The Black Demon sounds like it is going to be yet another in a long line of mediocre shark attack movies. Oilman Paul Sturges (Josh Lucas, Ford vs. Ferrari) takes his family on an idyllic family vacation. They soon are confronted by a megalodon shark looking to protect its territory.
The cold open hints at something different. Narration makes it seem like there is going to be a supernatural element to The Black Demon. This continues up until the opening segment ends like every other film with a killer shark. Once The Black Demon actually begins, the familiarity continues. The Sturges family consists of the rambunctious son who borders on obnoxious and an angst filled daughter who has a negative comment about everything. Paul and his wife Ines (Fernanda Urrejola, Cry Macho) playfully bicker and are very much in love.
From there things become a story of how white capitalists destroyed a small town due to their greed. Customs and traditions are ignored and even laughed at. Of course, the irony is it is the civilized white man who is truly ignorant. It is a common trope in horror that gets the plot going but really has nothing to say. This is not an issue since The Black Demon is not out to make any commentary, however. It is about a family trying to survive one gigantic shark.
Since the story is nothing out of the ordinary, director Adrian Grunberg (Rambo: Last Blood) decides to make everything bigger. The titular shark is positively massive and its first appearance is one of the film’s highlights. There are some cool shoots involving dismembered body parts, but a surprising lack of gory kills.
A major theme of The Black Demon is the idea of humanity destroying the planet. It is a good idea in theory that never quite pans out. The megalodon being the result of an angry god feels like run of the mill exposition that gives a reason, but no real meaning. Especially since the shark basically exists to save the planet, but it must be killed in order for people to survive.
As with most of these types of movies, things lose steam when it adds to try a stronger human element. Much of it feels like filler between the real action. That being said, The Black Demon does much better with character development than expected. By the end, there is an unexpected sense of catharsis. There has been a definite arc and the ending does present some satisfaction. The Black Demon takes a while to win over audiences, but it is better than expected.
The Black Demon will be exclusively in theaters April 28, 2023.
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