Devils Mouth

There’s nothing like having your best friend by your side no matter what. A best friend that will stick with you to the end, on a group trip from hell, is someone to die for. Directed by Jeff Wadlow, Devils Mouth is set on the beautiful shores of Thailand. It takes a sharp turn from tropical vacation with friends to survival of the fittest. Grab a life jacket and make sure you don’t have any open wounds before splashing into this film.

Five friends on a group trip delight in their youth, summer freedom, and all the lavish luxuries their rich friend proudly pays for, as they enjoy their time abroad. Max (Lana Condor), the friend making sure everything happens according to plan, schedules a remote cave diving experience for the group. Despite the jellyfish attack her best friend Sara (Kathryn Newton) survived the day before, and despite the advice of the cave diving experts, Max insists that they all do the most dangerous course of the caves. Sara, Max, Adrienne (Tommi Rose), Greg (Gavin Casalegno), and James (Nico Hiraga) soon find themselves in deep water. They learn not only are the caves where the dead are buried due to a tragic event many years prior, but someone or something has followed them in. 

Come hell or high water these friends stick together in a desperate attempt at surviving as long as they possibly can. Combining all their wits and strength they work together as a team to fend off, out smart, and survive an incredibly determined and hungry bullshark. Granted this is a shark film, you may be anticipating that not everyone will make it home on this group trip. I will leave you to watch and find out who becomes chum bait, and who takes the bullshark by the …fins. Following the classic “kill off” cliches of horror, there’s no room for surprises after the impossibly bloodthirsty bullshark takes center stage for all the shock factors in this film.

The cast was diverse in race, though there was no queer diversity in the storyline. This could be considered a win, as none of the queers died in the end because they weren’t around to begin with. A slight bummer, but better than another sad queer story with a miserable ending. Lana Condor, Vietnamese American, Nico Hiraga, Japanese background, and Tayme Thapthimthong, English-Thai, all hold down the cast for talents of diversity. 

The ending was a miss for me as I decided what I wanted it to be before watching the film. This is no one’s fault but my own. I wanted this to be an exciting and empowering “final girls” flick, or best-friends-stand-the-test-of-friendship-and-make-it-forever kind of thriller film and it was completely set up to be. If you think you and your best friend are going to make it out alive, think again. Tell them you love them and place your bets at the start!

Would I watch this again? Yes, especially with a group of friends who are looking for a quick thrill. As a kid, my little sister and I would hold our breath anytime someone was underwater in a movie. I still have this reflex and the film had me holding my breath above water as well. Though I may never forgive the ending, I doubt I’ll forget the thrill of it all. Take a deep breath and stream this summer thriller before you run out of air!