Nerds That Geek Documentary Review: ‘Sharksploitation’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Key Art for ‘Sharksploitation’ Courtesy of Shudder.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Sharksploitation’. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the documentary being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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We live in an interesting time when it comes to shark-themed storytelling. Because in this day and age, the shark is now a larger-than-life icon on the silver and small screen. The kind that audiences flock to and celebrate out of an eagerness to see what wild sharky story they will be treated to, and well… what makes this so interesting… is that… not that long ago, sharks were viewed in a vastly different light in cinema and television. For a couple of decades back, they were feared predators. The kind that would hunt mankind out of a primal hunger for the forbidden flesh we harbor and well… that is quite the polarizing change for how sharks are viewed in entertainment, leaving one to wonder, how it all shifted so quickly. Not to mention… why were they feared so deeply?
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Which are questions that are explored and answered in a brand-new documentary on Shudder entitled, Sharksploitation. One designed to truly educate the viewer on the history of sharks in popular-culture and how they have evolved in storytelling over the past few centuries and well… that brings forth, a fascinating documentary to say the least. One that leaves no fin unturned courtesy of a comprehensive and magnificent journey. One that explores the origins of our collective fear of the shark, and how storytelling fed that to no end and exacerbated it further by way of iconic stories that made the shark our absolute worst nightmare, and it also explores… how those fears were transformed in the 1990s and the turn of the century.

Since that era brought forth a bevy of films that presented the shark in a new light. One that is/was overtly comical, courtesy of sharks that could do things that no other member of their species could. Such as say… fly through tornadoes or eat on land or… become a ghost that could eat a kid in a pool. Giving rise to moments that settle fears when we see how goofy they are when brought to life and oddly… this storytelling revolution, mixed in scientifically factual shark stories, and all of that has given life to a new era. Where sharks are both respected and feared, and that latter issue is now processed through stories that feel safe and remind us of the limitation of that fear since uh… they can only get us in the ocean and most likely… they won’t. Because they’re just big smart fish doing big smart fish things.

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Mario Van Peebles in ‘Sharksploitation’. (Photo Courtesy of Shudder.)

However, while we are provided with a fascinating journey on the history of the shark in cinema, this is a documentary that offers so much more. Since it takes the time to deeply explore each era of the shark film and spotlight a bevy of movies that few of us have ever heard of. The kind that features some amazing plots, and land-based knock offs of the classics, and feature some unsavory moments. Such as when a man died filming a shark movie, and the various atrocities filmed on camera in the name of fear and cruelty. But it is imperative to cover such elements and moments in a documentary of this caliber. So that anyone that walks away understands every aspect of this iconic horror subgenre, to truly see the bigger picture and to help this film stand as the definitive source on the history and future of the shark-themed film.
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In fact, this documentary still goes deeper to reinforce that standing, by also taking the time to feature a who’s who of experts in this story. Since we are privy to words from horror film experts, those in the field of shark related science and a bevy of creatives that have worked to bring these films to life. To properly offer us their unique perspectives on the genre, their powerful insights, and stories that we were unaware of. For instance, this writer was unaware of the fact that Peter Benchley, the writer of Jaws, who was inspired to write a story about a killer shark based on old data and news stories… changed his tune about sharks later in life when he spent time near. In fact, he eventually saw them for the gentle creatures they can be and made conservation a whole new focus in his life. 

Which are powerful insights made possible by the comprehensive nature of this documentary. Which is a testament to writer/director Stephen Scarlata’s efforts to truly put the history of this subgenre into one giant tank for all of us to swim through and disseminate, and what he has assembled, is nothing short of amazing. For this is a documentary that really opens one’s eyes to the rich history of the shark-themed film, to the point where you will indeed learn a great deal about this subgenre that you never knew before. All while celebrating what makes it so great and what makes it so important to horror. For it really is a type of film that takes the viewer on a powerful experience, one that plucks at primal fears and helps folks get over them, and the best news of all, is that you too can celebrate this subgenre and learn more about it today. For Sharksploitation is streaming now on Shudder, and we do hope you give this magnificent documentary a look… for it really is quite jaw-some.

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