‘Sharksploitation’ (2023) Review – Shudder Documentary Offers A Fun Deep-Dive Into A Fascinating Genre

Certain movies are not only masterpieces but also completely reshape the medium. In 1975, a young filmmaker named Steven Spielberg released Jaws. The movie, of course, was a massive hit and is credited with being the first modern summer blockbuster. Jaws didn’t just spring from nothing however, and its horror and adventure movie roots can be traced back to Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) among others. When you have a movie that not only is popular but totally changed the landscape, you’re bound to have imitators. One could almost imagine the cartoon dollar signs in the eyes of producers, ready to cash in on the giant splash that Jaws was making. Director Stephen Scarlata takes his audience on a deep dive into the wild, weird, and often baffling genre known as sharksploitation in his documentary of the same name.

Scarlata does a fantastic job at exploring this subject in a way that is incredibly well organized and breaks up the documentary into easy-to-digest timelines. Every major film from each era is highlighted, and thankfully, we never get weighed down by covering too many. This means every movie highlighted is extremely well thought out and stands out for being good or so bad, it’s enjoyable. The interview subjects are lively, and there is such an interesting variety of experts. This includes film historians, filmmakers, actors, and even marine biologists. The latter is a fantastic way to add a rich layer of a scientific perspective. It’s also just a lot of fun seeing these professionals in their field geek out about not only their chosen field but cheesy shark movies.

Further adding to Sharksploitation are historians talking about the interesting legacy of sharks, both in myth and how they got a rap for being dangerous monsters. It’s touches like this that elevate this from merely talking about enjoyable rip-off movies to a documentary that can educate and entertain. It also does this in a way that doesn’t feel boring nor does it feel out of place in the overall film. Providing a rare interview is Wendy Benchley, former wife of Jaws author Peter Benchley. She speaks about the book, its impact, and the late author’s post-Jaws work with various sea-based organizations.

The Jaws franchise is also covered, and adding valuable insights is Joe Alves, the production designer on the first film, and Carl Gottlieb, who wrote the first three films. All of the sequels’ productions together could be an entire documentary by itself, but it is better that their coverage was only brief. Despite an overall excellent presentation, it does feel like certain films could have been covered in more depth. For example, watershed movies in the genre like Piranha and Cruel Jaws are mentioned but not in the kind of detail you might hope for. The documentary also lacks a visual flare, something more film docs are embracing. The result is well-executed but dull looking.

The fear of the ocean and what lurks beneath is a fear as old as recorded history. It seems only fitting that this age-old terror would translate to literature, art, and, of course, cinema. The legacy of Jaws is a surprisingly complicated one. While yes, it led to renewed interest in sea life, it also led to sharks being hunted, with some species never quite recovering. Director Stephen Scarlata provides fans with a well-thought-out film that balances entertainment, education, and a clear and easy-to-understand guide to a fascinating genre. Along with RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Sharksploitation is another strong documentary for this year.

Sharksploitation is currently available to stream on Shudder. 

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