BEAST OF WAR

Australia, 2025, 87 minutes, Colour.

Market Coles Smith, Joel Nankervis, Sam Delich, Maximillian Johnson, Lee Tiger Halley, Sam Parsonson, Tristan MacKinnon, Aswan Reid, Lauren Grimson, Laura Brogan Browne, Steve Le Marquand.

Directed by Kiah Roache-Turner.

This is a small Australian film worth noting.

On the one hand, this is a World War II story. On the other hand, it is a shark drama. And, the shark episode is based on an episode in the Timor Sea.

The early part of the film, set in 1942, introduces a set of rather raw recruits, given a speech on Gallipoli and mateship, funded at by one of those sergeant majors supervising drills, made to go through all kinds of preparations for battle. A key episode focuses on Leo, an indigenous recruit, and youngster, Will, who gets bogged down in quicksand like mud but is rescued by Leo. And praised by the leader as an example of Australian mateship in time of crisis. However, there is one young arrogant recruit, ignorantly racist.

Leo, the centre of the film, is played by Mark Coles Smith who has emerged as one of Australia’s leading actors in film and television in recent years. Newcomer Joel Nankervis is Will. Sam Delich is Des Kelly, the racist.

Australian audiences will be interested in this re-creation of moments in Australian war history.

Then these young soldiers are on their way to battle, their ship bombed, few survivors, the atmosphere foggy, Leo offering a great deal of leadership. There have been stories about soldiers stranded in the ocean and the danger from sharks. And this is the drama of the second part of the film, a Great White female shark, circling, attacking, the men and their attempts at surviving, the lack of food, the lack of water, the challenge of drinking urine, and various tensions amongst the men.

Any shark story will remind audiences of jaws – as this film does, but mainly the shark’s circling and then some horror moments as it leaps out of the water. And, finally, the Japanese plane flying over, a Japanese survivor and moral decisions about life and death.

And, there is a mystical dimension to the film, opening with Leo and the young Archie (Aswan Reid from The New Boy) in difficulties underwater, these sequences were occurring in Leo’s memory and, offering a kind of salvation memory for survival.

The writer-director, Kiah Roache-Turner, has previously directed horror films. Here he has some horror but, more importantly, a great deal of humanity.

1. The title, expectations? The war theme? The shark theme?
2. Australian production, small budget? Re-creation of war training, bombardment, on the waters, the shark attack? The musical score?
3. Australia, 1942, the young recruits, training? The impact of the training sequences, the commander, losing his arm, memories of Gallipoli in World War I, mateship? The sergeant and his aggressive tone with the men? The demands, to return to camp, four hours, Will and the quicksand, Leo rescuing him, just in time? Sam and his criticisms, prejudice, racism? The details about silent attack, knives and stabbing, the range of demands?
4. Leo, his indigenous background, a commanding presence, memories of the encounter with Archie setting a tone at the beginning, his memories of Archie throughout the film, trying to save him, Archie saving him, the final salvation?
5. Leo, the response of the men, the continued criticisms by Sam?
6. The portrait of the other men, their age, background, the training? Ready to go to war?
7. The transport, interactions amongst the men, Sam and Leo? The bombardment, the destruction of the ship, the deaths, the men in the water?
8. The group saved, wounding, Leo and his abilities, Will and his contribution, the other men, their personalities, wounds? Thompson and his wounds? The practicalities of survival?
9. The shark theme, audience memories of jaws, World War II stories and the menace of sharks on troops in the water? The visuals of the shark, the attack, the Great White, female, circling, attacking, the teeth, the victims, the blood? The grenades?
10. The issue of food and water, Thompson eating all the peaches, the issue of urine, Sam and his reaction, Leo leading the way, everybody following, giving some more days of survival?
11. The motorboat, Leo and his action, leaping from the various surviving pieces to the other? The rope, pulling it in, the engine not working?
12. The plane, the bombardment, Leo wounded, the deaths? The later arrival of the Japanese, giving up his sword, seeming to surrender, Will not willing to shoot him, the attack, the fight, desperation?
13. Leo, prepared to die, in the water, saving Will again, the images of Archie and beckoning them to the surface?
14. The final survival, Will fixing the motor, the future – in Australia at war, and race issues? Mateship?