“The Bay” follows two best friends who must fight for survival to escape shark-infested waters when their boat tour sinks.
There have already been a number of shark movies released in 2026: “Thrash,” “Deep Water” and “Chum.” “The Bay” has the upper hand over all three of these movies, the biggest reason being what everyone came to see — the sharks.
Utilizing a mixture of stock footage, practical effects and CGI, writer-director Phil Volken delivers the most realistic sharks of the year so far. On top of silicone fin and tail casts, an animatronic shark was built for the film. This brings a layer of realism that other movies simply can’t achieve, giving actors objects to physically interact with in the open water. It’s not just the animals themselves that look real, though. It’s really the entire environment. While entries like “Killer Whale” and “The Drift” failed to create an authentic landscape, “The Bay” does. They’re not actually stranded in the middle of the ocean, with filming being done in shallow coastal waters in Hawaii.
Director of photography Helge Gerull implements different styles into the visuals. Wide-angle shots capture the setting while close-ups are used for the action-packed moments. Some vlog-style footage is also featured early on, but is left behind when the chaos begins. Gerull also doesn’t shy away from the natural sway of the water, with the camera moving up and down to match its motion.
Like most creature features, “The Bay” is light on story. It spends the first 15 minutes of the 86-minute runtime introducing the characters before “diving” into the central narrative. While quick, this setup proves important later with emotional payoff. Early on, however, the film is too preachy with its messaging. As a longtime admirer of sharks, I am all for discussing their importance in marine ecosystems. However, it pauses for long-winded monologues about the animals, only to show them devouring humans minutes later. This feels somewhat counterintuitive, functioning like an episode of “Shark Week” at times and a pure creature feature at others.
Outside of the sharks, Volken also adds additional human-versus-human stakes. Taking place on a tour boat, the captain and sailor’s duties lie with getting the passengers to safety first. Well… that doesn’t happen. This not only brings a unique source of tension, but also gives the audience a character to cheer for — when they get eaten.
After it all, the film asks a question that not many others do. Are sharks really the “monsters” or are humans? Considering humans kill an estimated 100 million sharks per year, I think that answer is pretty clear.
“The Bay” remains largely void of any shark action until around the midway point. Initially, Volken keeps the animals hidden outside of showing their fins rising above the water’s surface. They don’t always stay in the depths, though, eventually shifting into a frenzy in the final act.
Starring in “The Bay” are Francesca Eastwood (Emma), Dani Oliveros (Lani), Alexander Wraith (Mandal) and Ta’imua (Ruhan). Eastwood is required to showcase the most range of the group, expressing obvious fear but also sadness amid the events. All of the performances prove to be serviceable for this story, relying more on physical reactions than verbal delivery.
It may not be a high bar to pass, but so far, “The Bay” is the best shark movie of 2026. Mixing creature feature with human conflict in a contained atmosphere, it remains entertaining from start to finish.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
