Beast of War (2025) Review: Sharks, Rafts and Wartime Desperation

This Beast of War review starts with the film's simple, effective hook: young soldiers, a tiny raft and a shark that will not leave. Australian director Kiah Roache-Turner mixes wartime survival with creature-feature thrills. The result is lean, tense and sometimes rough around the edges.

Beast of War Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The Beast of War plot opens during World War II. A boat carrying a troop of young Australian soldiers sinks while crossing the Timor Sea. The survivors end up on a raft that is quickly getting smaller, with no land in sight.

The men have to deal with thirst, fear and bitter arguments. They also face enemy attacks and the steady, unnerving presence of a very large great white shark. The film's tagline, "Survival is the only victory," sums up the stakes well.

Roache-Turner also wrote the script, and he keeps the setup clear. There is little padding, and the film runs a brisk 87 minutes. If you like action movie reviews with a tight premise, this one gets going quickly.

What Works in Beast of War

The confined setting is the film's biggest strength. A raft in an empty ocean leaves nowhere to hide, and that gives even quiet scenes a nervous edge. The shark is used as a constant threat rather than a joke.

The pacing helps too. At under 90 minutes, the film never overstays its welcome, and it moves between human conflict and shark attacks with purpose.

• Tension: the shrinking raft makes every movement feel risky.

• Tone: the war backdrop adds weight to what could have been a pure monster movie.

• Efficiency: a short runtime keeps the pressure high.

It also fits the wider run of war movie reviews that focus on small groups under impossible strain rather than huge battles. Fans of the genre will recognise the mood, even if the scale is modest.

Beast of War Cast and Performances

The Beast of War cast is led by Mark Coles Smith as Leo, who gives the group a steady centre. Joel Nankervis plays Will, and Sam Delich plays Des Kelly. Maximillian Johnson (Stan), Lee Tiger Halley (Teddy) and Sam Parsonson (Thompson) round out the troop.

The ensemble works best when the men are shouting, bargaining or cracking under pressure. Their chemistry feels believable, and you can sense a group of very young men out of their depth. Smith stands out by playing Leo with restraint rather than big speeches.

Some characters are drawn in broad strokes, so not every soldier gets a full inner life. That limits the emotional payoff, but the cast still sells the fear and exhaustion.

Where Beast of War Stumbles

The film's modest scale shows. Water-bound thrillers rely on convincing effects, and a shark movie with a limited budget can look uneven in its wider shots. Viewers who want polished spectacle may notice the seams.

The script also leans on familiar survival beats. Arguments over rations, tempers flaring and a growing sense of dread all feel like things you have seen before. Because the runtime is so short, some of the interpersonal conflicts are sketched rather than explored.

There is also a tonal question. The film wants to be a serious wartime story and a creature feature at once, and the two halves do not always blend smoothly. Those hoping for a deep historical drama may find the shark overpowering it, while pure monster fans may want more bite.

Is Beast of War Worth Watching?

Yes, Beast of War is worth watching if you want a short, tense survival thriller with a grim wartime twist. It is not a masterpiece, and the 6.2 out of 10 audience score on TMDB suggests viewers see it as solid rather than exceptional. Our own rating lands in the same place.

What it does well is deliver a clear premise with real suspense. The Beast of War release date was 22 August 2025, and it arrived with an R rating, so expect violence and intense scenes. It earned only a small worldwide gross, which fits its status as a lean, mid-sized genre film.

If you enjoy biography movie reviews and survival stories with a historical flavour, it is a decent pick for a night when you want something quick and nerve-racking. For a similar sea-bound tone, you might also try Dongji Rescue.

Who Will Enjoy Beast of War

• Fans of shark thrillers who like a human story alongside the teeth.

• Viewers who enjoy compact, high-pressure survival films set during wartime.

• Anyone curious about Australian genre filmmaking and Kiah Roache-Turner's style.

For background on the film and its crew, the Beast of War page on IMDb is a handy starting point.