Dam Sharks

Have made no secret in the past of intensely disliking, and even outright hating a lot, a vast majority of SyFy's (near-universally maligned for good reason) output, though there is curiosity as to whether they are capable of making something good and compulsive about their output's badness. Admittedly, SyFy do have a small group of watchable films and the occasional (big emphasis on that word) above average one, unfortunately outweighed by the lacklustre at best and often dreadful films they churn out.

Am well aware, just to make things clear right now, that films like 'Dam Sharks' are not ones to be taken seriously, have been well versed enough seeing previous SyFy efforts to not expect that. Have seen my fair share of low-budget shark films, and any other kind of low-budget creature film, and will admit to finding some guilty fun in some of them (i.e. the first two 'Sharknado' films). There are marginally worse shark films certainly than 'Dam Sharks'.

Some of the scenery is semi-decent but that is it in 'Dam Sharks' favour. Even that is wasted by that the rest of the production values are so poorly executed.

The acting largely is pretty poor, with the usual mix of overplaying and blandness. Any few attempts to develop the characters results in padded and pointless scenes, development is at best flimsy and it's all overwrought and does little to make the characters endearing or care or learn enough about them.

The execution of almost everything is severely underwhelming, not just being visually cheap and poorly acted and written even worse but what seemed like a decent, if very generic, idea was executed in typical SyFy shark movie fashion, with no imagination whatsoever and only occasional splashes of fun.

Faring worse are the production values, story and writing. 'Dam Sharks', aside from the scenery, is drably shot and sloppily edited, but it's the truly abysmal special effects that are the worst. As the sharks were made on a low-budget it would have been forgiven a little if it was not great, but when the effects for the sharks look as if no effort was given in making them without looking so goofy and unfinished-looking that is hard to ignore or forgive.

Can say no better about the portrayal of the sharks either. They exude little personality either, no menace, not even any unintentional goofiness. Generally the attack scenes, apart from the odd mild amusement, are sloppily edited, too brief and devoid of suspense or sense of horror. Any gore is cheaply cartoon and adds nothing.

Writing ranges between incredibly bad to appalling. Any comedy is incredibly forced and is so cheesy it is enough to make the eyes roll in disbelief, while the more serious moments are very awkwardly written and as trite as anybody can possibly go, complete with some truly muddled jargon. The silliness goes well overboard as the film progresses and it becomes intelligence insulting even when one tries to take it for what it's trying to be.

Really wanted to like the story here because the concept was intriguing slightly, but while it starts nicely the further the movie progresses the lazier, cheesier and more formulaic it gets, also making the mistake that most SyFy films make of trying so hard to be over the top and stupid but in a painfully predictable and less than fresh way that it becomes tiresome. The stupidity gets stale quickly and the film is lethargic generally in pace from over-extending a too thin story for a too long length.

In conclusion, awful. 1/10 Bethany Cox

Come on, you know what you are getting in this. Fun movie, good quality kills and hot babes, oh and killer dam sharks, need I say more?

Dam Shark is a catastrophic attempt at a creature feature that collapses under its own absurd premise and amateur execution. The movie opens with the shark inexplicably appearing in a dam, and from that point forward, the plot shows no coherent logic or structure. Characters make illogical decisions, including repeatedly approaching the water despite repeated shark attacks, which defies common sense and destroys any potential suspense. The narrative is fragmented, with random subplots that never develop or resolve, leaving the story feeling like a patchwork of ideas rather than a cohesive film.

The screenplay is poorly written, with dialogue that is wooden, unnatural, and devoid of tension. Key exposition is clumsily delivered, often through forced lines that feel like they were written without consideration for character motivation or audience engagement. Moments that should be tense or thrilling instead feel ridiculous because the writing fails to build stakes or urgency, and the shark's presence never generates genuine fear.

Casting is equally problematic. The actors are largely unknown, and most deliver performances that feel flat or overacted. There is no chemistry between characters, which undermines any attempt at building emotional investment. Scenes meant to elicit concern for the victims fall flat, and even minor interactions feel stilted and unconvincing.

The direction is sloppy and uninspired. Camera work is inconsistent, with excessive zooms and awkward angles that fail to highlight action or tension. The shark effects are laughably poor, often appearing obviously fake or poorly integrated into the environment, which turns what should be moments of horror into moments of unintended comedy. Pacing is uneven, alternating between long stretches of boredom and rushed sequences that fail to land.

Editing further compounds these issues, with abrupt cuts that disrupt the flow and make scenes confusing to follow. Suspense is nonexistent, as sequences meant to build fear or urgency are poorly timed and lack coherence. The score does little to enhance tension, leaving the film feeling empty and hollow.

Ultimately, Dam Shark is an unmitigated failure across all cinematic fronts. From its ridiculous premise and poorly executed screenplay to weak performances, bad direction, and shoddy effects, the film cannot entertain, thrill, or even amuse consistently. It serves as a textbook example of low-budget filmmaking gone wrong, leaving viewers frustrated, bewildered, and exhausted by the experience.

Hahaha, I love dodgy shark movies! The opening 90 seconds tells you just how much ridiculousness you're in for. Maybe I was a tad traumatised by seeing movies like Jaws, The Swarm, The Pack and Piranha when I was between 5 and 7 years old (!!) ... but I enjoy this kind of dodginess. Having said all that, actual real-life bull sharks used to come far enough up the river where we lived in Western Australia that people with dogs were advised not to let them swim there. Thankfully we only saw dolphins.

I guess I should give it credit for making a movie where sharks make a dam out of human bodies in a river. Even though every single aspect of it is stupid, at least it wasn't miserable to watch. The half-hearted attempts at themes and humour are all derived from proper setups. Even after trying to think of anything positive about it, it's absolutely bad. I think this kind of movie when made a little bit more competently often does things that are repulsive in imagery and themes that being so innocent with it is making me a bit apprehensive to hate this even when I totally know this is bad. So even if I give it the least rating, it's still not the worst. Imdb is censoring me for this dash.