Ghost Shark

 

Even though they are highly enjoyable subjects in the film world, sharks are kind of limited if you think about it. Obviously they are confined to water, so the killer sharks are limited to that type of atmosphere. Well Ghost Shark is a Syfy film so you know this is going to be a different type of shark film. Let's just say Ghost Shark is quite different and also entertaining.

The movie was shot in Louisiana and is set in a coastal town. The town is having strange and mysterious killings around water that might be caused by a shark or a different kind of shark. As the story unfolds, we learned that the shark is a ghost shark and the story is primarily told through a local drunken sea captain named Blaise Shaw (Dave Randolph-Mayhem Davis).

Obviously this is a very dumb concept if you think about it. A ghost is somehow a shark that is out to kill people? That said, once you accept this rather strange concept, the movie offers more than you might think. The shark has blue tints and good CGI. It's also a shark that can attack outside of the ocean creating different kill scenes in a slip'n slide, a pool party and in the middle of the street from an open fire hydrant. These kill scenes are new and very unique and you can be sure we will never see this again. The captain's story about the ghost shark really just kind of comes out of nowhere and there is very questionable acting here. There is good effort in the storytelling which brings us some different atmosphere and settings including caves, a maritime museum and a lighthouse.

Obviously the ghost shark is entertaining but the characters are good too. Ava (Mackenzie Rosman) is a bratty, self-centered character who does what it takes to confront and kill the shark. Again Blaise is the sea captain and a hot-shot guy who knows things about this shark and is a very likable and entertaining character. Cicely (Sloane Coe) is a young girl that does not get her way because of her young age but she still tries to be the best she can be without being unlikable. Cameron (Jaren Mitchell) is one laid back character and Mick (Shawn C. Phillips) is one large guy who offers some pretty good comic relief.

Unlike most Syfy movies including Sharknado, Ghost Shark pays homage to other films including Jaws with a July 4th setting, seashore atmosphere and the shark obviously. There is also a kill scene in a water-filled bathtub like Nightmare On Elm Street. The eerie lighthouse has vibes of Adrienne Barbeau from The Fog. This film's homage to other films is one reason why Ghost Shark works so well as a film.

The movie does drag through most of the entire third act and as with any Syfy film, it would probably be better on the big screen. Still, not as many Syfy films are this watchable nor as smart as this one. Ghost Shark is one fun movie and one of the best Syfy movies I have seen.

4/5