THE DEVIL'S MOUTH

The Devil’s Mouth rescues the shark creature feature with a mean energy that creates an electric tension and endless terror under the keen direction of Jeff Wadlow, that when combined with a fierce lead performance from Kathryn Newton and shooting on location in real caves in Thailand that gives the film a true authenticity, results in a wildly entertaining summer horror flick.

Audiences have had to suffer through a handful of downright terrible shark films this year, questioning whether there is any reason to revisit this genre anymore as very few films in recent memory have been able to create an entertaining film due to the ever looming brilliance of Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece of the horror subgenre: Jaws. But for all those viewers who have suffered through the bad shark films already released this year, their pain is over as director Jeff Wadlow finally delivers the shark film that audiences are long overdue. While playing within the defined confines and hallmarks of the genre, Wadlow does so confidently and with a nastiness that creates the unnerving terror of danger lurking below the surface of the water through every moment of The Devil’s Mouth. Fast moving, packed with brutal shark attack sequences, and with Kathryn Newton and Lana Condor in the lead roles, The Devil’s Mouth does everything it needs to to both entertain and thrill viewers, that is only elevated by shooting on location in real Thailand caves and the demanding physical aspect of the cast’s performances that results in a relentless, heart pounding creature feature.

There is little that can be done to deliver a new tale within the shark creature feature subgenre, but both Wadlow and his writers Aja Gabel and Myung Joh Wesner know this, and instead lean into and play to the strength of the tropes of the subgenre. Within minutes, we meet a bunch of young stereotypical individuals, many who scream shark bait, and the dialogue and interactions between them create just enough tension to get the characters to the film’s second act where the shark is introduced. There is a tongue and cheek hilarity to some of the dialogue, teasing the carnage that is about to unfold and not for a second pretending to do anything else, but once the shark enters the picture, the film shifts into gear and does not let up for a second until the credits begin. The story provides enough narrative justification for the erratic behaviour of the shark, delivering a predator with the relentless thirst for blood and unrivaled vengeance to hunt down our group of characters, echoing the sharks from Deep Blue Sea but with a grounded reality. The attack scenes have a brutality and shock value that delivers exactly what viewers want from such a film, even if the CGI for the shark at times is not overly convincing, but when paired with the film’s shorter runtime, the countless attack sequences provide the jolt of energy to the film to keep audiences hooked and propels the story to its natural conclusion.

With the majority of the film shot in the water, there is a physically demanding element of the performances that cannot be denied, as not only is the cast creating their characters, but they are swimming and braving the water of the caves of Thailand in every scene. Their efforts don’t go unnoticed, as their physical exertion adds to the heart pounding tale of survival as it transcends creating a character through a performance, giving the film an unwavering authenticity. Condor is exactly what the role of Max needs, embodying this privileged young woman whose pride and entitlement makes her annoying to say the least, but Condor plays it with a disarming charm. She finds that individual that everyone knows, one you can’t help but gravitate towards even though their self-centered instincts often overtake their actions, creating a co-lead to Newton’s Sara that adds drama to the story but also helps build a friendship to help emotionally ground the film.

Though, it is Newton who stands head and shoulders above the entire cast as Sara. While she starts off as the quiet and easily pushed around friend, albeit one with an immense heart that plays into Newton’s inherent kindness, Sara is quickly placed in a position that forces her to take charge of the situation if she wants to get out of the caves alive. In doing so, Newton instills Sara with a ferocity, a cunning intelligence and powerful strength that not only makes her the perfect rival for the shark, but allows Newton to deliver one great final girl performance that you cannot take your eyes off of. It’s another impressive final girl performance to Newton’s resume, confirming herself as one of the horror genre’s current go to actresses.

When most viewers think of cinematography, they think of gorgeously framed shots that could be framed and hung on a wall. But that’s not all it is. It’s dealing with lighting and capturing the location of where the film shoots, and it is for that very reason that James Kniest’s work on the film is so important. With the majority of the film shot in real caves in Thailand, Kniest’s work as cinematographer is important in lighting the film to capture the darkness of these caves, despite the bright lights of production, finding a balance between showing the natural wonder of the caves and their immense scale with low lighting experienced by the characters as they are hunted down by the killer shark. When paired with Wadlow’s vision of lots of lingering shots showing the water behind the main characters, teasing danger below the surface, even with the film largely shrouded in darkness, it is a great vision of terror that invigorates the entire film and helps ensure that viewers are on edge from start to finish. Yes, some of the CGI shots of the shark are ridiculous, but within the tone of the film, it is easy to forgive this shortcoming as the cinematography and uneasy tension of the story counteract this easily.

Danger lies just beneath the surface in The Devil’s Mouth, playing to the strengths of the shark creature feature subgenre and creating undeniable thrills and moments of terror that are more than enough for this film to earn the title of the best shark film of the year so far. Jeff Wadlow’s production and emphasis on practical filmmaking that is the secret weapon of the film, bringing an authenticity that cannot be recreated on soundstages or with CGI as he uses the Thailand locations and filming in the water to create a realism to the film and the cast’s performances, before unleashing a wickedness with relentless shark attacks the deliver the desired thrills viewers want from such a film. With an undeniable mean streak to the shark attacks that rewards with bloody terror during the film’s main set pieces and the strong screen presence of Kathryn Newton who continues her tenure as a great final girl, The Devil’s Mouth is everything audiences want from a shark creature feature with a bloody vengeance while cementing itself as the best film of Jeff Wadlow’s career.