Quartile rating: 5/10 · 1 rating
A sea plane is destroyed in a freak accident, five people find themselves drifting on a raft. At the mercy of the tide and with no hope of rescue, the helpless situation takes a horrifying turn when they are terrorized by a ravenous great white.
Great White (2021) is a derivative shark survival thriller that adds little to a well-worn subgenre. The plot is formulaic — stranded survivors picked off by a great white — with thin characterization and predictable beats lifted from Jaws, The Shallows, and Open Water. Acting is serviceable at best, with underdeveloped characters making it hard to care about outcomes. Cinematography offers some decent Australian coastal scenery and underwater shots, elevating it slightly above the script's limitations. Novelty is extremely low — this is essentially a by-the-numbers entry in a crowded genre with no distinctive voice, concept, or execution to set it apart. The ending is unsatisfying and telegraphed well in advance, offering no surprises.