When Frank (Trey Harrison) finds his happy home under attack by a dangerous but largely unknown breed of shark, he’s enlists the aid of the world’s only “House Shark” Expert, Zachary (Michael Merchant), and a grizzled former real estate agent, Abraham (Wes Reid), to embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast and claim back his life.
I went into House Shark not really knowing too much about it, just what the title of the film implied, that it featured a shark in a house and it primarily featured very cheesy, practical effects. Within the first fifteen minutes I had witnessed a naked babysitter being devoured by a shark...while on the toilet, I was in for the long haul with this one!
Yes, this movie is as ridiculous as it sounds but it was a damn did I have fun watching it! House Shark from director Ron Bonk (She Kills) is a movie that will appeal to genre film fans with a sense of humor. You can't go into this one expecting to be blown away but I can guarantee that you'll have quite a few laughs. The film is chock full of JAWS and other horror film references that are easily recognizable and rather hilarious.
The characters all did fantastic jobs in their roles and all have quirks that make them amusing. My personal favorite being Abraham, an alcoholic former real estate agent, very reminiscent of Quint from JAWS. Honestly, the film would've fallen apart without the excitement and energy that Trey Harrison, Michael Merchant, and Wes Reid brought to their roles. A few lines and jokes fell flat but nothing bad enough to take me out of the experience. I also loved every moment the shark made an appearance, the intentionally bad, man in a costume effects fit the goofiness of the film perfectly!
I have huge respect for Ron Bonk and his crew for what they were able to create with such a minimal budget and a passion to create a film that has a lot of heart. My biggest gripe with House Shark has to be its run-time, at nearly two hours, it does begin to drag around the beginning of the third act. I feel the film could've benefited from having twenty minutes or so removed from it.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this feature from SRS Cinema and I'm very happy to have it as a part of my collection. It's one of those films where you invite a bunch of friends over, grab some bud and brews (or whatever your vice may be). and get ready for a night of absolute insanity! The good kind.
You can snag a copy for yourself HERE.
