Beast of War (2025) Breakdown
🎬 Beast of War (2025)
🕣 Quick Information:
- Director: Kiah Roache-Turner
- Writer: Kiah Roache-Turner
- Runtime: 87 minutes
- Language: English
- Rating: R (Graphic shark violence, gore, war tension, language)
- Distribution: Rialto Distribution (Australia), XYZ Films (International)
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| Official Poster |
📅 Release Date:
Beast of War (2025) releases on October 9, 2025 in Australian cinemas and October 10, 2025 in select international markets. The world got its first look during the Melbourne International Film Festival 2025, where it premiered to a sold-out audience.
⭐ Genre:
The film is a War Survival Thriller with elements of:
- War Drama: focusing on WWII Australian soldiers.
- Creature Horror: terrifying shark sequences.
- Survival: raw human struggle in the ocean.
- Historical Fiction: inspired by the real sinking of HMAS Armidale.
🎭 Cast:
- Mark Coles Smith as Leo – An Indigenous Australian soldier who becomes the moral core of the story.
- Joel Nankervis – A soldier haunted by war, who must now battle nature’s beast.
- Sam Delich – Plays a hot-headed character, adding conflict within the group.
- Lee Tiger Halley – A younger recruit whose innocence clashes with brutal survival.
- Steve Le Marquand – Veteran actor adding gravitas as the tough commanding officer.
- Supporting: Sam Parsonson, Maximillian Johnson, Aswan Reid, Tristan McKinnon.
🔍 Plot:
The story unfolds during World War II. A group of Australian soldiers sail across the Timor Sea when their ship is suddenly sunk by Japanese forces. Stranded in the middle of nowhere, the survivors cling to wreckage and makeshift rafts.
But the war is no longer their only battle. Lurking beneath the waves is a giant great white shark that stalks them relentlessly. As days pass, hunger, dehydration, and fear consume them. Soldiers clash, secrets unfold, and survival instincts take over.
The shark doesn’t just hunt — it waits, circling like death itself. Each attack is brutal, forcing the survivors to realize that war might not kill them… but nature just might.
🎯 Hook Moment – Why You Can’t Miss This Movie:
Unlike typical shark thrillers, Beast of War delivers:
- A historical backdrop tied to real WWII events.
- Practical effects and animatronic sharks instead of overused CGI.
- A diverse cast highlighting Indigenous voices in history.
- Visceral survival storytelling blending war trauma with ocean horror.
This isn’t just a shark attack movie — it’s a raw fight for dignity, survival, and memory.
🔥 Fan Buzz:
Audiences at MIFF 2025 praised:
- The shark design and practical gore.
- Mark Coles Smith’s powerful performance.
- The film’s ability to balance tense war drama with pulse-pounding horror.
Fans on social media are calling it “Jaws meets Dunkirk,” a rare mashup that actually works.
😲 Shocking Scenes That Will Blow Your Mind:
- The first full shark attack leaves an unforgettable image of blood spreading across the ocean.
- A soldier’s arm being torn away in a horrifying close-up.
- Betrayal among survivors when desperation pushes them to dark decisions.
- The chilling silence before the shark strikes, with only fog and the sound of waves.
🎬 Facts:
- Loosely inspired by the 1942 HMAS Armidale sinking.
- Director Kiah Roache-Turner is also behind cult horror films like Wyrmwood.
- Practical animatronics were built for the shark to avoid excessive CGI.
- Cultural consultants were hired to ensure Indigenous representation was authentic.
🔥 Trending Moments Everyone’s Talking About:
- The trailer’s opening shot of the shark circling the wreckage.
- The terrifying underwater POV sequences.
- The line “I’ve never seen a shark like that before.”
- Festival reviews calling it “a new benchmark in creature horror.”
🔊 Marketing Strategy:
- Festival Premieres to build critic buzz.
- Trailer drops highlighting the war + shark mashup.
- Emphasis on practical effects in interviews.
- Campaign focused on “based on true events” angle.
🎬 Behind-the-Scenes:
Filming was intense, with actors spending long hours in massive water tanks designed to replicate the open ocean. Fog machines, animatronics, and real water currents made the set dangerous but authentic.
Director Kiah Roache-Turner also worked closely with Indigenous cultural advisors, ensuring the script respected history while building tension.
✂️ Deleted Scenes:
As of now, no official deleted scenes have been released, but early reports suggest alternate shark attack sequences were trimmed for pacing.
🌟 Why This Movie Will Be Remembered:
- Rare genre fusion of war + shark survival.
- Powerful performances rooted in history.
- Practical effects that fans of horror truly appreciate.
- A cultural voice rarely seen in war cinema.
It has all the ingredients of a cult classic.
💬 Iconic Quotes & Dialogues:
- “I’ve never seen a shark like that before.”
- “The war didn’t kill us. The ocean will.”
- “On this raft, there are no ranks… only survival.”
🎯 Final Verdict:
Beast of War (2025) is one of the most unique films of the year — brutal, emotional, and unforgettable. By blending WWII survival with shark horror, it offers both adrenaline and reflection.
For fans of Jaws, Dunkirk, or The Shallows, this film is an absolute must-watch. It doesn’t just entertain — it lingers.
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