The Meg.2

There’s a human element to the villainy this time, with corporate sabotage driving the plot.

The final third of The Meg.2 is set at a tropical island resort called "Fun Island" (the script isn't subtle). Here, the three Megalodons attack a beach full of tourists. This sequence feels like a direct-to-video SyFy movie with a $200 million budget. We get shots of a shark eating a helicopter, a shark crashing into a medieval castle-themed water slide, and a giant maw swallowing a yacht whole. The Meg.2

For those who enjoy campy action, the film is a "gleefully dumb" experience. Absurd Action : Reviewers from The Indiependent New Scientist There’s a human element to the villainy this

When the first trailer for The Meg.2 dropped, the internet did what it always does: it scoffed. After all, the original 2018 film, The Meg , was a schlocky, B-movie concept with an A-list budget. It was a movie about a 75-foot prehistoric shark (the Megalodon) eating Jason Statham. Logic dictated that it shouldn’t work. Yet, it grossed over $530 million globally. So, when The Meg.2: The Trench hit theaters in August 2023, audiences knew exactly what they were signing up for: bigger sharks, dumber science, and Jason Statham looking grumpy while doing the impossible. This sequence feels like a direct-to-video SyFy movie

Audiences were treated to the "Snappers"—giant, amphibious lizard-like creatures that walk on land and hunt in packs. These creatures steal the show in the film’s third act. The reveal of these animals transforms the movie from a sea-faring thriller into a land-based creature feature. The sequence involving the Snappers attacking vacationers on "Fun Island" is the film’s highlight, offering a chaotic, high-energy climax that sees innocent beachgoers snatched from the sand.

The first half plays like a claustrophobic thriller as the crew must trek across the ocean floor in exosuits.

Critics have pointed out that the film suffers from an identity crisis. Director Ben Wheatley ( Free Fire , Rebecca ) is known for arthouse violence and psychological horror. For the first 60 minutes, he tries to make a tense, dark underwater thriller. The lighting is gloomy, the pressure suits look heavy, and the death scenes are surprisingly gruesome.