Into the Deep, which was released at the start of 2025, helps to provide a thrilling and interesting twist to the traditional format of shark action movies. Rather than resorting to the classic formula of a predatory shark wreaking havoc on unsuspecting beach-goers, it takes a more complex approach, which is a breath of fresh air for fans of this movie genre.
The Timeless Appeal of the Apex Predator
Shark movies are nothing new. The concept of sharks in cinema has been explored for quite some time, with the classic Jaws helping to set the stage in terms of how they can be done right. Directed by Spielberg, this helped to raise the bar of what can be done with minimal resources. You also have The Meg, which was released in 2018. In this movie, a deep-sea submarine encounters a prehistoric shark, a Megalodon, which was thought to be extinct.
Although this takes a much more high-octane approach when compared to Jaws, it helps to show how much potential the genre has. Our fascination with sharks has also extended to numerous other verticals, including gaming. In titles like Maneater, you play as the shark itself, swimming through an open-world environment, as you complete missions and evolve with a full skill tree.
This action RPG allows you to cause chaos, as you make your way to becoming the biggest predator the ocean has ever known. The shark theme has also been explored in the iGaming vertical with Slingo games like Slingo Shark Week. Games like this often adopt symbols that range from shark fins to fishing boats and chum, transporting players into an underwater world where you never know what lies ahead. Games like adopt a new approach to the theme, but still offer an immersive experience.
When you break down how much the underwater and shark theme has been explored across different verticals, it’s evident that the genre has a timeless appeal, and that the topic can be explored in so many different ways. In a way, that’s what makes Into the Deep so special, because even though the shark theme has been heavily explored in many ways, the movie still manages to adopt a fresh approach that will go down a hit with action fans.
Underwater Filming Techniques and Action-Packed Sequences
The movie has a strong visual style, with notable cinematography. One thing that helps this movie to really stand out is the fact that it uses a number of underwater filming techniques. Not only does this help to create tension, it also helps to create a feeling of claustrophobia. This comes across well on the big screen.
As the film takes a very different approach to what we have seen in shark movies before, this leads to some very good action sequences. The underwater fight scenes are spectacular, with strong performances from all cast members. Action scenes underwater are also notoriously hard to film, as explained here by Film Stories. After all, you’re working against buoyancy, and you are also forced to slow down filming, as you’re working against water pressure. This, combined with time constraints due to breathing in compressed air for a long period of time, can make it challenging for directors to get the result they’re looking for.
The director of the movie has also conducted numerous interviews talking about the underwater scenes being shot, saying that they had to spend three weeks on a boat, and scuba diving underwater. They had to deal with huge water tanks and multiple shooting stages, which added a more technical approach to the movie, while helping them to mitigate some of the challenges they faced.
For authenticity, the cast of Into the Deep also did a scuba diving excursion to a wreck in Thailand, recreating the close-ups with a water tank, before building a portion of the shipwreck underwater. Although this led to a lot of logistical challenges, advanced VFX techniques helped to bring the realism of the shark to the forefront. This, combined with using advanced filming equipment helped them to convey the same action-packed scenes that you would expect in a shark movie while making sure that the authenticity of being underwater, and exploring the deep wasn’t lost.
In conclusion, Into the Deep provides a fresh take on shark movies, by portraying the shark as being a methodical hunter, rather than a mindless monster hellbent on destruction. This combined with more complex underwater filming techniques and advanced VFX has helped to make this movie a standout choice for those who prefer their action movies to take place in the deep.