**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

“All we can do is paddle…”

The Reef: Stalked released on Shudder on July 29th 2022. The survival horror film stars Teressa Liane, Saskia Archer, Ann Truong, and Kate Lister. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty minutes.

A group of friends head out on kayaks for a relaxing day of diving and fun, but wind up stalked by a great white shark instead.

Here is the trailer:

The Reef: Stalked gives kayaks a whirl for our toothy friend, but does it do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Some intense moments!

Some of the jump scares were a little much, but there were some really intense moments during this film when the shark was stalking these characters. I was on the edge of my seat and was genuinely terrified. The Reef is one of my favorite shark movies so I had very high hopes for this and I think it did deliver some nail-biting moments for sure.

Pretty scenery and a different approach.

I’m not sure where this one was shot, but I thought the scenery was absolutely beautiful. When the characters initially set out on their kayaks, I was thoroughly enjoying the views under and over the water. 

I’ve seen close to every shark movie ever made and the formula has become very predictable, but still enjoyable. That being said, I thought that this film took a different approach with how these characters were ultimately going to stay alive while the shark was stalking them. It broke the formula a little bit, which was a plus for me.

The Cons:

Repetitive flashbacks and some crazy bad acting…

Our main character went through a trauma that is explained during the film. She repeatedly gets flashbacks of this (even though she didn’t technically witness it). I totally understood the parallels given her current situation, but I thought they really dragged these out.

There were also a few supporting characters that had laughable reactions to the shark. I enjoyed the main characters, but wow…

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

I’m always going to give any shark movie a try and I thoroughly enjoy this genre. There’s plenty to enjoy with this one, but I don’t think it did anything that extraordinary to set itself apart from similar films that have come out recently.

I’d recommend watching Shark Bait or Deep Blue Sea 3 first for a more entertaining ride. There’s still enough here to have fun with, but I would manage your expectations accordingly.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Reef: Stalked in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

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