The Meg
2018 · Directed by Jon Turteltaub
Original language: English
- action
- science fiction
- horror
The story
A deep sea submersible pilot revisits his past fears in the Mariana Trench, and accidentally unleashes the seventy foot ancestor of the Great White Shark believed to be extinct.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated blue-green water and sun-blasted beaches give way to the cold black of the deep, where submersible floodlights carve hard white cones through murk and the camera stays close to the glass. Wide CGI spectacle dominates: sweeping overhead shots of a glowing research platform, a sunlit Chinese coastal resort packed with shrieking extras, and a steel-grey ocean that looks almost too clean. The score is bombastic and synth-tinged, swelling for every reveal, and the sound design leans on huge splashes, creaking hull metal and the low thump of something very large moving below. Pacing is brisk and cheerful, with action beats arriving every few minutes and a lot of quippy banter between leads. Tone is loud, goofy and high-energy, a summer-blockbuster popcorn ride rather than dread. Intensity is moderate: frequent shark attacks with bloody bites and a few gory deaths, but the carnage is cartoonish and mostly bloodless in framing, with peril that never lingers. A lonely, guilt-ridden diver slowly rebuilds trust with a team of new colleagues. It suits a Friday night with friends, or a lively background watch for people who want monster-movie fun.
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