Those of us enamored with shark horror generally accept Jaws as the unrivaled king.
Steven Spielberg’s 1975 classic not only perfects the art of underwater suspense, it expertly blends high seas adventure with family drama and genuine dread. But Spielberg’s masterpiece fails to answer one glaring question: what if sharks were super smart? That’s the premise of Renny Harlin’s 1999 film Deep Blue Sea, a sharksploitation crowd-pleaser that succeeds by fully committing to its outlandish bit. The story follows the crew of Aquatica, a doomed ocean research center torn apart by three massive – and massively intelligent – mako sharks. With all the trappings of 90s slasher fun, the film merges Jaws and Spielberg’s other man vs. nature classic Jurassic Park for an aquatic horror blockbuster that’s aging like a fine blood-red wine spilling into the ocean.
Harlin’s story begins with a near miss kill. Two attractive couples are canoodling on a catamaran when something big bumps them from under the deck. Moments before giant jaws can rip them to shreds, a savior appears with a harpoon gun. Carter Blake (Thomas Jane) is a shark wrangler from nearby Aquatica charged with retrieving one of the escaped test subjects. The facility’s mastermind, Dr. Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows), has dedicated her life to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and genetically modified three mako sharks. Along with the brilliant, but cavalier Jim Whitlock (Stellan Skarsgård), she’s increased their brain size in order to extract a chemical that can spark cell regeneration in human patients. Unfortunately this controversial program has a nasty side effect: the sharks are now extremely intelligent and have begun conspiring to break their way out. When a high-stakes demonstration goes dreadfully wrong, the makos begin to systematically bring down Aquatica in hopes of killing their captors and escaping into the (wink) deep blue sea.
If you think that premise sounds ridiculous, you’re not alone. But Harlin backs this pseudoscience up with three killer beasts. Achieved through a mix of CGI, animatronics, and real shark footage, these “gliding monsters” stalk the flooded corridors with stealthy silence and a ferocious bite. Harlin fully leans into the villainization by giving these fish the ability to hunt in packs along with a cannibalistic taste for the flesh of other sharks. Like Spielberg’s iconic raptors, they set their sights on the overconfident humans and herd them through the rapidly flooding halls. This predatory trio uses their 8,000+ pound bodies to slam through metal doors and fly out of the water to kill unsuspecting victims. While admittedly preposterous, suspension of belief is par for the course. How does a 45-foot mako swim through a cluttered kitchen? Who cares! We’re completely on board for the sharksploitative fun.
Harlin introduces his killers by brutality and size. An early scene features Carter swimming with a deadly tiger shark that later becomes an onscreen meal. Like Jason decimating a biker gang, these cannibalistic killers quickly demolish a species that rivals the great white for the ocean’s largest threat. To harvest the serum, Susan has created two 26-foot Gen(eration) 1 sharks who themselves have spawned the 45 foot Gen 2. These creatures stalk Carter through a series of reinforced underwater tunnels and nearly manage to break through the walls. With a bit of death-defying deception, the skilled swimmer tranquilizes a Gen 1 and guides it onto an observation platform. Standing next to the gigantic fish, he monitors and soothes as Susan inserts a three-foot needle into its brain. Far from Spielberg’s malfunctioning Bruce, this animatronic creature feels frighteningly real.
In addition to these surprisingly lifelike cartilaginous villains, Deep Blue Sea benefits from an exceptional cast. Jane broods charmingly in a breakout role and ushers us through the film’s second half. Burrows is compelling as a Frankenstein-like anti-hero who brings death to her friends in an ill-conceived attempt to play God. However, compared to Skarsgård’s delightfully reckless and nihilistic Jim, she seems all-but heroic in her noble quest to cure degenerative brain disease. Michael Rapaport and Aida Turturro add spark to the ensemble, but it’s LL Cool J who provides the flame. As an ex-alcoholic reverend-turned-chef called “Preacher,” he warms up the film with canny observations, modified scripture, and a wise-cracking parrot simply named Bird. It’s difficult to talk about Deep Blue Sea in a crowd without someone reciting “You ate my bird,” or launching into a rendition of his beloved single “Deepest Bluest” then affirming that, yes, his hat does indeed look like a shark’s fin.
Samuel L Jackson anchors the film as billionaire benefactor Russell Franklin. Initially maligned as an ignorant “suit.” he quickly emerges as the voice of reason and uses knowledge gained from a previous disaster to pull the frightened survivors together. His reassuring presence and A-list charisma leads to a shocking bait-and-switch and one of the best cinematic deaths in horror history. After delivering a rousing pep-talk tinged with Donner Party-esque lore, Franklin stands next to the wreckage of the facility’s submersible. While ordering them to seal off the open pool, a shark leaps out of the water to bite him in two. The aquatic opening immediately fills with blood and we watch the two Gen 1s chow down on his limbs. This brutal attack hits like a bolt of lightning and sets a horrific tone for the film’s second half. Not only can any one of these characters die, the sharks can still get you even out of the water.
An earlier sequence showcases the bombastic nature of their devious plan and begins the death spiral for this “floating Alcatraz.” While celebrating a successful demonstration, Jim gets too close and falls into the jaws of the ostensibly sleeping shark. Minus one arm, the hemorrhaging scientist soon finds himself strapped to a gurney hanging from an unstable medevac helicopter in the midst of a raging storm. Though the frantic pilots try to haul him onboard, he quickly splashes into the makos’ enclosure. In a clever nod to Jaws, we see the cord pulled from deep below, dragging the helicopter towards Aquatica’s tower in a massive explosion that will burn through the night. Back in the lab, the shocked team stares in horror as a ghostly object approaches the observation window. The Gen 2 hurls Jim and gurney into the reinforced glass which slowly begins to splinter and crack. They rush out of the room as a wall of water flows through the shattered portal. Filmed with the same tanks used for Titanic, the stakes of this scene feel incredibly high. As the ice-cold water pours in by the ton, we fear that the frightened members of this ragtag team are just minutes away from being swept out to sea.
With Aquatica crumbling, there’s little to separate humans and sharks. Submerged hallways provide runway for these apex predators to attack and the fractured team must race to the surface before the facility sinks to the ocean floor. Multiple makos allow ample opportunity for a series of shark showdowns, each more thrilling than the last. Humans are shredded, sharks are burned, and blood fills the water until only three humans remain to square off against the massive Gen 2. In an explosive finale, Susan sacrifices herself to prevent the demonic animal from breaching the outer gates. (The conflicted doctor was originally supposed to survive and conclude the film by sharing an odd-couple kiss with the heroic Carter, but test audiences reportedly demanded accountability for her destructive hubris.) With harpoon assistance from a wounded Preacher, the heroic shark wrangler manages to outswim the maniacal fish who escapes moments before being blown to bits. Our two final boys make exhausted jokes while they collapse on floating rubble as the 90s rap swells and a rescue boat approaches.
With fiery action, breakneck pacing, and a likable cast, Harlin succeeds in pulling off this ridiculous plot. We forget about the thin science and illogical plan and indulge ourselves in a series of increasingly bloody underwater kills. Rather than a tired Jaws rip-off, Deep Blue Sea feels like a culmination of the era’s best horror. At three times the shark peril (four if you’re counting that tasty tiger) and a facility to destroy, it’s a delightful mix of 90s meta-slasher gore, sci-fi isolation, aquatic adventure, and creature feature fun. IMDb currently has it ranked as the #1 shark movie of all time and it’s possible that in another 25 years, this glorious shark-science extravaganza may overtake Spielberg’s heavyweight to become ruler of the cinematic seas.
