. But then we’ll cut to some really nifty underwater sequences and everything picks up steam again.
To its credit, The Meg is at its best when it’s evoking disaster movie tropes and the sort of kinetic chases and escapes that we all know from quality adventure flicks. As a close cousin to horror, The Meg barely registers a blip on the radar, but as a knowingly goofy and amiably laid-back adventure movie matinee, I think The Meg is frequently a whole lot of fun. Simple, predictable, and often familiar, but hey. Fun is fun.
And since nobody’s ever going to top Jaws as far as scary shark movies go, I have no problem with knowingly pulpy ones like The Meg. I’d probably even line up for a sequel.
Ghostface is back on the big screen this weekend… well, sort of… with the release of Scary Movie, which marks the Wayans brothers’ return to the horror spoof franchise for the first time since Scary Movie 2 back in the day. It’s likely to be the talk of the horror community for the weekend, but don’t overlook the other six genre movies that were freshly unleashed today.
Here’s all the new horror that released on Friday, June 5, 2026.
The horror spoof franchise is back with Scary Movie now playing in theaters!
Marlon Wayans (“Shorty”), Shawn Wayans (“Ray”), Anna Faris (“Cindy”), and Regina Hall (“Brenda”) reunite for the new Scary Movie, with the cast also including Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliott, Jon Abrahams, Damon Wayans Jr., Gregg Wayans, Kim Wayans, Benny Zielke, Cameron Scott Roberts, Heidi Gardner, Olivia Rose Keegan, Ruby Snowber, Savannah Lee Nassif, Sydney Park, and Felissa Rose.
Twenty-six years after outrunning a suspiciously familiar masked killer (“Ghostface”), the Core Four are back in the killer’s crosshairs and no horror movie IP is safe…
Scary Movie will slash through reboots, remakes, requels, prequels, sequels, spin-offs, elevated horror, origin stories, anything with the word legacy in it, and every “final chapter” that absolutely isn’t. A whole lot has changed in the horror genre since the Wayans Brothers were in charge of the franchise; their involvement ended with Scary Movie 2 back in 2001!
Michael Tiddes (A Haunted House) directs Scary Movie 6 from a script written by Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, original Scary Movie director Keenen Ivory Wayans, Craig Wayans (Scary Movie 2), and Rick Alvarez (A Haunted House).
From IFC, shark attack movie Chum is now available on Digital.
Alice Eve (Haunting of Queen Mary) stars in shark attack movie alongside Eric Michael Cole, Jim Klock, Elle Haymond, Lisa Yaro, Johnny Gaffney, and Sarah Siadat.
This one sounds very similar to last year’s Dangerous Animals…
Here’s the plot: “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.”
Jonathan Zuck directs Chum, from a script by Jonathan Zuck and Joe Leone.
Samara Weaving (Ready or Not 2: Here I Come) and Kyle Gallner (Strange Darling) come together in Carolina Caroline, a sexy crime thriller now playing in theaters.
It’s not a horror movie, mind you, but it’s worth a mention here all the same.
Kyra Sedgwick (Family Movie) and Jon Gries also star in the romantic crime thriller.
Director Adam Carter Rehmeier’s film stars Samara Weaving as Caroline Daniels, whose desire to leave her small Texas town brings her into the orbit of a charismatic con man (Kyle Gallner), and together they weave a path of crime and passion across the American Southeast.
Adam Rehmeier previously directed the films Dinner in America and Snack Shack.
Tom Dean wrote the screenplay for Carolina Caroline.
Similar to Steven Spielberg’s upcoming big screen blockbuster Disclosure Day, Signal One explores humankind’s enduring question: what if we aren’t alone in the universe?
The sci-fi thriller is now available on Digital.
Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan), Josh Hutcherson (Five Nights at Freddy’s), David Thewlis (Harry Potter), Raoul Bhaneja (Possessor), Emma Ho (“The Expanse”), and Dennis Quaid (The Substance) star in Signal One from director Jonathan Sobol (The Art of the Steal).
When tech billionaire Sam Houston (Quaid) hires the brilliant computer scientist Annika (Fuhrman), she ventures to an isolated facility run by the brilliant, nihilistic creator of LITTLEMOUTH, a machine which can communicate with alien intelligence.
Annika soon learns some humanity-altering facts: that we are not alone in the universe, that alien intelligences are communicating around us at every moment, and that we are likely too primitive to even remotely understand what they are trying to tell us.
When the goal of the endeavor shifts from listening to talking back, the project rapidly devolves into chaos. With contact comes consequences, and soon Annika and the team must work to ensure the very survival of our species.
A schoolyard dare becomes an urban legend in the creepypasta-inspired horror anthology The Summoning. The indie film is now available on Digital from Brainstorm Media.
“A babysitting gig becomes a nightmare of urban legend when three teens summon Baby Blue. Survival depends on uncovering the past to escape a mother’s wrath from beyond the grave.”
Felipe Vargas (Rosario, Hive), Sergio Gonzalez, Brandon Piskorik, Corey Benson Powers, and Brian Sepanzyk direct the segments. Valeria San Martín, Justina Ceballos, Daniela Flombaum, Nannu Spannauss, Agustín Olcese, and Giovanni Onetti star.
The Summoning is written by Camilo Zaffora.
Happy Death Day actress Jessica Rothe stars as a mom struggling to keep her grip on her sanity and memory in the mind-bending Affection, now available on Digital at home.
In Affection, “Afflicted by a mysterious condition that resets her memory, Ellie becomes trapped in a cyclical nightmare with a man who claims to be her husband. She soon must uncover the horrifying truth of her existence—before she forgets it all again.“
Joseph Cross (“Big Little Lies”) and Julianna Layne (“Chicago P.D.”) also star in the sci-fi horror thriller. Affection marks the feature debut by writer/director BT Meza.
Daniel Kurland wrote in his review out of the film’s premiere, “Affection is steeped in existential questions and fears that plague modern society, while it embraces the ethos of the ’80s through bold body horror. Add to that Rothe’s revelatory performance, and Affection is a hidden gem that will connect with your mind, body, and soul.”
Lucile Hadžihalilović’s latest dark fairy tale, The Ice Tower, loosely reimagines Hans Christian Andersen’s fable “The Snow Queen,” and it’s now streaming on Shudder.
In the ’70s set film, “Jeanne, a 15-year-old orphan, witnesses the shoot of a film adaptation of the fairy tale The Snow Queen, and she becomes fascinated by its star Cristina (Marion Cotillard), an actress who is just as mysterious and alluring as the Queen she is playing.“
Clara Pacini stars as Jeanne. August Diehl and Marine Gesbert also star in The Ice Tower, and look for a cameo from director Gaspar Noé (Climax, Irréversible).
“For me, The Ice Tower solidified Lucile Hadžihalilović’s place amongst the most fascinating creators of fairy tales today,” said distributor Yellow Veil Pictures co-founder Joe Yanick.
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