The Black Demon (2023) Review
It’s man versus myth in this supernatural showdown for the ages. When oilman Paul Sturges (Josh Lucas, YELLOWSTONE) takes his family to Bahia Negra, the crown jewel of Baja and the site of Paul’s best-performing rig, the vibrant Mexican coastal town he once knew has mysteriously crumbled.
In the decrepit ghost town, the last inhabitants tell Paul the offshore platform has awoken ‘El Demonio.’ This shark is unlike any other creature; a shark of legend, known as The Black Demon. Soon, Paul and his family find themselves trapped on the rig, under constant attack by the giant monster who slowly eats away at the rig’s supports – with time literally ticking away, Paul must find a way to somehow get his family back to shore alive.
Also starring Fernanda Urrejola (CRY MACHO), Raúl Méndez (SENSE8), and Julio Cesar Cedillo (SICARIO), The Black Demon is directed by Adrian Grünberg (RAMBO: LAST BLOOD) from a script by Boise Esquerra.
With the release of THE MEG’s sequel fast approaching my email inbox is awash with notifications of upcoming shark-themed flicks such as JURASSIC SHARK 3: SEAVENGE and COCAINE SHARK which not only seems tailor-made to coast on the wash created by MEG 2: THE TRENCH but also a certain bear themed comedy-horror that bit a chunk out of the global box-office earlier this year.
Wading in before the others all get a look in there’s THE BLACK DEMON which starts off well but once the main characters become stranded on a rickety rig the B-movie buzz dissipates and it fast becomes a chore to sit through. The script and the direction fudge the eco-friendly ‘message’ bubbling at its core, lost amongst ill-directed scenes of endless bickering.
Josh Lucas is a dependable actor but one that is awash when water-based – such as when he headlined disaster flick remake POSEIDON – and as lead character Paul his verbal conflicts between immediate family and company worker Chato are overwrought, overegged and are far too frequent. There is a shark and it looks fine but there’s not enough of it leaving us at the mercy of ill-conceived characters and dialogue that do nothing other than stretch one’s patience.
Trailer YouTube
Amazon Blu-ray
Amazon DVD
PoE DVD