Not for the first time, big oil causes big problems in The Black Demon
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the oil rig, along comes The Black Demon, sinking its teeth not only into the flesh of its victims but into the very fabric of human conscience about environmental destruction. The film takes us to the waters off Baja, Mexico, where Paul Sturges (Josh Lucas) brings his family for what is supposed to be a routine inspection of a crumbling offshore oil rig. Alas, they are soon ensnared in a nightmare, marooned on the decaying structure, menaced by a mythical shark, The Black Demon. As Paul, his wife Ines (Fernanda Urrejola), and their children grapple with the terror from below, leaking oil isn’t the only thing that will bubble to the surface.
The heart of The Black Demon is its characters. Unlike many genre films where the cast serves merely as chum for the beast, these individuals feel fleshed out with nuance and relatability. Lucas, as the beleaguered patriarch, navigates the spectrum from oilman to desperate protector with aplomb, grounding the narrative with a credible and compelling performance while the familial dynamics are palpably real, their interactions tinged with love and desperation. Of course, it pulls the old bad shark movie trick of marooning its cast in a remote location, meaning the number of supporting cast can be kept to a minimum. The coopting of an actual Aztec myth as the source of our toothy antagonist lends the film an intriguing twist, intertwining cultural lore to give the selachian shenanigans a degree of authenticity.
Despite its noble ambitions, The Black Demon flounders in the waters of inconsistency. The visual effects, at times striking and effective, are marred by moments of conspicuous CGI that shatter the carefully built tension. The supernatural elements, intended to deepen the narrative, occasionally muddle the plot, and sit uneasily aside the corporate conspiracy around the environmental impact of the rig’s operations. The pacing too is a fickle beast, lurching from taut, suspenseful sequences to languid interludes that sap the sense of momentum.
Amidst a sea of bad shark movies, The Black Demon does at least attempt to carve out a unique niche. It doesn’t boast the polished spectacle of The Meg or the sledgehammer tension of 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, but it dares to try to swim a little deeper, touching on themes of environmental culpability and ecological retribution. It’s not content with merely nibbling at your nerves; it wants to gnaw at your latent guilt as well. While it may not always succeed, it offers a distinct flavour that sets it apart from the standard shark attack fare and although The Black Demon’s intention to incorporate cultural legends appears genuine, the superficial execution might strike some as exploitative, failing to delve deeper into the rich tapestry of the mythology it draws from.
In the end, The Black Demon paddles valiantly through the familiar waters of the genre, its jaws snapping at something more profound. Though it may not redefine the genre, it offers a decent diversion for those yearning for a shark tale with a bit more depth and better production values that most of its contemporaries.
