As ludicrous as it may sound, if you take the film for what it is, a heart-racing action romp where the bad guys are caught with live bait knicked from the deli, you’ll actually enjoy it. It’s like Die Hard went game fishing.
Josh (Xavier Samuel) and Tina (Sharni Vinson) are a young couple living a very Summer Bay lifestyle on the Gold Coast when tragedy strikes and Josh’s best friend and Tina’s brother, Rory, is killed in a shark attack. Devastated by the event he witnesses, Josh’s relationship with Tina falls apart through guilt and grief.
A year later, Josh is still coming to terms with Rory’s death and is slumming it as a shelf-packer at the local supermarket. But his life changes instantly when a tsunami hits the coast and a crew of mismatched characters are trapped on the shelves of a supermarket. And wait for it, they’re not alone – cue a couple of blood-thirsty great white sharks who are circling the aisles and the adjacent carpark.
Throw in some crims, a troubled father-daughter relationship and a love triangle, and you’ve got the formula for a classic B-grade horror film. It’s just that this time the sharks are the killers and it’s the unassuming characters that man-up for some serious fish-arse-kicking.
Sure the great white’s hit-list is predictable, the multitude of mixed up accents grates, and it’s no Jaws, but Bait is an enjoyable ride that will make you think twice about dipping your toes in the ocean – or the supermarket aisle – for some time.
Verdict: 2.5 stars
Good for: Tips on turning shopping baskets and duct tape into shark armour
