Critic’s Choice: 5 of the most interesting movies about surfers battling sharks

Surfing is a sport that celebrates freedom. A man conquers the wave, subdues the elements. At this moment it seems that everything is in his hands – this is the feeling that attracts people. This sport turns the picture of the world upside down, making you look at life differently.

But what if on the crest of the wave and absolute freedom a man encounters a shark? A dangerous fight, a struggle for survival: the hero quickly loses control of the situation, and the feeling of ease grows into a phobia. In this moment, both fear and fearlessness can manifest themselves.

cultural critic, writer, film critic

We do not urge you to try yourself in a real fight with a shark, but we recommend watching a good movie and making important conclusions that will be useful in real life.

“Blood Surfing.”

“Blood Surfing.”

Riik: Canada
Väljaandmise aasta: 2000
Režissöör: J. Hickox

Heroes specially went to a remote island to make a documentary movie, where they will test themselves in a fight with sharks. It seemed to them that predators are not only a danger, but also a spectacular adventure. Some even decided to volunteer to be bait and meet the fish on the crest of a wave. The animals, of course, appreciated the responsiveness of the protagonists, but things didn’t go according to plan.

The movie shows well that we often attach importance to a certain situation, thinking it is a big problem for us. In reality, we don’t notice that it is solvable, even if it is very unpleasant. The big problem is somewhere around, but no one thinks about it.

The main danger in the movie is a giant crocodile, which reduces the number of team members. Is there a solution to the problem? The director believes that there is always a way out. Everyone finds their own solution, but who was right, and most importantly, what would the viewer do?

Age limit: 16+

“The Shoal”

“The Shoal”

Riik: USA
Väljaandmise aasta: 2016
Režissöör: J. Collet-Serra

Surfing for Nancy as a symbol of life’s journey and choices, and the shark is a prototype of coincidence. But not a punishment for a crime, as in most cases, but a life choice facing the girl: whether to leave medical practice or not.

The movie is not about dividing benefits and fighting for them. According to the producers’ idea, there is something more important in life than human interests. The question is far from the price of the competition, in which people are eternally engaged, but the goal-setting.

Age limit: 16+

“Soul Surfer”

“Soul Surfer”

Riik: USA
Väljaandmise aasta: 2011
Režissöör: Sh. McNamara

The movie is based on a true story. Athlete Bethany had a brilliant present and no less beautiful future. Well who felt on the crest of the wave of life itself, so it is she. However, after the shark attack, everything in her life collapsed, including surfing, the heroine was left without a left arm.

It seems that life tested the girl in such a cruel way. She had the resilience and will to get back not only to life, but also to surfing. After going through a terrible thing, she was able to conquer the waves and the world of sports again. The movie reveals Bethany’s transformation from success to a moment of despair and then to a return to normalcy in quite a bit of detail.

Age limit: 12+

“Hanalei Bay.”

“Hanalei Bay”

Riik: Jaapan
Väljaandmise aasta: 2018
Režissöör: Daishi Matsunaga

Sufficiently sad movie, but you can not call it a melodrama. Like many paintings of the East, this tape is filled with meaning. Otherwise, why make a movie if the viewer does not change with the hero?

In the story, a single mother loses her only 18-year-old son, a surfer. A shark has robbed this woman of the meaning of life. The sense of loss becomes the centerpiece of the Japanese director’s entire work. He seeks to convey not the way of experiencing loss, but the meanings the heroine finds in the process of experiencing her loss.

There is no surfer, but the woman still visits the place of her son’s death for ten years, reading a book, looking into the distance, walking along the shore. Seemingly simple actions, nothing special happens. But this is only at first glance. There is only one way to truly understand the heroine – by “dissolving” in her.

Age limit: 6+

“Surfing and Sharks”

“Surfing and Sharks”

Riik: Netherlands
Väljaandmise aasta: 2011
Režissöör: Julian Watson

A movie at the intersection of documentary and action movie about South Africa, where every year in June creates excellent conditions for surfers. However, the director draws attention not to the waves, but to the dangers of freedom lovers in this paradise.

It is at this time of the year that all kinds of sharks gather on the wild coast of South Africa. It’s just like in life: every place of attraction always carries a danger that no one thinks about. The movie helps to understand the laws of the ambiguous world.

Sometimes it is much better to study some experience on someone else’s example, and not to check on yourself. The movie allows you to plunge into the situation, think about it and become stronger without putting yourself at risk. But for this you need not just to watch, but to understand and feel.

Age limit: 16+