FEAR BELOW
(director/writer: Matthew Holmes; screenwriter: Gregory Moss; cinematographer: Peter Szilveszier; editors: Sue Schwelkert, Matt Villa; music: Angela Little; cast: Hermone Corfield (Clara Bennett), Ernie Morgan (Arthur Angel), Jake Ryan (Dylan ‘Bull’ Maddock), Jacob Junior Nayinnggul (Jimmy Barriakada), Josh McConville (Janusz Wojcik), Maximillian Johnson (Shaun Cullen), Will Fletcher (Sgt. Potter), Clayton Watson (Bob Drummond), Kevin Dee (Dwight Lewis); Runtime: 85; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Michael Favelle, Blake Northfield; Bronte Pictures/ VOD/Saban Films; 2025; Australia)
“The characterizations were spot-on.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Aussie filmmaker Matthew Holmes (“The Legend of Ben Hall”/”The Cast”) directs and co-writes the low-budget B-film with Gregory Moss. It’s a predictable but sharp-toothed shark survival story, but with the human villains being the bad guys. It’s set after WW II in the Australia of 1946.
A ruthless criminal gang led by the over-dressed Dylan ‘Bull’ Maddock (Jake Ryan) and his two associates, lose their stolen gold bullion that’s stored in a van after it accidentally crashes in the river trying to avert being hit by a swerving car. Dylan kills the reckless driver and tosses him into the river. They then offer the struggling small-time diving team of Ernie (Arthur Angel), a drunken older man in charge of the team, and the two other divers, a woman named Clara (Hermone Corfield) and the aborigine Jimmy (Jacob Junior Nayinnggul), a large payment to dive for what’s inside the van and not to report what they’re diving for. They secretly plan on killing the divers after retrieving the gold.
In the murky river, there’s a 15-foot pregnant bull shark staking out her territory. The divers fearful of a shark attack, call for help from the no-nonsense, grizzled and bearded fisherman Bob (Clayton Watson).
Tension mounts on how the divers handle the shark and on the dangerous situation they face with their ruthless gang employers.
The B-film was enjoyable, the photography was terrific, the characterizations were spot-on, and the action scenes were decent.
REVIEWED ON 5/17/2025 GRADE: B-
dennisschwartzreviews.com