Netflix's #1 Horror Movie With 'Bridgerton' Star Is a Disastrous Flop With 28% on RT

Netflix has given the sharksploitation subgenre new hope with the release of Thrash, directed by Tommy Wirkola, the mind behind the Dead Snow franchise.

With sharks, a hurricane, charismatic actors, and a director skilled in making wild movies, the project seemed like it had every chance of being a hit.

However, Thrash turned out to be a huge step backwards for Wirkola – instead of a wild, bloodthirsty comedy, viewers will see a dull horror flick lacking irony, suspense, and even sharks themselves.

What Is 'Thrash' About?

The tiny town of Annieville is in turmoil. A tropical storm is heading toward the community and has grown from a Category 2 storm to a Category 5 storm – the most dangerous on the hurricane scale – in just a few hours.

While some residents are evacuating, others are determined not to leave the town or their homes. Dakota, who suffers from panic attacks, is one of them – her mother recently passed away, and she's afraid to leave her house.

Lisa is trapped in the town against her will – she was involved in an accident and is stuck in a car that is sinking rapidly. The tropical storm has also brought a school of bull sharks eager to feast on human flesh.

'Thrash' Is Devoid of Any Irony and Madness

The premise of Thrash largely echoes that of the trashy Sharknado franchise. However, while Anthony C. Ferrante's shark saga boasts self-mockery and outright madness onscreen, Thrash is completely devoid of both.

Wirkola sometimes references his early career, delighting viewers with a few crazy scenes – in one episode, for example, teenagers blow up a shark with dynamite. The rest of the movie, however, is a dreary horror story.

For some reason, Wirkola frames the shark story within a true story. In August 2021, Tropical Storm Henry hit the northeastern coast of the US.

Instead of a classic disaster film with a clearly defined environmental message, however, the director made a toothless horror flick that might only surprise you with the scale of the destruction.

In 'Thrash', All the Main Characters Have Such a Heavy Plot Armor That the Movie Is Completely Devoid of Intrigue

From the very first frame, the main characters are clad in impenetrable plot armor, even to the sharpest of shark teeth. The outright villains, such as the foster parents or passing villagers, bear the brunt of it.

Thrash is an uneven collection of micro-plots that converge with difficulty, if at all. Even when the girls' paths cross, their connection with the teenagers remains rudimentary.

The dramatic potential of Dakota's storyline is underdeveloped – the reclusive girl, who misses her mother, instantly copes with her loss upon meeting Lisa.

After the charming Violent Night with David Harbour, Thrash was a huge step back for Wirkola. It's as if the director deliberately stripped the movie of everything that made his previous work beloved.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Thrash'?

• Thrash has 39% from critics and 28% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.1/10.

• On Letterboxd, Thrash scored 2.0/5.0.