Thrash (2026) Review!!

Synopsis – When a Category 5 hurricane decimates a coastal town, the storm surge brings devastation, chaos and something far more frightening: hungry sharks.

My Take – Like many genre fans, I’m always ready for a good shark film. Over time, the idea has practically grown into its own subgenre, with films either chasing pulpy B-film thrills or leaning into campy absurdity. That’s why I was curious about this latest effort from director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow, Violent Night).

Despite its troubled release history, multiple title changes, and the unmistakable feel of a Sony dump, it promised something refreshingly simple: ordinary people facing ordinary sharks on a limited budget.

Unfortunately, the final result is disappointingly subpar. The film has all the familiar elements you’d expect from a fun shark B-film, yet it rarely executes them with even average competence. Instead of embracing thrills or playful silliness, it takes itself far too seriously, draining away the energy that could have made it entertaining. It’s a film that understands the genre but undervalues its characters. Chaos and spectacle are present, but without emotional grounding, the experience feels hollow.

What should have been delicious trash—messy, energetic, and fun—ends up tasting like leftovers from countless other shark films. Worse, the film never decides which tone it wants to commit to. Leaving us with something that lacks bite, charm, and tension. It may briefly satisfy those seeking disposable action, but it is destined to sink into obscurity, joining the forgotten chum at the bottom of the shark-feature sea.

The story unfolds in Annieville, South Carolina, where four groups of characters are caught in the path of a devastating Category 5 hurricane named Henry. The first group is a trio of foster siblings—Ron (Stacy Clausen), Dee (Alyla Browne), and Will (Dante Ubaldi)—trapped in a swamp-side house with their volatile foster parents, Billy (Matt Nable) and Rachel (Amy Mathews). When the flood destroys their home and the parents are seemingly killed by sharks, the children must find ways to survive until rescue arrives.

The second thread follows Lisa (Phoebe Dynevor), a pregnant woman from New York, who becomes stranded in her car during the evacuation. She is discovered by Dakota (Whitney Peak), a young woman battling agoraphobia, who helps her to safety inside her home. Meanwhile, Dr. Dale Edwards (Djimon Hounsou), a marine biologist and Dakota’s uncle, heads toward Annieville with a small crew to rescue her. But the storm’s destruction unleashes an even greater threat: floodwaters teeming with hungry sharks, including Nellie, a pregnant great white Dale has been tracking for years.

If the problem with the plot isn’t clear already, let me underline it: there are simply too many subplots. That wouldn’t be fatal if the film brought something fresh to the shark-film canon, but it doesn’t. Which is surprising, because Tommy Wirkola is not an untalented director.

The strongest thread is the Olsen foster home storyline. It works because the flood and sharks arrive almost as a twisted blessing for three children trapped in an abusive household. Watching their cruel foster parents dispatched in absurdly comic fashion, while the kids band together for survival, is oddly satisfying.

On paper, Lisa should be the emotional anchor. A pregnant woman facing both imminent childbirth and a life-threatening disaster has all the makings of a compelling arc. Yet the script never allows her to feel fully realized. Her responses to danger are muted, and even pivotal moments lack emotional weight. She is paired with Dakota, a young woman struggling with agoraphobia after personal loss.

Dakota’s condition could have provided rich internal conflict that mirrors the external chaos, but instead it is treated as a plot device. Like Lisa, she remains underwritten, and their relationship never evolves beyond functional survival. The film sets up the perfect conditions for a powerful bond—shared trauma, constant proximity, high-stakes rescue—but squanders the opportunity. Conversations stay expository, and emotional beats are rushed or absent.

Even Dr. Dale Edwards should bring urgency and gravitas, but the script sidelines him. Despite his connection to Dakota and his expertise, he is kept at arm’s length, reduced to a functional presence rather than a memorable one. This scattershot approach leaves the narrative overcrowded yet emotionally hollow. By spreading attention across too many arcs, the film dilutes its stakes. Characters feel interchangeable, and the audience has little reason to care who survives.

Ironically, the hurricane itself is the most effective element. The storm sequences are well executed, even if the use of real footage is obvious. Director Wirkola wisely delays the sharks until about the 25-minute mark, and their initial attacks carry impact. But once they arrive, they quickly become predictable. The jump scares lack ferocity, the kills are telegraphed, and the danger never feels real. Even the bloodier moments land with no surprise, robbing the film of tension.

Performance wise, Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak, and Djimon Hounsou do their best with the material, but the script leaves them underutilized. Matt Nable once again leans into his familiar “angry brute” persona, offering little variation. In contrast, the younger cast—Stacy Clausen, Alyla Browne, and Dante Ubaldi—emerge far better served, bringing a spark of energy that the film otherwise struggles to sustain. On the whole, ‘Thrash‘ is a subpar creature-feature thriller that lacks the bite, delightful silliness, and tight thrills it needed to make it anything more than a recycled version of far better shark films.