Aw, come on. It's not that bad! It's just a poor cousin of one of the "Meg" movies, only with Josh Lucas trying to save the day rather than Jason Statham. He finds himself and his family trapped on a dilapidated oil rig off Baja, where they discover that a creature with a fin the size of a tennis court is marauding and it's peckish. Once safely ensconced on the installation, "Paul" discovers that most of the crew have skedaddled and those left are petrified of our huge great sea beastie. Worse still, they believe it has been sent by their gods as retribution for their plundering of the natural resources - and that they are all going to be tomorrow's ambergris. Now, to be fair to this CGI-fest, the ending is not quite as you might expect but the fact that the great fish seems huge enough to eat a bus at one stage then scared off by being kicked by a small child doesn't do too much for the credibility of this really, really quite sad indictment of where this once A-list actor has toppled to over the last decade. It hasn't really an original bone in any of it's bodies and it really is forgettable stuff that almost made me wish that I was the guy in the poster...
214 Reviews
Negative reviews got it wrong. This was solid popcorn.
LordCommandar31 May 2023
Pay no attention to the negative reviews because this was solid popcorn. I stopped going by negative reviews on here a long time ago because they are notorious for saying horrible films are terrific and a decent ones bad. And I found that highly suspicious and that is why I stopped giving credence to negative reviews until I download and watch a film to determine to concur or disagree with them myself. Black Demon is a decent enough surviving a killer shark film to watch all the way through without a lot of wtf nonsensical moments. And everyone saying that the acting is bad must have some real personal animous towards the actors because the cast did their job. I've seen bad and even horrible acting and believe me when I say that there wasn't any in this film. And quite frankly for a killer shark movie, the story made sense. So disregard all the negatives reviews and judge for yourself. As an avid film watcher of all genres, this was a solid one time popcorn watch.
A megalodon without much of any bite...
paul_haakonsen30 May 2023
Right, well of course I opted to sit down and watch the 2023 movie "The Black Demon", as I had the opportunity to do so. After all, I am a sucker for shark movies, despite the vast majority of shark movies being utter garbage. But I opted to give writers Carlos Cisco and Boise Esquerra's 2023 movie the benefit of the doubt.
And I mean, a shark movie with a megalodon, that has to be cool, right? Well, some movies with megalodons are, but just not this particular 2023 movie. Sure, I managed to sit through the entire movie, but I was not particularly entertained by the script and storyline that writers Carlos Cisco and Boise Esquerra had put together. It was just, hands down, a bit too silly and preachy.
I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, aside from Josh Lucas, Jorge A. Jimenez, Héctor Jiménez and Julio Cesar Cedillo. The acting performances in the movie were actually fair enough, despite the fact that the actors and actresses had very little of anything proper to work with.
Visually then "The Black Demon" was adequate. The megalodon was nicely enough rendered by CGI, though it wasn't really as much on the screen as I would have liked it to be, much less actually expected it to be with "The Black Demon" being a shark movie.
There are far better shark movies out there, and "The Black Demon" came and went without leaving as much as a ripple on the waters in which it swam and ultimately sank. This is not a movie that I will recommend you to rush out and get to watch. Nor is it a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time.
My rating of director Adrian Grunberg's 2023 movie "The Black Demon" lands on three out of ten stars.
And I mean, a shark movie with a megalodon, that has to be cool, right? Well, some movies with megalodons are, but just not this particular 2023 movie. Sure, I managed to sit through the entire movie, but I was not particularly entertained by the script and storyline that writers Carlos Cisco and Boise Esquerra had put together. It was just, hands down, a bit too silly and preachy.
I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, aside from Josh Lucas, Jorge A. Jimenez, Héctor Jiménez and Julio Cesar Cedillo. The acting performances in the movie were actually fair enough, despite the fact that the actors and actresses had very little of anything proper to work with.
Visually then "The Black Demon" was adequate. The megalodon was nicely enough rendered by CGI, though it wasn't really as much on the screen as I would have liked it to be, much less actually expected it to be with "The Black Demon" being a shark movie.
There are far better shark movies out there, and "The Black Demon" came and went without leaving as much as a ripple on the waters in which it swam and ultimately sank. This is not a movie that I will recommend you to rush out and get to watch. Nor is it a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time.
My rating of director Adrian Grunberg's 2023 movie "The Black Demon" lands on three out of ten stars.
Extremely disappointing
ray51212229 April 2023
Just got back from watching this movie in the theater and I am still mad about wasting my money on this trash of a movie. The only scenes with the creature are short and happen to quick. Other than that the rest of the movie is nothing but arguing, family drama, preaching about humans destroying the planet, etc. Not to mention there is no character development. First shark movie I have seen where I actually wouldn't have minded if the whole cast didn't make it. If you are wanting to watch a shark film then I wouldn't recommend this one. This movie actually makes The Meg seem like an Oscar worthy film.
What are you? (mild spoilers)
FeastMode28 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
That headline is not a reference from The Black Demon. It's a question I have for the movie. To say it's all over the place would be a severe understatement. It doesn't know what it wants to be. Most people will watch this because they want to see a creature feature, but that plays a tiny part in this movie. Even it's themes and messages are so random and unconnected.
The Black Demon opens with a scene that made me think, "Oh no, what have I gotten myself into." It seemed immediately bad even by B-movie standards. Then it does a few things that made me think, "Wait, this might be decent." There are some cool shots. I enjoyed the family dynamic and the little boy is hilarious.
But then it drops right back down to being unbearably low-quality. The shark attack scenes are awful. Every "horror" element fails. We start to see how horrendous the acting is by the two leads when the scene requires yelling. My jaw literally dropped at a couple of the performances.
Worst of all, it becomes unbelievably stupid. Throughout. I'll give one example from the very beginning. They plan a trip to a town but when they arrive, the hotel is closed down, as is most of the town. There are shady people lurking around. It's clearly unsafe. Instead of driving his family somewhere else, they get out and try to get directions to a restaurant from some shady people. They leave their car and follow them on foot to this restaurant, which also has shady people. And he leaves his wife and children while he goes to work for a few hours. It's the basis for how this entire movie happens and is, to the full extent of the word, moronic.
(1 viewing, opening Thursday 4/27/2023)
The Black Demon opens with a scene that made me think, "Oh no, what have I gotten myself into." It seemed immediately bad even by B-movie standards. Then it does a few things that made me think, "Wait, this might be decent." There are some cool shots. I enjoyed the family dynamic and the little boy is hilarious.
But then it drops right back down to being unbearably low-quality. The shark attack scenes are awful. Every "horror" element fails. We start to see how horrendous the acting is by the two leads when the scene requires yelling. My jaw literally dropped at a couple of the performances.
Worst of all, it becomes unbelievably stupid. Throughout. I'll give one example from the very beginning. They plan a trip to a town but when they arrive, the hotel is closed down, as is most of the town. There are shady people lurking around. It's clearly unsafe. Instead of driving his family somewhere else, they get out and try to get directions to a restaurant from some shady people. They leave their car and follow them on foot to this restaurant, which also has shady people. And he leaves his wife and children while he goes to work for a few hours. It's the basis for how this entire movie happens and is, to the full extent of the word, moronic.
(1 viewing, opening Thursday 4/27/2023)
Only good thing is the poster
kuner-5902930 May 2023
Never judge a book by its cover. The poster makes you think you're going to see a creature feature with a cool monster shark eating people. But nope. It's just a 1 location C movie with a family on an oil rig.
The characters are entirely unlikeable, the acting is bad, there's constant preaching about how humans are destroying the planet, with about the same subtlety of some idiot gluing themselves to the street to save the weather.
The actual shark is in it for about... 20 seconds of screentime. If at all.
Worst of all, the film takes itself entirely seriously. If you don't have the budget (or talent) to make a serious drama, at least make it fun.
No fun to be had here. It's just bad.
The characters are entirely unlikeable, the acting is bad, there's constant preaching about how humans are destroying the planet, with about the same subtlety of some idiot gluing themselves to the street to save the weather.
The actual shark is in it for about... 20 seconds of screentime. If at all.
Worst of all, the film takes itself entirely seriously. If you don't have the budget (or talent) to make a serious drama, at least make it fun.
No fun to be had here. It's just bad.
Maybe the black demon was the friends we made along the way
eyalr-973779 May 2023
This is definitely a movie of all time. It was so good that I had to write this review as I'm watching the movie. I'm literally sitting at the theater right now. My favorite moment was when the antagonist said "it's sharkin' time", an iconic line that nods to the classic Swedish film the seventh seal. Seeing the movie made me wish that I was in the movie, so I could be eaten alive instead of sitting through this amazing movie. I came because the guardians of the galaxy screening was cancelled, but I stayed because my wallet guilt tripped me into sitting through this godly creation. I especially loved how this movie made everyone look stupid, Americans, Mexicans, and even shark, this movie made me hate ethnic groups from every end of the spectrum.
This movie is a joke
Naratifan30 April 2023
I had expectations that it will be at least a honest horror movie with tension moments, jump scares and things like that. But I was very very disappointed.
The movie has no sense at all the action is very illogical, the actors do not know how to act it seems like a movie made by high school students with a script written in the break time.
The idea of the movie is good on paper and a very interesting take on the subject but the acting, pacing and overall atmosphere of the story has no connection to reality.
This movie is a big waste of time and money I do not recommend it at all, I have seen the actors in other movies I do not understand why the acting is so bad in this one.
The movie has no sense at all the action is very illogical, the actors do not know how to act it seems like a movie made by high school students with a script written in the break time.
The idea of the movie is good on paper and a very interesting take on the subject but the acting, pacing and overall atmosphere of the story has no connection to reality.
This movie is a big waste of time and money I do not recommend it at all, I have seen the actors in other movies I do not understand why the acting is so bad in this one.
You have seen the best parts if you've watched the trailer...
vnblu30 April 2023
Why watch the movie and ruin the trailer? The half Spanish crap without translations and the flicking of information without the time to actually see what it is they are looking at was so distracting. What was the deal with the little men in the boat??? ...I don't know because it wasn't explained. What a cheap piece of crap this movie is. I really felt like I was watching either a movie that wasn't quite finished, or I was wasting my money on a story that would have been a poor choice on Tubi. Too much droning on and on about legends and not enough action from the shark ...this was supposed to be a movie about a shark, a demon shark, or a megalodon so where is the action from the shark? This was one of the worst examples of storytelling I have EVER seen! Save your money on this one, because it is bound to show up in the bargain bin at Walmart very soon. I drove home after seeing this movie and even though nothing happened on the way, it was a better story than this trash told. The Black Demon didn't live up to expectations by even the smallest margin. Did someone forget to finish writing the script? I kept waiting for it to get better but it just kept sinking deeper into the hole. Maybe having a story focusing on a megalodon, an oil rig, a family, a Mexican legend, and something about little men in a boat was a bit too much to deal with in the time it took for this movie to sink lower than Sharknado, but Sharknado didn't come out as a serious movie. Not a lot of shark and too much back-and-forth banter in Spanish and English set the tone for people to get tired of reading the dialogue and missing the action. To be honest there wasn't a great deal of action anyway... I am so sick of crappy shark movies, and The Black Demon was right up there on the crappiest shark movie I have seen since The Two-Headed-Shark Attack. I bought my young son a plastic bat at a flea market while carrying him in a backpack carrier. He spent the entire time there hitting me in the head with it. That bat was a better purchase than buying a ticket for this crappy movie.
Even the shark was bored and went to do other things instead....
theromanempire-12 June 2023
This movie was so boring and average that even the shark did not wanted to appear for more than 1-2 minutes or so in the entire movie. He preffered to do more valuable things than wasting his time in to this movie.
The cast was not bad and the acting was ok but the plot was ridiculus and they beeped our balls all the time by preaching how we destroy the environment all the times like we don't know that already.
Anyhow if u are a shark film lover then u could check this out once in a theater but i would not suggest to buy the dvd when becomes available.
This is not worth your $$$.
There are a lot better shark films out there.
Here are a few recommendations of so bad it's good b movie shark films which are way better than this.
The meg // deep blue sea trilogy // ice sharks // sand sharks // mega shark vs giant octopus // two headed shark // three headed shark // five headed shark // the shallows // open water.
The cast was not bad and the acting was ok but the plot was ridiculus and they beeped our balls all the time by preaching how we destroy the environment all the times like we don't know that already.
Anyhow if u are a shark film lover then u could check this out once in a theater but i would not suggest to buy the dvd when becomes available.
This is not worth your $$$.
There are a lot better shark films out there.
Here are a few recommendations of so bad it's good b movie shark films which are way better than this.
The meg // deep blue sea trilogy // ice sharks // sand sharks // mega shark vs giant octopus // two headed shark // three headed shark // five headed shark // the shallows // open water.
More cautionary tale than giant shark flick.
amesmonde15 October 2023
Paul Sturges returns to a small town to check on an offshore oil rig while incorporating a family vacation. However, the areas economics have taken a turn and their tranquil retreat is hijacked by a colossal megalodon shark.
Beyond directors Adrian Grünberg captivating visuals, Boise Esquerra's screenplay delves into meaningful ecological and spiritual legends themes, making it more than just a creature feature. Although a little talkie and preachy it highlights the importance of preserving our environment and respecting the sacredness of nature. It's weaves these themes into its storyline, along with the importance of family.
It's a little too human-focused, but includes periodic scary vision interludes, along with the few and far between shark setups. Leonardo Heiblum and Jacobo Lieberman's score adds impact to the proceedings, the effects are good considering the budget, especially the rig itself.
Josh Lucas delivers a great performance, along with notable Fernanda Urrejola and Julio Cesar Cedillo. It's a pity that the film is unapologetically downbeat in its resolution. While the somber tone serves the narrative well, it might leave some viewers hoping for a more optimistic outcome.
Overall, Black Demon combines some interesting underwater visuals, and an eerie cautionary tale of manmade ecological disasters, reminding us of the importance of the ocean's preservation.
Beyond directors Adrian Grünberg captivating visuals, Boise Esquerra's screenplay delves into meaningful ecological and spiritual legends themes, making it more than just a creature feature. Although a little talkie and preachy it highlights the importance of preserving our environment and respecting the sacredness of nature. It's weaves these themes into its storyline, along with the importance of family.
It's a little too human-focused, but includes periodic scary vision interludes, along with the few and far between shark setups. Leonardo Heiblum and Jacobo Lieberman's score adds impact to the proceedings, the effects are good considering the budget, especially the rig itself.
Josh Lucas delivers a great performance, along with notable Fernanda Urrejola and Julio Cesar Cedillo. It's a pity that the film is unapologetically downbeat in its resolution. While the somber tone serves the narrative well, it might leave some viewers hoping for a more optimistic outcome.
Overall, Black Demon combines some interesting underwater visuals, and an eerie cautionary tale of manmade ecological disasters, reminding us of the importance of the ocean's preservation.
I don't care what critics think! This was awesome!!
ykjdh17 May 2023
First of all it's a movie about a big shark with a CGI shark. It's a popcorn flick no different than those Fast and Furious movies that defy logic. In fact, this was better than the last big shark movie that came out with Jason Statham. The Meg dragged in some parts and was longer than it should have been. This one here wraps up things in 100 minutes. Those 100 minutes are actually an enjoyable, decent paced, popcorn flick!
Josh Lucas is a dad vacationing in Mexico and here's the legend of the black demon. A giant Meg shark, dark in color. Soon he and his family are racing for their lives trying to outsmart the thing. Along the way are some secondary characters. Some won't last long and others are trying to survive too. Bottom line is I enjoyed this one and even liked it better than the better known shark movie Meg. I'd even say go see this one instead of that one. While it won't win any awards, it's doesn't mean you wont be disappointed.
Josh Lucas is a dad vacationing in Mexico and here's the legend of the black demon. A giant Meg shark, dark in color. Soon he and his family are racing for their lives trying to outsmart the thing. Along the way are some secondary characters. Some won't last long and others are trying to survive too. Bottom line is I enjoyed this one and even liked it better than the better known shark movie Meg. I'd even say go see this one instead of that one. While it won't win any awards, it's doesn't mean you wont be disappointed.
The first time I've seen a movie that turns sharks into supernatural beings.
noshouse11 September 2023
Unlike what I expected from the trailer, this movie gives a different vibe from the 'Meg' series. Although you can tell that the animation quality doesn't quite match up to 'Meg,' I really like how this film combines the darkness and introspection of corrupt oil companies and well-paid officials. It shows that maintaining a facade of a glamorous life can turn people into environmental destroyers without a care, and they only realize their mistakes when they themselves are affected. This isn't just another commercial film focused solely on delivering thrills, like 'Meg.' There's a line in the movie that I strongly resonate with: even though we know our job duties may lead to wrongdoing, when the boss says, 'If you don't do it, someone else will,' many people, I believe, would end up like the male protagonist, sinking deeper into it.
Disappointing
alamadi-8154117 May 2023
Currently watching the movie in a theater and this is my first time writing a review but god i had to do it , this movie is absolutely awful and boring and time wasting. Nothing in this movie is natural not the acting not the scenes not the music not the tone , something is out of order, even the camera work is so funny like not even a one good shot everthing seems like it was filmed in a nokia phone and the actors acting is a bit too much like it's funny how they think they're good at it. Overall i came to have a nice family time late at night thinking that a horror movie at this time will give us a good time. Boy was i wrong.
Wow the haters on this movie.
KOSListed1 May 2023
Some of you acting as if the Director kidnapped you, rinsed your savings account as a ticket fee, and Strapped you Clockwork Orange style to watch this 33,000 times on loop.
Ok list style, here we go.
1. The Kills: Pretty original, some offscreen. I mean how much excitement do you really expect from a 70 foot shark eating a person? Is it a Spielberg level event when you eat a single mini m&m? Grade B 2. The plot: It was alright. A small twist in it. I could see this having a different ending a few ways. Grade B 3. Acting: It was hit and miss. Possibly due to the writing. Don't even try to sell me that 50 shades would have been a better movie with Sir Anthony Hopkins in his Prime with Helen Mirin go cast. Actors can only do so much with the role. Grade C+ The wife, and Son are probably the most believable acting in this.
4. CGI SFX: B It was better than anything The Asylum ever did, but yes it's not the MEG and it's not Jaws and it doesn't have to be.
Over all grade with no Zach Galifianakis-Alan mathematical questions in a casino is a B + cause I like shake movies. To score an A though it's tough to come close to Jaws. Even Bruce the shark for all the issues looks like something you'd NEVER want to see in the open ocean.
Ok list style, here we go.
1. The Kills: Pretty original, some offscreen. I mean how much excitement do you really expect from a 70 foot shark eating a person? Is it a Spielberg level event when you eat a single mini m&m? Grade B 2. The plot: It was alright. A small twist in it. I could see this having a different ending a few ways. Grade B 3. Acting: It was hit and miss. Possibly due to the writing. Don't even try to sell me that 50 shades would have been a better movie with Sir Anthony Hopkins in his Prime with Helen Mirin go cast. Actors can only do so much with the role. Grade C+ The wife, and Son are probably the most believable acting in this.
4. CGI SFX: B It was better than anything The Asylum ever did, but yes it's not the MEG and it's not Jaws and it doesn't have to be.
Over all grade with no Zach Galifianakis-Alan mathematical questions in a casino is a B + cause I like shake movies. To score an A though it's tough to come close to Jaws. Even Bruce the shark for all the issues looks like something you'd NEVER want to see in the open ocean.
The Meg & Deepwater Horizons Bad Love Child
davidrm111330 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is a terrible adaptation of what Deepwater Horizon and The Meg could've been had the stories been intertwined.
Even Josh Lucas' acting doesn't seem to be what it once was. The best acting is done by the chihuahua Toro.
The shark scenes are minimal and far between. Would've loved more than a 4 second breach scene.
I really wish I asked for my money back as this movie belongs on the SyFy channel at best and should remain there.
Spoiler: they just abandon their SUV to go to a restaurant escorted by a suspicious and dangerous person and his cronies.
Who in their right mind does that???
Even Josh Lucas' acting doesn't seem to be what it once was. The best acting is done by the chihuahua Toro.
The shark scenes are minimal and far between. Would've loved more than a 4 second breach scene.
I really wish I asked for my money back as this movie belongs on the SyFy channel at best and should remain there.
Spoiler: they just abandon their SUV to go to a restaurant escorted by a suspicious and dangerous person and his cronies.
Who in their right mind does that???
"Rundown? Nothing works. That's your rundown."
classicsoncall18 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I decided to watch this flick since every time I turned on my TV using a Firestick device, an ad for "The Black Demon" popped up at the top of the screen. Why not, I thought. It's got to have some cool action with a huge shark at the center of the story. Well folks, you'll have to wait for it, and wait for it, and wait for it some more. There was a nice tease about a quarter of the way in when the huge monster, straight out of Jurassic Park, lunged out of the water to make mincemeat out of a motorboat escaping from a deserted oil rig, the Diamante. But after that, most of what you saw of the creature took place in murky, underwater scenes that didn't really give scope to the animal's size. Which by the way, was a megalodon, and not a shark per se, a species that went extinct three million years ago until it got revived in "The Meg".
A number of anomalies appeared in the story that I can't explain, either that or I wasn't paying attention. For example, how did all those human body parts manage to remain intact in the ocean, even without the megalodon hanging around to dispose of them all? Wouldn't they have been gobbled up by other sea creatures or simply decompose on their own? It's not like the meg had just attacked the oil rig the day before. And then there's the question of that underwater bomb rigged to detonate when Paul Sturges (Josh Lucas) arrived to investigate. Its timer began at the one-hour mark, so how did it get initiated? Paul was down there attempting to repair an oil leak, so maybe that's what triggered it, but that was never made clear.
And of course, there was the not so subtle agenda of blaming man for angering the Aztec god Tlaloc and nature's way of seeking revenge by creating the demon to avenge the oil rig disaster, of which Sturges played no small part by signing off on its safety over the years. Which in its own way contributed to the film's somewhat satisfactory ending, if not a happy one for the rest of his family. So, at this point I have to mention that Paul's wife was portrayed by Chilean actress Fernanda Urrejola, who by some serendipitous chance I had seen for the first time in a movie I watched just before this one. She was the title character in "Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman", which begs the question of a sequel to this picture that might go something like 'Big Fish Meets Machine Gun Woman'. Wouldn't you like to see that?
A number of anomalies appeared in the story that I can't explain, either that or I wasn't paying attention. For example, how did all those human body parts manage to remain intact in the ocean, even without the megalodon hanging around to dispose of them all? Wouldn't they have been gobbled up by other sea creatures or simply decompose on their own? It's not like the meg had just attacked the oil rig the day before. And then there's the question of that underwater bomb rigged to detonate when Paul Sturges (Josh Lucas) arrived to investigate. Its timer began at the one-hour mark, so how did it get initiated? Paul was down there attempting to repair an oil leak, so maybe that's what triggered it, but that was never made clear.
And of course, there was the not so subtle agenda of blaming man for angering the Aztec god Tlaloc and nature's way of seeking revenge by creating the demon to avenge the oil rig disaster, of which Sturges played no small part by signing off on its safety over the years. Which in its own way contributed to the film's somewhat satisfactory ending, if not a happy one for the rest of his family. So, at this point I have to mention that Paul's wife was portrayed by Chilean actress Fernanda Urrejola, who by some serendipitous chance I had seen for the first time in a movie I watched just before this one. She was the title character in "Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman", which begs the question of a sequel to this picture that might go something like 'Big Fish Meets Machine Gun Woman'. Wouldn't you like to see that?
Humourously Bad.
meddlecore30 May 2023
You can tell the target market of this film are the people who enjoy watching films like Birdemic.
Because the plot is so idiotic.
And the execution is so bad.
It's almost humourous.
But only mildly so.
Because, not only is it, yet another, awful film about a giant CGI-rendered shark.
They've made the damn thing psychic, as well.
Having given it the ability to manipulate your mind into seeing things that aren't actually there.
You've got to be kidding me.
That aside, it features some of the worst writing I've ever seen.
And a plot that relies on some of the most stupid decisions, in the history of horror, to drive it forward.
The whole thing is patently ridiculous.
And the shark isn't even that cool.
So it doesn't even foray into so-bad-it's-good territory.
Really, it's just bad.
Though, bad enough to get a few chuckles out of you.
Just don't expect anything more than that.
Here's hoping Tlaloc curses those responsible for making this film...and associating his name with it.
2 out of 10.
Because the plot is so idiotic.
And the execution is so bad.
It's almost humourous.
But only mildly so.
Because, not only is it, yet another, awful film about a giant CGI-rendered shark.
They've made the damn thing psychic, as well.
Having given it the ability to manipulate your mind into seeing things that aren't actually there.
You've got to be kidding me.
That aside, it features some of the worst writing I've ever seen.
And a plot that relies on some of the most stupid decisions, in the history of horror, to drive it forward.
The whole thing is patently ridiculous.
And the shark isn't even that cool.
So it doesn't even foray into so-bad-it's-good territory.
Really, it's just bad.
Though, bad enough to get a few chuckles out of you.
Just don't expect anything more than that.
Here's hoping Tlaloc curses those responsible for making this film...and associating his name with it.
2 out of 10.
Waste of time and money
shaikhajamal12 May 2023
I recommend no one to watch it unless you are 10 years old or younger. First of all the actors do not know how to act, second all events were easily predictable like nothing unexpected happened. I regret wasting the precious time of my weekend watching this low quality movie i was more on my phone than watching this. If you are thinking about watching it DON'T trust me.
The poster is good but never judge a book by its cover, I thought it would be something like Deep Blue See movie but NO i want my money back as well as the wasted time.
The actors had no idea how to act but to be fare the little boy is the only one who knew how to act.
The poster is good but never judge a book by its cover, I thought it would be something like Deep Blue See movie but NO i want my money back as well as the wasted time.
The actors had no idea how to act but to be fare the little boy is the only one who knew how to act.
Don't believe the 5 star ratings, it really is bad
dcipledude31 May 2023
This movie is really as bad as all reviews say it is. It starts already with the opening scene under water : it is absolute garbage, the director and cinematographer have no idea how to shoot underwater scenes, you can't tell what's going on and this happens each time they go under water. Somehow the protagonists end up on a abandoned oil rig surrounded by a ghostly superstition Mexican Megalodon of some sort, brought upon by the white man and the oil rig. I wasn't really paying attention when this part was explained because it took the pace out of the movie and was clearly "we are destroying the environment, global warming etc" nonsense, anyway the main cast make the most idiotic decisions and there is no plan, there is no goal, things just happen and then suddenly the movie is over (thank God !). The director has no idea how to keep tension; there is constant noise on the platform, presumably from the Megalodon doing ... something, we never get to see what it's doing because you only see flashes of this monster, where did it come from and what does it want ? We will never know. You don't feel any sympathy for the main characters, Josh Lucas is and always will be a B-actor and I was constantly wondering what this man was doing in a 100% Mexican produced movie, he is literally the only American in this flick.
Anyway he plays an oil company inspector of oil rigs and arrives at this oil platform, completely unaware of where everyone is but then halfway the movie there is a plot twist that makes you go "huh ? Then why did he act like that in the beginning ?". As another reviewer already pointed out : the script was probably written by AI. Avoid at all cost.
Anyway he plays an oil company inspector of oil rigs and arrives at this oil platform, completely unaware of where everyone is but then halfway the movie there is a plot twist that makes you go "huh ? Then why did he act like that in the beginning ?". As another reviewer already pointed out : the script was probably written by AI. Avoid at all cost.
Judge, Jury and Water-cutioner
kosmasp3 January 2024
No pun intended - can an animal be a demon? The characters and the movie wants to make you believe that - at least to a degree. And it is being built in a way and depicted that it makes the viewer feel there is much more there than there might be. Having someone like Josh Lucas starring in the movie, gives it some extra credibility for sure though ... as crazy as it may sound (and is).
That all being said, the movie has some nice effects and does ride the wave (sorry), that you would expect it to do. Or what it says on the box - you could say, that the movie is a nice b-movie in the horror department ... know what to expect, do not be too disappointed I reckon ...
That all being said, the movie has some nice effects and does ride the wave (sorry), that you would expect it to do. Or what it says on the box - you could say, that the movie is a nice b-movie in the horror department ... know what to expect, do not be too disappointed I reckon ...
Came for a cheesy shark flick, stayed for an actual masterpiece???
challenrmgladman1 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
So having scrolled through endless low-ranked reviews from folks who think this plot is disjointed or preachy, I uhhhhhh just don't think y'all understand what it's actually trying to be. The writing is DEEPLY thematic -- the result of an Indigenous storyteller obviously genuinely engaged in his craft and Hopi heritage -- and as someone who (admittedly) came in not knowing that, with my teeth pre-gritted expecting another pro-Exxon flick with surface-level heroics and the kind of cringe I'd usually have to overlook to enjoy my popcorn, I was just so incredibly pleased to find that even the oilman dad himself was written so as to be human??? His acting in his realization scene was real and raw -- seeing him and Chato have a real moment of understanding (that didn't have to mean absolution/lack of consequences for the dude's choices, aaaa!!!) meant so much to me. And he wasn't the only character to leave that impact throughout the film -- watching the mum struggling between passing her culture onto her kids and appeasing their colonially skeptical dad??? Seeing how gd FIERCE she was protecting her daughter without hesitation AND making sure that both kids knew they deserved that safety regardless of gender??? The fact that every single one of these characters had something to actually CONTRIBUTE to the rescue at the end, from the son's engagement and recognition and faith to the daughter's ingenuity (a STEM-based knowledge drawn from a traditionally feminine interest in makeup, don't think I don't see you breaking barriers over there) to the balance between Chato and the dad's complimentary masculinities... and Toro. Friggin loved Toro, man.
In all seriousness, my partner and I turned on the TV tonight looking for a popcorn flick and a giggle to celebrate our anniversary, and for the first time in two years, I actually picked a good movie. Y'all have no idea how grateful I am, for that personal experience and for all of the time and effort and care that clearly went into this story. (I'm at an Indig Lit conference this week, I'll try to hype it up!!! ;P) Keep up the amazing work!!!!!!
In all seriousness, my partner and I turned on the TV tonight looking for a popcorn flick and a giggle to celebrate our anniversary, and for the first time in two years, I actually picked a good movie. Y'all have no idea how grateful I am, for that personal experience and for all of the time and effort and care that clearly went into this story. (I'm at an Indig Lit conference this week, I'll try to hype it up!!! ;P) Keep up the amazing work!!!!!!
VIEWS ON FILM review of The Black Demon
burlesonjesse51 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
2023's The Black Demon is directed by the relatively unknown Adrian Grunberg (Rambo: Last Blood, Get the Gringo). Probably aware of the million or so Jaws remakes existing, Grunberg decides to provide a new hook with "Demon". That's right, "Demon's" shark makes you hallucinate, gives you a guilt trip, and targets you as if it had a human brain. "This time... it's personal". Actually yeah, it is.
Taking place in Mexico via an oil rig in the middle of nowhere, The Black Demon starts with a strong opening act, letting the audience know that townspeople can be just as cold as those pesky marine fish (a hint of 1972's Deliverance I suppose). "Demon" also provides plenty of shark speak and um, shark psychobabble. Whatever Matt Hooper said back forty-plus years ago, well that was just technical stuff and not really numinous.
The Black Demon stars unknowns Venus Ariel and Fernanda Urrejola and veteran actor Josh Lucas. Lucas knowing that he's starring in a B-movie and maybe being accused of pay-checking it, decides to run with his role as oil company inspector Paul Sturges. Battling a big-arse megalodon along with a few of his own inner demons (pun intended), Josh's Sturges is the antihero family man with flaws and secrets that are steadily exposed. His performance here is raw and unvarnished. I mean no one does angered, spit-fire dialogue quite like my man Lucas.
All things considered, The Black Demon has its moments but in the end it can't escape being another shark vehicle, looking to one up all the others only to thrive into fish food rinse, recurrence. It certainly doesn't help that the filmmakers clearly were on a budget, what with all the megalodon attacks not fully showing the mortal carnage (lots of cutaway shots instead). Yeah it's mostly murky mise-en-scenes, harboring a little suspense but never making you think it could actually be Spielbergian (cause it's clearly not). Hey at least the darn apex predator looks as big as ever. "Black and tan".
Taking place in Mexico via an oil rig in the middle of nowhere, The Black Demon starts with a strong opening act, letting the audience know that townspeople can be just as cold as those pesky marine fish (a hint of 1972's Deliverance I suppose). "Demon" also provides plenty of shark speak and um, shark psychobabble. Whatever Matt Hooper said back forty-plus years ago, well that was just technical stuff and not really numinous.
The Black Demon stars unknowns Venus Ariel and Fernanda Urrejola and veteran actor Josh Lucas. Lucas knowing that he's starring in a B-movie and maybe being accused of pay-checking it, decides to run with his role as oil company inspector Paul Sturges. Battling a big-arse megalodon along with a few of his own inner demons (pun intended), Josh's Sturges is the antihero family man with flaws and secrets that are steadily exposed. His performance here is raw and unvarnished. I mean no one does angered, spit-fire dialogue quite like my man Lucas.
All things considered, The Black Demon has its moments but in the end it can't escape being another shark vehicle, looking to one up all the others only to thrive into fish food rinse, recurrence. It certainly doesn't help that the filmmakers clearly were on a budget, what with all the megalodon attacks not fully showing the mortal carnage (lots of cutaway shots instead). Yeah it's mostly murky mise-en-scenes, harboring a little suspense but never making you think it could actually be Spielbergian (cause it's clearly not). Hey at least the darn apex predator looks as big as ever. "Black and tan".
It's not good. It tries to trick you, but it fails.
CandyassGoth22 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Would I watch this again? NO.
Would I recommend it? NO x2.
Will you miss anything by skipping this movie? Again, HELL NO.
The main male actor/character was bad. There's no sugar coating it, either he can't act or he was acting like he couldn't act, and the same could be said for all the other characters with the exception of the wife. She was legitimately a good actress and did a good job, but she was on a sinking ship.
It's not a shark flick, it's a ' spooky shark has been sent by the gods to punish us for killing the planet' flick, and doesn't that just sound dumb? Yes because it was, it played out as dumb as it sounds.
I still to this day do not understand how this film made it to cinemas and I feel terrible for the poor folk who didn't search up the reviews before buying a ticket. It truly was nonsense.
Would I recommend it? NO x2.
Will you miss anything by skipping this movie? Again, HELL NO.
The main male actor/character was bad. There's no sugar coating it, either he can't act or he was acting like he couldn't act, and the same could be said for all the other characters with the exception of the wife. She was legitimately a good actress and did a good job, but she was on a sinking ship.
It's not a shark flick, it's a ' spooky shark has been sent by the gods to punish us for killing the planet' flick, and doesn't that just sound dumb? Yes because it was, it played out as dumb as it sounds.
I still to this day do not understand how this film made it to cinemas and I feel terrible for the poor folk who didn't search up the reviews before buying a ticket. It truly was nonsense.
Where's the Shark?
oldmanrob30 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
What can I say about this film that's positive... Oh yes, I know, it is consistent. At being awful.
How on earth did this film get shown on the big screen? I get the feeling the Director had their tongue permanently stuck in the side of their mouth the entire shoot. Honestly, if you altered some of the music and changed a couple of lines this would be more like a parody than an attempt at a serious scare/horror flick.
The shark is barely on screen, the visual effects team must have been on a very tight budget. I say this as they remind me of the effects you may have seen in movies such as Sharknado...
Acting... I'm sure there is some in the film. After all, it is an hour and forty minutes long. So you'd think with all that time they'd find time to actually get some acting done. Wrong.
This does for the shark based horror films what Amber Heard did for DC.
Don't watch, don't even think you'll have a look out of interest. No point. You'd be better off running a bath and getting an inflatable shark off amazon.
How on earth did this film get shown on the big screen? I get the feeling the Director had their tongue permanently stuck in the side of their mouth the entire shoot. Honestly, if you altered some of the music and changed a couple of lines this would be more like a parody than an attempt at a serious scare/horror flick.
The shark is barely on screen, the visual effects team must have been on a very tight budget. I say this as they remind me of the effects you may have seen in movies such as Sharknado...
Acting... I'm sure there is some in the film. After all, it is an hour and forty minutes long. So you'd think with all that time they'd find time to actually get some acting done. Wrong.
This does for the shark based horror films what Amber Heard did for DC.
Don't watch, don't even think you'll have a look out of interest. No point. You'd be better off running a bath and getting an inflatable shark off amazon.
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