Horror fans are fun folks. Even while we’ll all love the full scope of the genre, most of us have things we are more drawn to than others. I like found-footage. Some folks like possession movies. Others like ghost movies. And some, well, some like movies where a sea creature devours people like it’s a buffet.
“Killer Whale” is just such a film.
It’s interesting when you think about it that there aren’t more killer whale movies. There’s the grand daddy, “Orca,” and then, well, I am sure there are others out there somewhere, but if I can’t recall them, then do they even exist at all?
NAY!
“Killer Whale” is the story of two friends. These two women go on a spur-of-the-moment vacation to Thailand, after having not seen each other in some time. One of the friends is still mourning a loss, and the other has been busy being a social media influencer. Once they arrive, they are living their best lives and enjoying the beaches and the view of the local guy working a kiosk. What we learn is that they are in Thailand, so that the friend in mourning can see an Orca that she had always been fascinated by. What the women don’t know is that the Orca in question has been in a harsh environment, enclosed and on display at a park, and that the whale has become deadly. The two friends are about to learn just how dangerous nature truly is.
“Killer Whale” is a beautiful film. The movie has a gauzy look to it that really captures the stunning vistas of the water and beaches. The actors do a good job, and the two leads are very good as things get desperate. It’s clear that the Orca is digital, but it works well in the film and is as convincing as you’d want.
The film is similar to the movie “The Shallows,” and even feels a little like “The Reef,” two very good shark movies. The action is good, it’s very tense, and the characters feel as if they are in jeopardy.
The movie does have its issues, though.
Overall, the film feels too breezy. Too much time is spent on vacation before we get to the danger, and you really needed the film to be longer, or to focus more on the plight of the women, as they try to survive a killer whale attack in the ocean.
We also don’t know enough about the Orca. We are given some details, but we aren’t shown enough of its life at the park to understand it and empathize with it. And for this film, it isn’t like Bruce, from “Jaws,” no, you are meant to feel for the Orca. You just aren’t given enough to do that. Just as you aren’t given enough of the characters to really connect with them fully. They feel like outlines of people. You care about them, but more for the situation than their souls.
The ending also left me frustrated. There are two big questions left hanging, and they deserve to be answered. It’s a narrative choice, a director’s choice, but it’s not one I agree with.
Fans going in need to understand that this is more about the dread than the kills, but they are there.
It’s an enjoyable film, a very pretty film, but it’s one with pretty hefty flaws. It doesn’t kill the film, but it keeps it from being memorable. It’s a nice way to spend an afternoon or evening, but not one you’re apt to tell friends about.
TL;DR: A decent killer whale movie that lacks the run time to really give the characters and monster the depth they deserve.
3 out of 5
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33479805
