Thrash

Film: Thrash

Year: 2026

Director: Tommy Wirkola

Writer: Tommy Wirkola

Starring: Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak and Djimon Hounsou

Review:

This is a film that I first heard about thanks to others in the horror community. The reviews were mixed from what I saw, with most people not necessarily being a big fan. Now I decided to check it out as one of the more popular horror films from 2026 and since there wasn’t a new release at the theater, it was for a featured review on Journey with a Cinephile. What I didn’t realize until settling in was that it was written and directed by Tommy Wirkola.

Synopsis: when a Category 5 hurricane decimates a coastal town, the storm surge brings devastation, chaos and something far more frightening: hungry sharks.

We start this film by setting the stage with the current state of the world. Hurricanes have been getting stronger and this is happening faster. This is alluding to global warming without being too in your face about it. We’re then in a southern coastal town of Annieville. We are introduced to the four groups that we’ll be following.

First is Dakota (Whitney Peak). She lives in her mother’s house, who recently passed away. It has made her almost agoraphobic. We see her venturing out to get food to wait out the approaching storm. It is too much for her so she goes back inside. She has a connection to someone else we’re following, but they’re not currently in town.

Next is Lisa Fields (Phoebe Dynevor). We see her get off work and she’s pregnant. Her mother, Claire (Annabel Mullion), is quite upset that she hasn’t left town yet. Lisa isn’t aware of how strong this storm is and the highway is already shut down. Claire wants her to leave immediately. Something to include here, she moved from New York for her fiancé, who has abandoned her to be a DJ and play poker. Lisa didn’t follow him on this wild dream.

We also have Dee (Alyla Browne), Ron (Stacy Clausen) and Will (Dante Ubaldi). They’re out swimming by a river. They get yelled at by their foster father, Billy Olson (Matt Nable). He’s afraid that they’ll get bit by a snake and he’ll have to pay for it. Him and his wife, Rachel (Amy Mathews), are using the kids for the checks they get from the government. Billy doesn’t think this storm is as bad as the news says. They’re hunkering down and he’s convinced his reinforced windows will hold.

The final group features Dr. Dale Edwards (Djimon Hounsou), a marine biologist tracking a pregnant Great White and investigating bull shark attacks. As Lisa's uncle, he attempts to help her navigate her grief, but she ignores his pleas to evacuate. Unaware of the storm's true intensity, he sets out to reach her alongside a news team consisting of Joe Sprinkle (Andrew Lees) and cameraman Doug (Sami Afuni) as they race toward Annieville.

Once the storm hits landfall, it is a race against time. The levees break and the rushing water floods the city. The storm knocks down trees, blocking people in and causing a loss of power. The waters also bring something else, like the synopsis says. It is a race to higher ground and avoiding the hungry sharks that now patrol the streets.

That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. I must note my affinity for natural disaster films like this. The hurricane, escalated by environmental factors, devastates the city. I understand the perspective of locals like the Olsons or Dakota who have survived previous storms. Having grown up in the Midwest and often ignoring tornado warnings myself, I recognize how such threats can simply become a routine part of life. The Olsons also add an interesting dynamic as ‘hicks’ who don’t believe in the ‘fake news’.

Now since there have been so many films like this, you need up the ante. In this case, sharks infest the city due to the water levels rising so high. This would be terrifying as all these characters get trapped and as they try to get to higher ground, they need to get into the water. There are the three groups that we follow, which in turn end up with Lisa and Dakota coming together. Animal attack films, along with natural disasters, fall into eco-horror. I like the concept that we get.

I did want to shift over to a negative. I do think that having these four ‘groups’ does keep things moving. This never gets boring but still falls short. An issue that I have though, since it moves as rapidly as it did, I never truly connected with the characters. That hurts the tension for me. Even though the situations get worse, I never felt there was actual peril for the characters. That makes it interesting though, because one group is kids who are in their foster parent’s house. Lisa is pregnant and goes into labor. Regardless of what should work, it is missing that more intimate feel.

The film explores several themes, notably unintended consequences, where sharks invading the town represent nature reclaiming human spaces. Interesting family dynamics also emerge: Dale supports Dakota despite not being her father, while Dakota overcomes her fears to assist Lisa. There is also an element of overcoming fear in order to survive. Critiques of capitalism and global warming are present, seen through the predatory foster parents and Lisa being trapped by an unimportant job during the disaster.

Now I do want to shift over to finish out the filmmaking aspects. I’ve already said that this struggled to build tension for me. Now I do think that this is well made. The cinematography and framing to set up the town were good. Then having the disaster hit was solid. Seeing it flood was great. I even think that what they did with the sharks looks good. I do have nitpicks with the lack of blood on a wound. The CGI for the most part was fine. I’d also say that the music and sound design fit what was needed. I did like the ‘floor is lava’ geography that does add tension at times.

All that is left then would be the acting performances. I did think that this was solid across the board. Dynevor and Peak play well off each other. I do like the younger woman is dealing with her issues stemming from losing her mother. She must help an expecting mother survive. There is a great call back from a home movie there. Hounsou works as this person who is coming to save his niece. Browne, Clausen and Ubaldi work along with Nable and Mathews. I’d say from there, the rest of the supporting cast fit what was needed for the different roles.

In conclusion, this is a competently made eco-horror film that effectively utilizes its premise of sharks invading a flooded town to create intense, disaster-driven stakes. While the film succeeds in its technical execution, including solid cinematography and visual effects, it struggles to foster a deep emotional connection with its characters, which slightly diminishes the overall tension. Despite these narrative shortcomings, the performances are solid across the board, and the movie successfully weaves themes of survival, environmental consequence, and family dynamics into its rapid, action-packed narrative.

My Rating: 6.5 out of 10