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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Tiger Shark remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old-school, rough-around-the-edges dramas where people shout over the sound of the ocean, you’ll dig Tiger Shark. It’s got that 1930s punchiness that doesn’t waste a second. But if you need your characters to be likable or your plot to be neatly tied up, skip it. You will probably find the whole thing a bit exhausting.
Edward G. Robinson is the whole show here. He plays Mike, a guy who is too big-hearted for his own good. He loses a hand in a shark attack—which, by the way, is filmed with a weird, frantic energy that makes you wonder how they actually pulled it off without hurting anyone. He keeps working, keeps smiling, and keeps ignoring the obvious fact that his new wife, Quita, looks at him like he’s a piece of furniture she didn't pick out.
There is a scene on a boat where the lighting is just… moody as hell. You can almost smell the fish guts and the diesel fumes through the screen. It reminded me a bit of the tension in Stage Fright, though obviously in a completely different setting.
The dialogue is often just people barking at each other. It’s not poetic, and it’s not trying to be. Sometimes it feels like they’re just shouting to be heard over the waves. 🌊
Is the romance convincing? Not really. It feels forced, like the movie is trying to check a box that says "love triangle." But the raw frustration in the air? That feels real. It’s the kind of movie where you just want to grab the main character by the shoulders and tell him to wake up.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s a bit clunky, and the ending feels like it came from a different, happier draft of the script that they decided to ignore halfway through. Still, it’s got grit. Sometimes that’s enough. 🦈
Maybe it’s not as slick as Road to Rio, but it’s got a pulse. And in this business, that's saying something.