Movie · 2025 · Thriller, Action, War, Horror · 1h 27m · R · English
Curator score: 1.6/10 (12.9K ratings)
Survival is the only victory.
Overview
When their boat sinks while crossing the Timor Sea during World War II, a troop of young Australian soldiers must find a way to survive the harsh seas on a quickly shrinking raft. Hundreds of miles from anywhere, they must confront interpersonal conflicts, enemy attacks, and the advances of one very large, very hungry great white shark.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.6/10
IMDb: 5.4/10
Letterboxd: 2.81/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Metacritic: 61
TMDB: 6.2/10
Director
Kiah Roache-Turner
Production
Bronte Pictures, Pictures in Paradise
Cast
Mark Coles Smith, Joel Nankervis, Sam Delich, Maximillian Johnson, Lee Tiger Halley, Sam Parsonson, Tristan McKinnon, Aswan Reid, Masa Yamaguchi, Lauren Grimson, Laura Brogan Browne, Steve Le Marquand, Jay Gallagher, John Sparke, Matthew Scully, Denny Bernard, Harry Capner
Where to watch
AMC+, Philo, Shudder
Curator Review
Verdict
A lean, B-movie survival thriller with a strong hook: WWII soldiers, a shrinking raft, and a very angry shark. The practical-effects energy and confined setting give it a scrappy, old-school appeal, but the writing and character work sound uneven, so it’s more of a genre-fan watch than a broad recommendation.
Best for
shark-movie fans
viewers who enjoy low-budget creature features
fans of WWII survival stories
audiences who like practical effects and gory set pieces
Skip if
you want polished character drama
you dislike creature-feature logic
you need big-budget spectacle
you’re tired of shark movies
Overview
Beast of War has a premise that does a lot of heavy lifting: young soldiers, a war zone, open water, and a predator that turns every pause into a threat. That combination gives the film a simple, efficient engine, and the reviews suggest it understands the basic pleasures of a survival monster movie. The practical-effects approach seems to help, especially when the shark is allowed to feel physical and immediate rather than glossy and weightless.
Worth noting
The setting does most of the work here. A raft in the Timor Sea is naturally tense, and the WWII backdrop adds pressure without needing much explanation. The best reports point to a film that is atmospheric, constrained, and brisk, with enough gore and panic to keep the momentum moving. It sounds like the kind of movie that knows exactly what it is and mostly delivers on that promise.
Bottom line
Where it seems to wobble is in the writing and the human drama. The conflict between soldiers, the survival logistics, and the shark attacks all compete for attention, and the result may feel a little thin if you’re hoping for something more emotionally layered. Still, for viewers who want a rough-edged creature feature with a war-movie wrapper, this looks like a solid, watchable diversion rather than a must-see.
Top Letterboxd reviews
allain♡ · 190 likes
things to avoid in Australia:
- Australians
- sharks
- have I said Australians?
- Aussies
Digital Press (4★) · 167 likes
My wife asked me why I love watching shark movies when they’re so often disappointing. I suggested that they’re not as disappointing to me as they are to her but even if they were, I admit I’d rather watch a good shark movie than a good vampire movie. Then she mentioned my fascination with crocodile (or is it alligator?) movies. It’s true. In my world of genres, crocodile/alligator > shark > vampire. Why is this important? Because it’s logical, I’ll explain in… more My wife asked me why I love watching shark movies when they’re so often disappointing. I suggested that they’re not as disappointing to me as they are to her but even if they were, I admit I’d rather watch a good shark movie than a good vampire movie. Then she mentioned my fascination with crocodile (or is it alligator?) movies. It’s true. In my world of genres, crocodile/alligator > shark > vampire. Why is this important? Because it’s logical, I’ll explain in… more
Kylo (3.5★) · 164 likes
“You blew up Stan you fuckin’ idiot”
Sharks were the last thing WWII needed. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a shark movie and I mean that affectionately. Also loved everyone calling each other a dog.
haley (3★) · 109 likes
apparently they created an actual shark animatronic for this?? it shows and i fucking love it. now if we could get that again with a higher budget and better writing... this was still really enjoyable, though, and i can say that i am a fan.
Bradlee Fleagle (3★) · 105 likes
Beast of War features a group of Australian soldiers who gets their ship sunk leaving them stranded in the Timor Sea during WW2. They face fighter pilots shooting at them, starvation, dehydration, idiots with grenades, and an even greater threat a massive female great white shark. I thought this was a decent shark horror movie.
The shark looked okay in my opinion. Some of the practical effects were good and some were bad. The kills were very gory which is… more
2012 · Adventure, History · 1h 58m · PG-13 · Curator 4.9/10 (74.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Curiosity Stream, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
An ocean survival adventure that leans into endurance, teamwork, and the danger of being adrift.