Sharks.

Since Peter Benchley’s iconic 1974 novel, Jaws, they have been a ready-to-use monster for Hollywood moviemakers. With Steven Spielberg’s big-screen adaptation of the novel, sharks became the ‘it thing’ for films. However, they were arguably already on their way to being cast as the baddie thanks to some casting in the 60s Bond films.

Since that time they have had a number of big and small screen excursions, some better than others, and some pretty horrible.

Stephen Scarlata takes us through a whole slew of them, and the documentary that grew around it is not only incredibly entertaining, and filled with a number of bloody CGI kills, but also a balanced look at the true nature of sharks and the need for ocean conservation.

A fascinating look at the history of the monster shark on the screen as well as the actual creatures they are based on, Sharksploitation features interviews from writers, directors, actors, marine biologists and a lineup of experts that gives the viewer a fun look at Hollywood’s fascination with sharks, and some of the truly horrible (and exceptional) films that they have inspired.

Jaws gets a lot of attention, being the most memorable and iconic of all the shark films, but we also dive into the Syfy films, and the even lower tier films after that – and that delivers a lot of the laughs throughout the doc.

But whether it’s Jaws, or Sharktopus, the one thing all the filmmakers involved talk about is their love of sharks and the fact that they realize these amazing creatures aren’t the monsters that they are portrayed as on screen.

I’ve always loved a good shark movie. I’ve spoken at length about how Jaws was my first movie experience at age 3 and how it has become my favourite film of all time. And as much as I too love a shark film where they prove a menace, I am also aware enough to separate fact from fiction.

Sharksploitation also looks at the truly dark side of exploitation films as it reveals a number of films that killed sharks onscreen to give it more notoriety, or popularity. This is troubling and angering, and happily, it seems to be a thing of the past with more and more filmmakers using practical and visual effects to convey the menace of their film.

Enjoyable, informative, and a very entertaining overview of sharks in cinema, Sharksploitation is a solid documentary, but for someone like me, could have been a lot longer. It’s a great watch and currently streaming on Shudder.