movie review meg 2 the trench

Meg 2: The Trench

Anyone hoping that Ben Wheatley might bring some of the exuberant personality and boundary-pushing creativity on display in films like “ Kill List ” and “ In the Earth ” to his for-hire gig directing the dismally boring “Meg 2: The Trench” should find different cinematic waters to swim in. Much as in his atrocious remake of “ Rebecca ” in 2020, Wheatley mostly phones it in here, and he does so with a rotary landline. At least until the final half-hour, when he’s finally free to unleash some monstrous chaos, this is one of the dullest films of the year, a plodding, poorly made giant shark movie that inexplicably lets the giant shark take a backseat to an evil underwater drilling operation. This thing just has no teeth.

Never really allowed to have the winking fun he gets from his best action parts, Jason Statham looks visibly bored this time as Jonas, the deep-sea diver employee of the Zhang Institute, the facility that discovered the continued existence of a prehistoric predator known as the Megalodon in the first film. The sequel reveals that the research facility has even kept one in captivity to continue to study it. Jiuming (an inconsistent Wu Jing ), the head of the institute, is even convinced that he can train the megalodon, but everything goes wrong when it escapes, and … no, this is not just a shark-escape-attack movie, although you’ll wish it was as simple as that.

Instead of focusing on the fugitive meg—who escapes hysterically easily while the crew is focused on something else—the script by Jon Hoeber , Erich Hoeber , and Dean Georgaris sends Jonas and his crew deep into the ocean to the trench that the megalodons have called home for centuries. On their way into the murky, poorly shot ocean—seriously, Wheatley’s answer to recreating underwater photography is just to turn the lighting down—they discover other megalodons, but that’s nothing compared to the evil humans who also happen to be in the trench, mining it for resources. Yes, Jonas and his team stumble upon an illegal operation in the middle of the ocean, which leads to their vessels being destroyed. A sequence in which they’re forced to walk the ocean floor to a facility is one of the most poorly executed in years. It almost felt real-time.

A few personality-less characters get chomped or blown up, but most of the faux tension is saved for Meiying (Sophia Cai), who survived the first film and becomes the main creature Jonas tries to keep alive. It’s barely a spoiler to say that Jonas, Jiuming, Meiying, and a few others eventually make it back above the surface, fleeing the facility now overrun with soldiers for reasons I couldn’t possibly care enough to explain. They head to a resort called Fun Island, and almost 90 minutes into this mess, “The Trench” finally gets a little fun. You see, the underwater explosions destroyed the temperature shield that had kept things like a giant octopus away from tourists. Finally, Wheatley and his team get to have a little fun, but it’s far too little and far too late.

Even the action-heavy final section of “The Trench” barely seems like a production trying to have a good time. How do you make a movie about jet-skiing Jason Statham throwing harpoons at giant sharks and do it with such little joy? This is a bizarrely inert film with none of Wheatley’s dark humor or vicious skill with horror. It’s almost like he just gave up on doing anything interesting when he found out he couldn’t make it R-rated. Cliff Curtis and Page Kennedy develop a strange buddy-comedy-action vibe later on that almost works, but it feels a different movie from the rest of the action. Absolutely nothing here has stakes—so many people in Jonas’ world die with barely a nod to the fact they ever existed—and anyone who has ever seen a movie knows who will make it to the final scene.

Of course, that’s not always a problem. We go to giant shark movies knowing Jason Statham will save the day. So it becomes about execution instead of originality, and maybe that’s why Wheatley falls so flat here. It seems like he needs to be able to play with narrative to be effective, and when he’s forced into a traditional structure like he is here, he can’t put his heart into it. He just checks out and goes through the motions.

Early in the film, Jiuming gives a speech with a quote about how man is only limited by his imagination. Too bad the movie that follows has so little of it.

In theaters now.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

Jason Statham as Jonas Taylor
Wu Jing as Jiuming
Shuya Sophia Cai as Meiying
Sergio Peris-Mencheta as Mencheta
Skyler Samuels as
Cliff Curtis as James 'Mac' Mackreides
Ben Wheatley

Writer (screen story by)

Dean Georgaris
Erich Hoeber

Cinematographer

Haris Zambarloukos
Harry Gregson-Williams
Jonathan Amos

Writer (based on the novel "The Trench" by)

Steve Alten

Now playing.

Megalopolis

The Last of the Sea Women

The Wild Robot

We Live in Time

Look Into My Eyes

The Front Room

Matt and Mara

The Thicket

The Mother of All Lies

TIFF 2024: Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Elton John: It’s Not Too Late, Paul Anka: His Way

TIFF 2024: Unstoppable, Triumph, April

TIFF 2024: Table of Contents

TIFF 2024: Paying For It, Viktor, Mr. K

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

Supported by

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ Review: Gleefully Jumping the Shark

This lively sequel to 2018’s somewhat tepid killer-shark blockbuster greatly improves upon its predecessor by getting gorier, funnier and more stylish.

Share full article

A man speeds on a jet ski, two shark fins trailing behind him.

By Calum Marsh

A cute dog, an 8-year-old girl and countless sunbathing beachgoers survived “The Meg” (2018) miraculously unharmed. The British filmmaker Ben Wheatley, who steps into the director’s chair for “Meg 2: The Trench,” has racked up stomach-turning body counts (including dogs) in his darkly comic thrillers like “Down Terrace,” “Kill List” and “Free Fire,” so it seems only fair that his take on a killer-shark movie would lean a bit more vicious.

But “Meg 2,” like the first, maintains a box office-friendly PG-13 rating, so Wheatley is necessarily limited in how much carnage he is permitted to depict. Nevertheless, he finds many creative ways to butcher bad guys and side characters that hit the same horror-adjacent pleasure centers. There’s a shot from the point of view of a shark’s mouth as it’s eating people. I call that good directing.

The first “Meg,” with its story of a long-extinct carnivore re-emerging to wreak havoc among scientists, was reminiscent of “Jurassic Park.” “Meg 2” takes the natural next step and borrows from “The Lost World.” The shark-hunting, ocean-protecting hero Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) now has a stepdaughter (Sophia Cai) to protect, while the repertoire of prehistoric predators on the hunt has been richly expanded to include several land-roaming dinosaurs and (why not?) a giant squid. Of course, any shark movie will inevitably live in the shadow of “Jaws.” Wheatley has fun with it by nodding playfully to “Jaws 2.”

The director having fun is the presiding feeling here — which may account for why the movie is so frequently amusing, and occasionally delightful. It has a light, irreverent tone that sometimes verges on parodic, as when a villain’s archly confident victory speech is disrupted by a shark appearance straight out of “Deep Blue Sea,” or when a splashy pink title card cheerfully informs us that the populated area about to be descended upon by a trio of sharks is called “Fun Island.” Just how close does the movie get to full-blown parody? At one point, Statham literally jumps a shark.

It’s not that the first “Meg” was particularly serious: It contained comic relief, but the humor felt more studio-mandated. “Meg 2” has a spark of wit that feels looser and more appropriate to the material. The supporting cast — especially Page Kennedy and Cliff Curtis as scientists forced to join the action — are offered much more freedom to cut loose and get silly, while certain sight gags have a verve that really pops (including an escalating bit that has more and more of our heroes wandering into the same armed holdup). No dogs come to harm in this one either, it should be said. There’s enough madcap mayhem elsewhere that any more would have been overkill.

Meg 2: The Trench Rated PG-13 for intense action, mild language and excessive shark violence. Running time: 1 hour 56 minutes. In theaters.

an image, when javascript is unavailable

‘The Meg 2: The Trench’ Review: More Sharks, Less Bite

Jason Statham returns in a sequel that's more over-the-top but still sounds like it was written by AI.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

Kamala Harris Did What She Needed to Do. She Displayed the Force of a President — and Goaded Trump Into Revealing His Inner Frothing Crackpot 21 hours ago
‘Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’ Review: A Soulful Celebration of the Live-in-Concert Bruce, Past and Present 2 days ago
‘Elton John: Never Too Late’ Review: The Original King of Pop Gets the Satisfying Documentary He Deserves 4 days ago

The movie-mad phenomenon of “Barbenheimer” has been a thrilling reminder that audiences can still embrace the movie-theater experience, turning up in awesome droves when they’re offered something new and adventurous. It’s also been powerful evidence that films that aren’t formulaic sequels can succeed in a way that too many recent cookie-cutter franchise films have not. But will all that go down as a lesson for the future? Or a giant anomaly?

4D Movie Tech Lacks Consumer Awareness: Survey

PBS Documentary Series 'Independent Lens' Reveals Fall Slate of Films (EXCLUSIVE)

Popular on variety.

If you want to know what a movie would sound like were it written entirely by AI, look no further than “The Meg 2.” The film has three screenwriters (Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber and Dean Georgaris), but the problem isn’t just that the dialogue they’ve come up with is leaden, or that the movie is sprinkled with discordant low-camp-meets-inept lines like “Before you start whining about the ecosystem, who cares ?” It’s that everything we see or hear is functional, a series of arduous nuts and bolts jammed together.

For a while, “The Meg 2” is a deep-sea-dive-gone-wrong thriller, waterlogged division, as Statham’s Jonas leads a research expedition in a pair of submersibles down to the Mariana Trench, 25,000 feet below the surface. The explorers come upon a secret station that’s been set up by a rogue mining operation. Saboteurs from Jonas’s institute are involved, but when he leads his team on a three-kilometer escape walk through the deep, or they have to battle their way out of the mining station, the film descends into undersea action clichés. That an entire school of megs are swimming around, looking for something to eat, adds little to the suspense.

Meiying (Sophia Cai), Jonas’s 14-year-old ward, has snuck onto the submersible, but the affectionate bickering between the two of them never adds up to much. “We do what’s in front of us,” Jonas instructs Meiying, “then we do the next thing.” That sounds like how a computer writes a screenplay. “The Meg 2” plods along until it reaches Fun Island, a tropical resort that provides a pastel background and plenty of extras for the film’s creature-feature climax.

This is why we go to a “Meg” movie: to see Statham ride a yellow speedboat, armed with three chemical harpoons, as the megs chase him in formation, or to see a gigantic tentacle reach out of the sea to battle a helicopter, or to see the villains get chomped with a well-timed out-of-the-blueness. “The Meg 2” was directed by the British indie cult genre filmmaker Ben Wheatley (“High-Rise”), and in the culminating episode, at least, he scales up effectively. Which isn’t quite the same as making a good film. The “Meg” movies have now shot beyond flagrant “Jaws” nostalgia to become their own semi-tongue-in-cheek trash thing. They’re kind of like “Godzilla” movies minus the atomic-bomb subtext. They make Godzilla look deep.

Reviewed at Regal Essex Crossing, August 2, 2022. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 116 MIN.

Production: A Warner Bros. release of a CMC Pictures, di Bonaventura/Appelles entertainment production, in association with DF Pictures. Producers: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Belle Avery. Executive producers: Jason Statham, Cate Adams, Ruigang Li, Catherine Xujun Ying, Wu Jing, E. Bennett Walsh, Erik Howsam, Gerald R. Molen, Randy Greenberg.
Crew: Director: Ben Wheatley. Screenplay: Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Dean Georgaris. Camera: Haris Zambarloukos. Editor: Jonathan Amos. Music: Harry Gregson-Williams.
With: Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, Cliff Curtis.

More from Variety

Bestselling Author Amish Tripathi, Gaming Veteran Nouredine Abboud Unite for ‘The Age of Bharat’ Gaming Franchise Set in Ancient India (EXCLUSIVE)

A rollercoaster moving down a line chart

Disney’s Theme Parks Problem Is a Monster of Its Own Making

‘Star Wars Outlaws’ Video Game Star Humberly González on Being the First Latina Lead in Franchise History and Hopes for a TV Adaptation

A human hand turning down a handshake from a robot hand

Why Studios Still Haven’t Licensed Movies and TV Shows to Train AI

More from our brands, sabrina carpenter makes out with an alien during ‘short n’ sweet’ 2024 vmas performance.

Bethenny Frankel’s Longtime Home in the Hamptons Is Hitting the Market for $6 Million

Trump-Harris Debate Outdraws All NFL Games Besides Super Bowls

The Best Loofahs and Body Scrubbers, According to Dermatologists

Eminem Opens 2024 MTV VMAs With New Army of Slim Shady Clones — Watch and Grade ‘Houdini’

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

About Rotten Tomatoes®
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening This Week
Top Box Office
Coming Soon to Theaters
Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

Fandango at Home
Prime Video
Most Popular Streaming Movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

78% Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Link to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
95% Rebel Ridge Link to Rebel Ridge
96% Red Rooms Link to Red Rooms

New TV Tonight

83% How to Die Alone: Season 1
59% Emily in Paris: Season 4
20% Three Women: Season 1
-- Universal Basic Guys: Season 1
-- My Brilliant Friend: Story of the Lost Child: Season 4
-- The Old Man: Season 2
-- Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Season 1
-- The Circle: Season 7
-- Jack Whitehall: Fatherhood with My Father: Season 1
-- In Vogue: The 90s: Season 1

Meg 2: The Trench Reviews

Extinction was a kinder fate to Megalodon than this megalo-dung of a film.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jul 19, 2024

Things might have felt more perilous with more finessed CGI.

Full Review | Jun 24, 2024

Meg 2: The Trench is more meg, good, bad, and indifferently. Whether this franchise can sustain the swelling digital carnage remains to be seen, though as an exercise in creature feature excess The Trench delivers.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 1, 2024

Makes the first movie seem like Citizen Kane.

Full Review | Original Score: D | Dec 27, 2023

A stilted and accidental farce, Meg 2: The Trench has laughable dialogue driving a film centered on some of the worst big-budget computer-generated graphics this year.

Full Review | Original Score: 15/100 | Nov 19, 2023

Sharknado with a bigger budget.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Nov 13, 2023

The title may suggest that this is a sequel to the 2018 global hit, but its content hints that the makers swiped a fistful of script pages from such deliberately dopey efforts as Sharknado, Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus, and Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Nov 8, 2023

With so much more going on besides meg lunching, this somewhat unlikely sequel will stretch an audience’s patience.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/10 | Oct 31, 2023

There's an enjoyable disdain for empathy as extras get munched, though mostly it's just not that exciting, and B movie tropes that should evoke knowing enjoyment seem simply dull. The green-washing makes it worthy, if not see-worthy.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 26, 2023

... An irritating moviegoing experience and certainly the worst movie of the summer. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Oct 20, 2023

What’s perhaps most damning about this big dumb shark movie, however, is how little it actually pays attention to its fine finned friends.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 20, 2023

delightfully absurd and not quite as good as you’re hoping it might be, partially because the special effects are so uneven, ranging from the genuinely impressive, to the cartoonish

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Oct 6, 2023

Definitively edible. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Oct 5, 2023

Just as “Meg 2” fails to work as a serious, scary shark thriller like ‘Jaws,” it also lacks the camp appeal of “Sharknado.” Instead, it’s stranded at sea, somewhere in the middle, and even appealing tough guy Statham can’t save it.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Sep 23, 2023

It offers a throwback to the kind of no-brainer formula genre thriller that used to be par for a summer’s moviegoing course, but now seems a bit out of place.

Full Review | Sep 20, 2023

The filmmakers are more than comfortable with the writing team either overlooking any scientific inaccuracy in Steve Altern's source novel, or in adding their own logic-defying scenarios, including that meeting of the megalodon and Tyrannosaurus...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 19, 2023

Unfortunately, one must make it through most of the movie to reach this fun, chaotic conclusion.

Full Review | Sep 5, 2023

more sharks but no bite ... Statham, also an executive producer, returns as diver Jonas Taylor, but he seems bored. Or miserable. His performance has a grumpy flatness, not even the winking humor of THE MEG.

Full Review | Aug 29, 2023

Wheatley dishes out pedestrian CG FX, frames Statham in a few heroic poses and careens his way to a third act that plays as if the writers saw how people praised the third act in the first movie, so they just rewrote it.

Doesn't deliver on the fun of the first film and instead leaves us drowning under all the movies it wishes it was. The cast is game and, well, that's about it really. Guess you could say it...lacks real bite.

Full Review | Aug 25, 2023

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘meg 2: the trench’ review: jason statham carries a heavy load in patchy prehistoric shark sequel.

Director Ben Wheatley goes bigger with this follow-up to the surprise summer 2018 hit, this time teaming Statham with Chinese action star Wu Jing.

By David Rooney

David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

Share on Facebook
Share to Flipboard
Send an Email
Show additional share options
Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest
Share on Reddit
Share on Tumblr
Share on Whats App
Print the Article
Post a Comment

Given his grounding in visceral horror and thrillers laced with a mischievous vein of dark humor, Ben Wheatley seemed an intriguing choice to take the directing reins on Meg 2: The Trench , the sequel to the 2018 B-movie about a megalodon terrorizing a bunch of scientists and Jason Statham before homing in on a buffet of beachgoers.

Full credits

Thr newsletters.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Hugh grant on why he has turned down starring in some big-budget studio films, ‘beetlejuice beetlejuice’ writers break down those two spectacular needle drops, toronto: daniel craig and nicole kidman take big swings in, are serious contenders for ‘queer’ and ‘babygirl’, tim blake nelson on playing an aging boxer in ‘bang bang,’ marvel and why he loves oldenburg, ‘speak no evil’ star mackenzie davis breaks down the film’s ‘halt and catch fire’ reunion, judd apatow to direct coke-pepsi rivalry movie ‘cola wars’ from steven spielberg and sony.

Cast & crew
User reviews

Meg 2: The Trench

A research team encounters multiple threats while exploring the depths of the ocean, including a malevolent mining operation. A research team encounters multiple threats while exploring the depths of the ocean, including a malevolent mining operation. A research team encounters multiple threats while exploring the depths of the ocean, including a malevolent mining operation.

Ben Wheatley
Erich Hoeber
Dean Georgaris
Jason Statham
Shuya Sophia Cai
648 User reviews
187 Critic reviews
40 Metascore
3 wins & 4 nominations

Top cast 38

Jonas Taylor

Jiuming Zhang

(as Sophia Cai)

(as Sergio Peris Mencheta)

Hilary Driscoll
Party Guest

Cargo Ship Captain
Beautiful Tourist
(as Dai Lele)
(as Sui Fong Ivy Tsui)

Tourist Businessman
Tourists' Friend
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

Trivia Jason Statham was disappointed by the lighter tone and lack of bloodshed in this film.
Goofs You cannot just breathe all the air out of your skull and be able to free swim the 25,000 feet below sea level wearing no suit.

Jonas Taylor : See you later, chum.

Crazy credits Images of Voidikolia beach in the Municipality of Pylos-Nestoras, District of Messinia, Greece have been digitally altered for use in this motion picture.
Alternate versions Mainland China version runs 119 minutes, about 4-minute longer than other versions.
Connections Featured in Half in the Bag: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Soundtracks Under Pressure Written by Brian May , Freddie Mercury , David Bowie , John Deacon , Roger Taylor Performed by Queen , David Bowie Courtesy of EMI Under licence from Universal Music Operations Ltd & Hollywood Records, Inc. & Courtesy of RZO Music

User reviews 648

Tweetienator
Aug 25, 2023
How long is Meg 2: The Trench? Powered by Alexa
How did the filmmakers create the realistic megalodons in the film?
What is the significance of the title Meg 2: The Trench?
Is Meg 2: The Trench based on a book?
August 4, 2023 (United States)
United States
United Kingdom
Official Site
Phuket, Thailand
Alibaba Pictures Group
Apelles Entertainment
China Media Capital
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$129,000,000 (estimated)
$82,600,317
$30,002,735
Aug 6, 2023
$397,700,317

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 56 minutes
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Surround 7.1
Dolby Digital

More to explore

'Meg 2: The Trench' Review: Jason Statham Jumps Bigger Sharks for Our Entertainment

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

This review was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn't exist. Five years after Jason Statham first punched a giant shark, Meg 2: The Trench comes to theaters to deliver a sequel that’s bigger in every aspect. There are more underwater monsters, higher stakes, and action set pieces that are even more over-the-top than in The Meg . Yet bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better, and Meg 2: The Trench repeats some of the same mistakes that gave The Meg such a mediocre critical reception .

Meg 2: The Trench picks up six years after the events of the first movie. Following the Oceanography Center of Hainan uncovering the existence of megalodons beneath the thermocline at the ocean floor, the scientists involved in the discovery were tasked with expanding their research on the mysterious trench. Of course, since megalodons are still a threat, the Mana One research center invested in creating submarines capable of emitting electrical charges and exoskeletons that allow divers to walk 25 thousand feet under the sea. The Hainan’s center has even raised a baby megalodon of their own to study the creature’s behavior and expand human knowledge about the secrets hiding in uncharted corners of the ocean.

In the sequel, Statham’s Jonas Taylor has fully embraced his role as the dad of Meiying Zhang ( Sophia Cai ), now a rebellious 14-year-old that’s eager to explore the trench. Meiying’s mother, Suyin Zhang ( Li Bingbing ), was written out of the sequel so now Jonas shares his parental responsibilities with Meiying’s uncle, Jiuming ( Wu Jing ), who has taken over the research center. While far from being the action hero Jonas is, Jiuming is still introduced in the sequel as a co-protagonist, contrasting Statham's frowning personality with a permanent smile. It’s not only the good guys who got some backup for the sequel as Meg 2: The Trench also introduces a group of mercenaries led by Montes ( Sergio Peris-Mencheta ), a villain with ties to Jonas.

The new elements introduced in Meg 2: The Trench serve to expand the first movie's world and assure director Ben Wheatley has enough wiggling room to chase a threequel . Unfortunately, all the technological and human additions make the film bloated, leading to a story that stretches too thin in many simultaneous directions. While Wheatley is better equipped than The Meg ’s director Jon Turteltaub to deliver the thrills of the franchise’s horror-focused sections, Meg 2: The Trench is weaker than the first film when it comes to action with a convoluted third act that bores more than it excites.

RELATED: 'Meg 2: The Trench': Trailer, Release Date, Cast, and Everything We Know So Far

'Meg 2: The Trench' Takes Us Deeper Into Horror

Just as was the case in the first movie, Meg 2: The Trench dedicates the first half of its lengthy 116-minute runtime to sequences that are light on action but filled with undersea terrors. The concept of megalodons swimming free on the ocean floor is ripe for horror, serving as a spine-chilling reminder that the deep waters remain underexplored. Since the unknown is such a significant source of fear, the existence of sea monsters has haunted our dreams for centuries. The Meg 2 taps into that dread to create adrenaline-inducing chase sequences in which Jonas and his allies must outsmart a predator they don’t fully understand.

Their world has changed a lot in comparison to the first movie and the Mana One crew are now rather used to dealing with megalodons. So, to put fear back into their hearts, Wheatley dives deeper into the trench, bringing new creatures and situations to torment Jonas. The lack of natural light in the trench sometimes gets in the way of audiences following the attacks of these new creatures. At the same time, the lack of visibility heightens the dire situation the characters are trapped in, increasing the tension of the horror-based sections of Meg 2: The Trench .

Without spoiling the experience, the script by Jon Hoeber , Erich Hoeber, and Dean Georgaris creates the perfect excuse to explore the dark alien world of the trench, and Wheatley uses the opportunity to showcase how good this franchise could be if it stuck to horror. However, Meg 2: The Trench goes all in action for the ending, which makes for the weakest part of this sequel.

'Meg 2: The Trench' Fails to Deliver Engaging Action

Due to the introduction of human enemies, Meg 2: The Trench uses Statham’s long history as a martial artist to create many fistfights that are supposed to be electrifying. Sadly, Wheatley’s close-quarters framing of these scenes, in addition to some over-editing, makes most of the action bland and hard to follow. That only gets worse in the movie’s expansive third act when heroes, mercenary villains, and sea creatures converge. Lamentably, Meg 2: The Trench repeats the error of the first movie’s shark-punching extravaganza by failing to embrace the campiness of its concept and trying to make something serious out of it.

The sequel overextends itself with many loose threads to tie up in the explosive ending. In the middle of Jonas' final duel against the megalodons, Meg 2: The Trench must find something for every side character to do, reveal the fate of the human villains, and still let the monsters wreak enough havoc so that the audience can grasp their destructive power. What ensues is an unreasonably long action sequence that asks the audience to focus on too many simultaneous and intertwining subplots.

Adding insult to injury, Meg 2: The Trench has some of the most incompetent human villains in recent history. No one expects a franchise that struggles to give its heroes some depth to do a better job with its antagonists. Still, Montes and his business partners are surprisingly poorly written, sucking the fun out of any scene where they appear. As such, their inflated presence in the third act only hurts the sequel, as it draws attention away from the man versus beast spectacle.

That said, Meg 2: The Trench has some goofy moments that deserve to be seen, such as Statham jousting against megalodon sharks. It’s the kind of scene that raises the question of why the sequel is still trying to invest in a blockbuster action setting when it would do so much better as pure horror or a horror comedy . In the end, Meg 2: The Trench is not much different from the first installment in the franchise, for better and mostly worse.

The Big Picture

Meg 2: The Trench repeats some of the same mistakes as its predecessor, with a convoluted third act that bores rather than excites.
The horror-focused sections of the film tap into the fear of the unknown, creating adrenaline-inducing chase sequences that heighten tension.
The action scenes in the film suffer from close-quarters framing and over-editing, resulting in bland and hard-to-follow fights. The inclusion of poorly written human villains also detracts from the man versus beast spectacle.

Meg 2: The Trench comes to theaters on August 4.

The Meg 2: The Trench

Movie Reviews

Jason Statham

Meg 2: The Trench Review

04 Aug 2023

Meg 2: The Trench

Here are four words you don’t expect at the end of a giant-prehistoric-shark blockbuster: ‘A Ben Wheatley Film’. And yet Meg 2: The Trench (no definite article this time) is exactly that – the Down Terrace and Happy New Year, Colin Burstead director making a splash in studio-land. It shouldn’t come as a complete surprise – he’s long been a genre-head (the all-out horror of Kill List , the deconstructed action of Free Fire ), and occasionally dabbled in more mainstream fare too ( Doctor Who episodes, Netflix’s Rebecca ).

While Wheatley pivots from In The Earth to in the sea, don’t expect subaquatic kitchen-sinkery, or hallucinatory horror – here, he’s revelling in working with big studio backing and, well, an actual budget ; and, in doing so, clearly intends on delivering the head, the tail, the whole damn thing to a splashy summer crowd.

On that front, he mostly succeeds. While 2018’s The Meg was a film whose marketing seemed more in on the joke (namely, ‘it’s Jason Statham vs. a prehistoric shark’) than the movie itself, The Trench is more overtly fun. Statham in particular – returning as Jonas Taylor, now near-indistinguishable from Fast ’s Deckard Shaw – is given more license to wink at the audience: bickering with parrots, deploying gravel-coated quips (“It’s a Meg, you’re a snack”), and leaning into cool-guy kiss-off lines. The plot, too, is pulpier – stranding Jonas and his crew (much of them bland Meg-fodder, though a returning Cliff Curtis and Page Kennedy have fun) down in ‘The Trench’, from whence the Megs came, while several beasties escape to ruin the day of beach-goers at ‘Fun Island’. It is, to quote Kennedy’s engineer DJ, “some dumb-ass shit” – though knowingly so.

Ben Wheatley gears up for a stupidly fun finale that revels in unleashing toothy chaos.

Still, it could be zippier. There are clunky scenes to establish Chinese megastar Wu Jing as a co-lead – and uncle to Sophia Cai’s returning kid, Meiying – as well as stilted, politically-motivated exposition to wade through (“Protecting the ocean is crucial for China, and all mankind,” one character states; the film is another Chinese co-production) before diving down into the depths. And once there, the Trench itself is underwhelming, atmospheric moodiness (the ocean floor bathed in hellish red light) sometimes lapsing into murky incoherence.

Back on the surface, Wheatley gears up for a stupidly fun finale that revels in unleashing toothy chaos – a shot from inside a Meg’s mouth while it chomps victims en masse is a highlight. With efficiently crunchy action and well-timed jump scares, he gets the most important stuff right. His Meg 2 correctly understands that this kind of film should begin with a Meg-vs-T-Rex fight, and end with a jetski-riding Jason Statham wielding a spear like a katana . Your move, Colin Burstead.

Movies | 09 08 2023

Movies | 09 05 2023

Review: Once it finds its sea legs, ‘Meg 2: The Trench’ is in on the joke

A lone man does battle with a giant sea creature

Copy Link URL Copied!

Perhaps it was the effects of a bright blue “sharktastic” cocktail, but about halfway through “Meg 2: The Trench,” this self-serious sequel suddenly became funny. The moment arrives when DJ (Page Kennedy), a mouthy techie who miraculously survived the first movie, tells Mac (Cliff Curtis) that this time, he has poison-tipped bullets, “just like in ‘Jaws 2.’ ” Finally, we breathe a sigh of relief: The movie is in on the joke. Now we can laugh with “Meg 2: The Trench,” rather than at it.

The moments of humor before this flip seem unintentional, such as when a character explains with grave intonation that Jonas ( Jason Statham ) actually can swim without a pressurized suit underwater at the bottom of a 25,000-foot trench, as long as he controls the air pressure in his sinuses — that’s just Statham logic. It’s not until we’re out of the trench and up on the surface that director Ben Wheatley loosens up and has a little fun.

For the record:

11:09 a.m. Aug. 7, 2023 Jon Turteltaub’s first name was misspelled John.

But that first half is dire straits. Wheatley takes the helm from Jon Turteltaub, who directed the delightfully ridiculous original “The Meg” in 2018, and works from a script by the first film’s writers, Jon and Erich Hoeber and Dean Georgaris (both thrillers are based on books by Steve Alten ). Wheatley and the screenwriters gloss over their setup and pay not even passing interest to the new crew aboard the research vessel Mana One, where interchangeable supporting actors deliver sarcastic quips with a strangely flat affect. When a few of those new faces meet their watery graves at the bottom of the titular trench, the only possible reaction is, “Who?”

The film’s focus is on hero Jonas and the teen in his care, Meiying (Shuya Sophia Cai), the daughter of scientist Suyin, who featured in the first film and is now mysteriously dead. Suyin has been replaced by her brother, Jiuming, played by Wu Jing, one of the biggest action stars in China. (The “Meg” films are U.S.-China co-productions and cater to both audiences.)

The ebullient Jiuming is a daredevil marine biologist who has taken up his sister’s mission to protect the oceans through underwater exploration, and he’s also taken a special interest in training and befriending Haiqi, the young megalodon living in the care of the Oceanic Institute. (As a quick reminder, megalodons , or “megs,” are massive prehistoric sharks that live in a trench at the bottom of the ocean, contained by a thermocline barrier.)

As explorers are wont to do, they poke around in the trench, and what do they find? Capitalism: There isn’t an inch on this planet that some craven rich person won’t figure out how to strip mine. While this trench sequence apes the underrated 2020 Kristen Stewart vehicle “ Underwater ,” the secret mining operation serves as the plot wrinkle to throw our leads into danger, reveal a few characters as nefarious, and pierce the thermocline barrier, freeing the prehistoric apex predators.

The whole gang heads to “Fun Island,” which is an apt moniker for the second half of this movie. On the beach, all manner of ancient sea creatures terrorize clueless tourists, and Wheatley lets it rip, taking the opportunity to riff on other classic creature features like “Predator” and “Jurassic Park.” He also nods to Renny Harlin’s “Deep Blue Sea,” with Kennedy delivering LL Cool J-esque one-liners (as well as a howler of a shark-themed rap song for the credits).

In the crystal clear waters of Thailand, serving as Fun Island, Statham delivers his quota of outlandish action sequences, battling a Meg with only a Waverunner, a jury-rigged spear and his signature snarl (his straight-faced performance lends to the camp, both intentional and unintentional). Wheatley also unleashes his not-so-secret weapon, Jing, a charisma bomb and true wild man, who has an approach to stunts that rivals Jackie Chan and Tom Cruise . He fights kraken and amphibious dinosaurs gracefully; he flings himself onto and off of helicopters with gleeful gusto; he’s willing to take a pratfall and let his stunts be a punchline too. His unfettered verve and humor is much needed after the questionable first hour.

It’s an odd viewing experience, to have the second half of a movie not necessarily redeem the bland first half, but rather gain the nerve to be what it wants to be, leaning into the slippery silliness of a summer shark flick. With a blue drink in hand and movie-theater air conditioning blasting like salty sea gusts, there are worse ways to spend an August afternoon.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

'Meg 2: The Trench'

Rating: PG-13, for action/violence, some bloody images, language and brief suggestive material Running time: 1 hour, 56 minutes Playing: In general release

Review: Bringing things back to basics, ‘Alien: Romulus’ leans into the horror and the goo

Aug. 14, 2024

A neurotic character arrives in an animated film.

Review: ‘Inside Out 2’ entertains but takes only a baby step into the wilds of adolescence

June 12, 2024

Review: Kinetic ‘Monkey Man’ announces a bold new action director, one you already know

April 4, 2024

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Woody Harrelson, in a Sun Valley Film Festival hat and leather jacket, attends the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena

Woody Harrelson wants snacks, soft drinks at his cannabis cafe. He needs Newsom’s signature

Sept. 11, 2024

Tyrese Gibson in a black shirt, a chain and black leather jacket posing for pictures against a blue backdrop

Tyrese Gibson says ‘arrest’ after being found in contempt of court was ‘very traumatic’

James Earl Jones accepts the special Tony award for Lifetime Achievement in 2017, in New York.

Entertainment & Arts

James Earl Jones, who voiced Darth Vader in ‘Star Wars’ and starred in ‘Field of Dreams,’ dies at 93

Sept. 9, 2024

FILE - Harvey Weinstein appears in Manhattan Criminal Court, May 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, Pool, file)

Harvey Weinstein is in recovery following emergency heart surgery

AV Undercover

Meg 2: The Trench review: Jason Statham survives a swim in choppy waters

Statham returns to face off against deadly megs, deadlier humans and, why not, a giant octopus in a thriller that’s awfully fun when it’s not awfully bad.

Any film where one character reacts to a near-fatal undersea incident by saying “That was close” and another responds with “… Too close” should probably not clear space on the mantle for anything other than a Razzie Award. And yet there is another line of dialogue in Meg 2: The Trench that best summarizes how this lunk-headed slice of high-gloss B-movie cheese wound up—unlike the first Meg —on the right side of the divide that separates bad films from films that embrace how bad they knowingly are: “The impossible just got possible.”

The original Meg , from 2018 and starring a slab of granite chiseled from the dank basement of an English pub and given the name Jason Statham, was director Jon Turteltaub’s push-button exercise in impersonal genre thrills. For The Meg 2 , Turteltaub has been replaced by the more darkly clever Ben Wheatley ( Free Fire ), who delivers a sequel that often plays as a supersized do-over of the original film, but at least he meets the audience on their terms and seems to be laughing with the rest of us. Even if it takes him entirely too long to get there.

God help us, Reacher is getting even bigger
Internet Archive loses copyright case against publishers
JonBenét Ramsey miniseries finds pair of suspicious parents in Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen

Meg 2 , which is based on the second novel in Steve Alten’s Meg series (there are currently six), isn’t content to serve up just one Megalodon, the prehistoric shark that weighs up to 50 tons and is more than 60 feet long. The necessity of endless sequels being the mother of invention, the scope of the action and the number of ravenous sea species have increased. But in the film’s lengthy opening stretch, the enemies aren’t Megs, alligator-sized salamanders, or the giant cephalopod. They’re logic, common sense, and a lack of urgency. Little of this is alleviated by Statham, back again as Jonas Taylor, the indestructible rescue diver who “fought the Megalodon and lived to tell the tale.” He seems on autopilot here, looking a bit weary and vaguely disappointed at having no other purpose than to save everyone else’s bacon, unless you consider his inability to tie a tie a noble obstacle to overcome.

Jonas does have 26 trench dives without an incident, a safety record destined for the scrapheap when he and his crew—including the first film’s now-14-year-old Meiying (Shuya Sophia Cai)—dive 25,000 feet in a submersible through a thermal layer that previous technology rendered impossible to breach. Their voyage to the bottom of the sea is interrupted by a Meg that escaped from captivity at the Mana One research facility and the discovery of a station on the ocean floor harboring an illegal mining operation.

Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning, Part One, Talk To Me , and Meg 2: The Trench lead October's best Blu-ray and 4K UHD releases
James Wan says canceled Aquaman spin-off The Trench was secretly a Black Manta solo movie

At least that’s what we think is going on. Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos’ lensing is consistently murky and with few clear relationship shots between the Meg and the submersible, it rarely registers how gigantic Jonas’ adversary is. Even the benevolent sea creatures meant to elicit a wondrous Avatar: The Way Of Water vibe are too dark to appreciate. And the slow pace, which seems inadvisable considering the crew has abandoned ship and is sauntering three kilometers to the mining station with only 20 minutes of oxygen remaining, repeats (one of) the mistakes of the previous film.

Eventually, Wheatley starts ratcheting up the action with more close shaves, but none more ridiculous than when Jonas swims 25,000 feet below the surface without a suit because, well, something about his sinuses protecting him from the water pressure. It’s a nonsensical solution to the crew’s current problem, one that’s begging to be played as satire, or at least comedy. But Wheatley, abandoning his unique style in the name of international box office results, presents it without a drop of humor or camp. The same can be said for the rogues’ gallery of one-note, Western capitalist villains unlawfully extracting rare earth minerals for profit (a fitting enemy in a film primarily bankrolled by a Chinese production company). That includes a saboteur on Mana One whose verbal threats are on par with a pissed-off soccer parent and who is dispatched via a blatant rip-off of Samuel L. Jackson’s death in Deep Blue Sea .

That Renny Harlin thriller always knew whether you were laughing with it or at it, a calculation Wheatley finally gets right during a second hour where the film, literally and figuratively, emerges from the depths. In what is essentially a new and improved version of the original’s Sanya Bay home stretch, Jonas and the others wind up on Fun Island, a beach resort where multiple Megs, giant hissing salamanders, and an enormous cephalopod jolt the film to life. Everyone gets in on the action, especially the returning DJ (an enjoyable Page Kennedy), the first to acknowledge the film he’s actually in by noting that the poisoned-tipped bullets in his gun are just like the ones in Jaws 2 .

The shot of Jonas harpooning a Meg while riding a jet ski on an enormous wave and the POV from inside the Meg’s mouth as soon-to-be-lunch tourists struggle helplessly are shameless in the best possible way. All this, plus the mano-a-mano between a Meg and a giant cephalopod, suggests that Wheatley knows how to deliver the goods but instead chose a slow and self-serious build. Yet it’s almost worth the wait to see Jonas kick a bad guy into the mouth of an approaching Meg and then say, “See you later, chum.” Not even Arnold Schwarzenegger at his ’80s apex or the Roger Moore-era James Bond would have attempted a line that cheesy, let alone made it work.

It’s faint, if legitimate, praise to say that Meg 2: The Trench is better than the first film because, while it repeats everything the first film did wrong, it improves on everything it did right. It lacks the drive, imagination, and sense of awe to work as a pastiche of Aliens , The Abyss , Jaws , and Jurassic Park . But the more fulsomely the movie embraces its big budget, DVD-era silliness, the longer it and the audience are riding the same enjoyably stupid wave.

Meg 2: The Trench opens in theaters on August 4

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is an anarchic culmination of Tim Burton's late period
Hulu’s How To Die Alone is a potent dramedy about conquering fear
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice handily wins the box office box office

GET A.V.CLUB RIGHT IN YOUR INBOX

Pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed.

Meg 2: The Trench Review: A Big Shark Action Movie Without Nearly Enough Big Shark Action

The sequel to the meg underwhelms..

Escalation is expected in sequels, and director Ben Wheatley’s Meg 2: The Trench has all of the necessary ingredients. While its predecessor features a single Megalodon as the movie’s source of terror, the follow-up not only brings in multiple Megalodons, but opens up the deep sea trench from which they came and has even more prehistoric creatures escape up to our world. The stage is set for all kinds of aquatic mayhem with Jason Statham at the center of everything trying to save the day.

Jason Statham holds a huge object, looking prepared for battle in Meg 2: The Trench.

Release Date: August 4, 2023 Directed By: Ben Wheatley Written By: Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, and Dean Georgaris Starring: Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, Sienna Guillory, and Cliff Curtis Rating: PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images, language and brief suggestive material Runtime: 116 minutes

But that silly, explosive summer blockbuster cinematic experience is not what’s delivered. With a script that is all over the place, the movie does nothing particularly creative or compelling with its bigger monster roster (this sentiment very much includes monster vs. monster action), and what fun big shark action it does have is drowned out by overcooked non-Meg-related plotting that includes an illegal mining operation in the trench, a corporate mole, the resurfacing of an old enemy and more. There are ridiculous sequences that deliver what audiences are looking for – like Statham zipping around on a jet ski hurling explosive harpoons – but more often than not it feels like the film is just scrounging for what to do with its characters (and not nearly enough of the answers involve colossal, carnivorous fish).

Set a few years after the events of the previous adventure, Meg 2: The Trench catches up with Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) as he is engaged in espionage work, digging up evidence against a company that is illegally dumping radioactive materials… but that’s simply material to give the film an opening action sequence. He remains connected to the world of Megalodons thanks to Jiuming (Wu Jing), the brother of Li Bingbing's Suyin Zhang from the first movie – who is revealed to be dead – and the director of the Zhang Oceanic Institute. The institute houses the only Megalodon in captivity, but exploratory quests have continued to the titular deep sea landscape, and Jonas is invited to join Jiuming and his crew on a mission down to an unexplored sector.

Things get off on a bad foot when Jonas discovers that the curious young Meiying (Sophia Cai) –Suyin’s daughter and Jiuming’s niece – has stowed away on board his submarine, but things quickly get worse when the explorers discover a massive underwater installation. It turns out that an old nemesis of Jonas’ named Montes (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) has been involved in an earth metals mining operation, and when he spots the institute’s subs coming, he sets off a massive explosion to avoid being caught. This not only has the effect of disabling the vehicles that Jonas and Jiuming are piloting, leaving them, their fellow scientists and Meiying stranded 25,000 feet underwater, but it also blasts a path of warm water through the thermocline that covers the trench and allows the monsters that dwell in the deep to swim toward the surface.

Were you hoping for prehistoric monster mayhem from Meg 2? Adjust your expectations.

Anyone who has ever seen a nature documentary about the depths of the ocean is aware of the bizarre entities that dwell there, molded by evolution in extreme conditions, and you’d think that Meg 2: The Trench would take advantage of that fact by populating the action with all varieties of freaky beings. Instead, the movie features a grand total of three – and that includes the Megalodon. In addition to the prehistoric sharks, there is a giant octopus (which simply parks itself in the marina of a resort in the third act and whips its tentacles around a bunch) and a herd of alligator-sized, sharp-toothed amphibian dinosaurs (which ends up being a crutch for the blockbuster because they terrorize characters on land and not just in/near water). It’s not so much a swing-and-a-miss as a caught-looking strikeout, as opportunity for silly and imaginative chaos is bypassed for action that ends up being monotonous. Unique beats are non-existent – minus a few excellent Statham-centric moments – and all feel too familiar from other likeminded blockbusters… including The Meg .

With underwhelming action, Meg 2's dull characters and plotting are even more noticeable.

These issues are is exacerbated by the fact that Meg 2: The Trench doesn’t really have anything going for it beyond its creature feature elements and the charisma of Jason Statham. It’s all plot and no story, as developments push the characters from scene to scene but – somewhat ironically – never offer any depth. With the exception of Page Kennedy’s DJ, an institute scientist who gets some redemption after being a punchline in the first film, none of the characters are provided with any kind of personality or quirk that individualize them, and they all speak with the same general voice. Meiying’s presence actually ends up being an essential part of the experience because her age and innocence provide the movie with its only source of personal stakes for the heroes.

Some might respond to this criticism by saying, “I don’t care about story and characters; I just want to be entertained by a big, dumb shark movie.” This isn’t an unreasonable take in the case of expectations for Meg 2 , but the reality is that without anything encouraging audience investment, scenes between the set pieces get repetitive and dull.

Meg 2: The Trench wants to just be seen as dumb fun, but it doesn't earn it.

Featuring a sequence where a diving suit-less Jason Statham survives while swimming 25,000 feet underwater, Meg 2: The Trench clearly isn’t designed as a film that is meant to be taken too seriously… but it’s not fun enough to earn that complacency. The movie’s predecessor made that expectation work, albeit with significant issues of its own. But the sequel promises too much and under-delivers, and that disappointment sticks with you as you make your way out of the theater.

Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.

Susan Sarandon Shares Sweet Message After Reuniting With Kevin Costner So Many Years After Bull Durham

Ralph Fiennes' Conclave Is Papal Election Meets HBO's Succession, And I Absolutely Love It

Amy Adams Delivers A Great Performance, But Nightbitch Is Missing The Sharp Teeth Of The Novel It's Based On

Meg 2: The Trench Review: A Glorious Prehistoric Shark Feeding Frenzy

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Rebel Ridge Review: This Is How You F*cking Do It

We live in time review: a love story that lives off its effective two leads [tiff 2024], speak no evil review: mcavoy show-stops but speak about the danish original instead.

Jason Statham returns to battle underwater intrigue in a prehistoric shark feeding frenzy unleashed on hapless tourists. Meg 2: The Trench brings other hungry Cretaceous critters to the human buffet in a sci-fi adventure akin to Jurassic Park . It's a B-movie with a blockbuster budget.

The sequel revels in monster tropes, gloriously overblown action, and cheesy one-liners. There's also the plucky teen sidekick that, gosh darn it, just can't stay out of trouble and requires constant rescuing. The supporting cast carries more of the fighting weight but pay the price as deli meat. It runs a bit long, but you'll cheer and roar with laughter at the popcorn cinema carnage.

The film opens with an ancient primer on Megalodon dominance. In present day Philippines, a container ship illegally dumps radioactive waste into the ocean. Jonas Taylor (Statham) has snuck aboard to stop them. It's bullets and beatdowns as the baddies get a painful martial arts lesson. James "Mac" Mackreides (Cliff Curtis) swoops in for the rescue and playfully chides Jonas for his eco-warrior heroics. They fly back to the Oceanic Institute for a black tie event celebrating their scientific progress.

Jiuming (Wu Jing), the son of Minway Zhang and Suyin's older brother, has taken over operations. He lauds recent accomplishments with the support of a wealthy new benefactor (Sienna Guillory). The institute has designed stronger dive suits and new vessels to explore the trench. They have begun mapping the hidden world underneath the "thermocline" barrier, but he's most proud of their biggest success. Jiuming has raised and attempted to train a captive Megalodon from birth. The gargantuan Haiqi lurks behind a steel wall in her massive holding tank.

Jason Statham returns as Jonas Taylor

Suyin's daughter, Meiying (Sophia Cai), now a precocious 14-year-old, begs Jonas and Jiuming to go on the next dive. Jonas steadfastly refuses. It will be incredibly dangerous and she's too young. The crew straps on the new gear and loads into a pair of submersibles. Mac wishes them good luck as they descend into the inky blackness. Jonas notices they're using more oxygen than expected.

They reach the thermocline of the trench. Megalodons are gathering below for some unknown reason. Internal sensors in the lead sub reveal a stowaway on board. Back at the Institute, something has changed in Haiqi. She circles and builds speed before hurtling at her cage. An irate Jonas is about to call off the mission when a proximity alarm sounds. A huge object is racing towards them.

Related: The 10 Best Shark Attack Movies (That Aren't Jaws)

Meg 2: The Trench never takes itself seriously. The characters make decisions with reckless abandon and acknowledge the folly of their stupidity. An early scene has Jiuming in the tank with Haiqi like a tasty floating morsel. There's a chorus of "this is a terrible idea, but let's do it anyway." Self-preservation isn't at the forefront here. DJ (Page Kennedy), in a much larger role, offers rolling commentary on the flawed logic of brash endeavors. He voices out loud what everyone with common sense is thinking. DJ gets a few chuckles by being aptly prepared for the worst case scenario. Let's just say he's upped his game from the last shark attack experience.

The violence stays firmly in the PG-13 realm . There's blood in the water, but you don't see chewed chunks of flesh or limbs floating around. Megs are big enough to gobble en masse like a scooper with chainsaw teeth. It's CGI terror as people try to swim away before the chomp-down. I almost fell out of my chair laughing from an inside jaws viewpoint.

A pleasant surprise was the other creatures that join the fray. Director Ben Wheatley ( Free Fire, Kill List ) adds to the party with sea reptiles that can also walk on land. This means that swimming to the beach isn't a path to safety. Escaping the Megs is just the first hurdle. The film does a good job of differentiating the action. There's slaughter galore outside the water.

Related: Sharksploitation Review: A Captivating Look at Shark Movies

A Tourist Buffet

Statham, a guaranteed entertainment commodity, deserves the shark week medal of valor but shares heroic duty this time around. Chinese star Wu Jing and Page Kennedy help significantly with the heavy lifting. They get participation points for not sitting on their laurels, but Kennedy does go overboard with annoying comic relief antics and banter. I would have trimmed his verbal slapstick and stuck with the purely physical contribution.

Meg 2: The Trench has a plethora of cartoonish antagonists. Sergio Peris-Mencheta co-stars as Montes, an aggrieved adversary and puppet of the true mastermind villain. Jonas kicks his ass repeatedly, but he continually pops up like whack-a-mole. There's also a strained saboteur subplot that runs out steam. Ravenous CGI beasts are good enough. The film didn't need unnecessary bad guy filler.

Meg 2: The Trench is a production of CMC Pictures, DF Pictures, Di Bonaventura Pictures, and Apelles Entertainment. It will have an August 4th theatrical release from Warner Bros .

Movie and TV Reviews

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ Paddles into Even Bigger Giant Shark Territory Than the Original, and Provides more Silly Entertainment

Jason Statham is back as diver Jonas Taylor, here dealing with more than one Megalodon in a typically high stakes, low-logic offering.

Jason Statham as Jonas in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and CMC Pictures’ sci-fi action thriller “Meg 2: The Trench,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Opening in theaters on August 4th, ‘ Meg 2: The Trench ’ largely sticks to the giant monster movie franchise playbook –– which is to say, if your hero faces down one big beast in the original, they have to be confronted by more in the sequel.

And while this example is a largely brain-free, silly summer blockbuster experience, it does offer enough thrills and spills that you won’t feel cheated come the end.

Meg 2: The Trench

What’s the story of ‘Meg 2: The Trench’?

Jason Statham returns as diving expert Jonas Taylor who, along with Jiuming Zhang ( Wu Jing ) leads a daring research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean.

Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival –– because their enemies are not just from the natural world this time.

Pitted against colossal Megs and relentless environmental plunderers, our heroes must outrun, outsmart, and outswim their merciless predators in a race against time.

Who else is in ‘Meg 2: The Trench’?

Page Kennedy as DJ, Cliff Curtis as Mac and Skyler Samuels as Jess in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and CMC Pictures’ sci-fi action thriller 'Meg 2: The Trench,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

(L to R) Page Kennedy as DJ, Cliff Curtis as Mac and Skyler Samuels as Jess in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and CMC Pictures’ sci-fi action thriller 'Meg 2: The Trench,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Daniel Smith. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The cast also includes Cliff Curtis , Sophia Cai , Page Kennedy (all returning from the first movie), Sergio Peris-Mencheta , Skyler Samuels and Sienna Guillory .

What swims about ‘Meg 2: The Trench’?

Jason Statham as Jonas and Sophia Cai as Meiying in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and CMC Pictures’ sci-fi action thriller 'Meg 2: The Trench,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

(L to R) Jason Statham as Jonas and Sophia Cai as Meiying in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and CMC Pictures’ sci-fi action thriller 'Meg 2: The Trench,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Daniel Smith. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

With this second movie, ‘ The Meg ’ films confirm themselves as Jason Statham’s ‘ Fast & Furious ’ (yes, we know he’s popped up in a few of them and co-starred in spin-off ‘ Hobbs & Shaw ’). By that, we mean a franchise that treats the laws of physics (and here, nature) like something to be ignored in the name of spectacle and a story that almost everyone else is treating with the tongue-in-cheek style something such as this suggests while the leading man barrels his way through more seriously.

To give Statham some credit, though, even he indulges in how goofy all of this is occasionally, showing more self-awareness than Vin Diesel ever does in the ‘Fast’ movies. His Jonas Taylor embraces more of the team effort this time, joking around with Cliff Curtis’ Mac and Sophia Cai’s Meiying. Jing Wu, meanwhile, fits right in with the gang, bringing his own action chops to the role (at one point, having cameras strapped to his body during one particularly tricky, explosive sequence).

Wu Jing as Jiuming in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and CMC Pictures’ sci-fi action thriller 'Meg 2: The Trench,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Daniel Smith. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

While director Ben Wheatley might seem like an odd choice to direct a movie of this style and scale –– after all, he’s been best known for small-scale British horrors such as ‘Kills List’, ‘ A Field in England ’ and ‘ In the Earth ’, though he has shown plenty of versatility in his genre-hopping to date between the satirical likes of ‘ High Rise ’ and the dramatic trappings of ‘ Rebecca ’. Here, he brings some level of subversion (alongside submersibles) to a loud, wacky action summer wannabe blockbuster.

Alongside writers Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber and Dean Georgaris, he has plenty of fun dreaming up scenarios to put people at risk from the giant sharks, and even (as seen in one of the movie’s trailers) kicks things off by winding the clock back to the Cretaceous period to show a Meg proving to be the alpha predator even in a world where dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Perhaps a sly wink at ‘ Jurassic Park ’ and its own ‘ Jurassic World ’ sequel trilogy, the most recent of which had its own nod towards prehistory.

Plus, if you were coming to this for big beasties, the team behind ‘Meg 2’ certainly wants you to go home satisfied, throwing in multiple Megalodons (including one that Jing Wu’s character believes he has tamed after finding it injured as a pup) plus some prehistoric reptilians and a massive cephalopod, all fellow inhabitants of the dark waters of the trench who make it to the surface world through reasons that, let’s be honest really don’t matter.

Does the movie sink at all?

A scene from Warner Bros. Pictures’ and CMC Pictures’ sci-fi action thriller “Meg 2: The Trench,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Naturally, Wheatley can only do so much when it comes to a big studio title such as this, which has an established format and runs on rails much like a theme park ride. Statham’s Taylor is very much your stock, occasionally quippy hero type (after dispatching on particularly resistant baddie, he says, “so long, chum”, which would make even James Bond wince) while everyone else is either in the friend group, and therefore are granted enough personality to make it out alive, or shark bait.

The twists and turns are visible from roughly six miles away (and the villainous characters, with one exception, are pantomime baddies) and there are some logic gaps in the story big enough for a giant, toothy predator to swim through. This is also strictly on the same lines as the original when it comes to the kills: PG-13, which means while Wheatley and the writers have a few inventive moments, it’s an almost entirely bloodless affair where the massive monsters swallow people rather than biting them, and the smaller ones rarely get to do much more than chomp once.

Also, while the trailers have been full of the sharks let loose at an island resort, that is mostly relegated to the final act, the proceeding running time given over to a tense sequence in the trench where our heroes are fighting for their lives against more than just the toothy terrors. It’s perfectly serviceable but never as pleasurable as the full-on Megalodon chaos.

Most disappointingly for a film that wants to be a big-budget version of those Megashark Vs. Giant Dolphin-style movies (think ‘ Sharknado ’ with ‘ Godzilla ’ production values), some of the visuals are shockingly basic, a few of the effects less convincing than one of those cheapo cash-in films and the whole thing coming across as rushed and re-shot. It’s also one of those movies that smacks of elements being inserted so that it’ll play well in China –– not a negative per se, but it’s so blindingly obvious at times as to be annoying.

Still, if you enjoyed the first ‘Meg’ back in 2018 and you were hoping that the sequel would offer more of the same, just bigger, louder and with even less of a brain, ‘Meg 2: The Trench’ certainly delivers on that front. And if you’re willing to put up with the more ridiculous elements, it’s worth the dive, even if it isn’t a deep one despite the title.

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.

Other Movies Similar to ‘Meg 2: The Trench':

' Creature from the Black Lagoon ' (1954)
' Jaws ' (1975)
' Deep Blue Sea ' (1999)
' Open Water ' (2004)
' Poseidon ' (2006)
' The Reef ' (2010)
' Shark Night 3D ' (2011)
' The Shallows ' (2016)
' 47 Meters Down ' (2017)
' The Meg ' (2018)
' The Requin ' (2022)
' The Black Demon ' (2023)

Buy Tickets: 'Meg 2: The Trench' Movie Showtimes

Buy jason statham movies on amazon.

'Meg 2: The Trench’ is produced by Apelles Entertainment, Warner Bros. Pictures, di Bonaventura Pictures, and CMC Pictures. It is scheduled to release in theaters on August 4th, 2023.

More News on Moviefone

Movie Reviews

Follow Moviefone

Latest trailers.

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ Review – Ben Wheatley Packs Sequel to the Gills with Nonstop B-Movie Spectacle

The biggest complaint about 2018’s The Meg , an American and Chinese co-production loosely based on author Steve Alten’s novel, was that it lacked bite. The PG-13 action vehicle for Jason Statham brought the B-movie sense of fun, but it was too restrained regarding the megalodon carnage. Meg 2: The Trench answers the first film’s criticisms, though not in the way you’d anticipate. Director Ben Wheatley forgoes retreading the same waters with a higher body count. Instead, Wheatley goes full throttle on the B-movie spectacle, packing the nearly two-hour runtime to the gills with aquatic horror madness and nonstop entertainment.

Picking up six years after The Meg , Jonas Taylor (Statham) is now a fully integrated member of the found family forged from the last film, living at the underwater research facility and furthering their studies of the Trench and the Megalodon sharks, one of which they have in captivity. On a more personal level, Jonas now proudly co-parents Meiying Zhang ( Sophia Cai ), but not with who you’d expect. Meiying’s mother passed between films, with her uncle Jiuming ( Wu Jing ) stepping up to fill that void.

The odd couple family of a teen girl and her two action-hero dads serves as the backbone of a nonstop action-adventure movie filled with aquatic creatures and villains that doesn’t ease up for a second. Not for setup, exposition, character beats, or even punchlines.

Wheatley, working from a screenplay by returning writers Jon Hoeber , Erich Hoeber , and Dean Georgaris , tenaciously commits to big thrills and frenetically paced set pieces, breathing room or logic be damned. After a quick hello to familiar faces that include returning players DJ ( Page Kennedy ) and Mac ( Cliff Curtis ), as well as a few new ones, including Driscoli ( Sienna Guillory ), Meg 2 plunges straight to the depths to get the party started. It’s here where the spectacle of it all kicks into overdrive.

Every conceivable obstacle gets thrown the crew’s way, increasing the dangers and culling the numbers in amusing ways. Wheatley fills the frame, delivering more aquatic creature mayhem than expected as he runs through numerous set pieces with extreme velocity.

There’s zero pretense with Meg 2 . It knows exactly what type of movie it is and wears its influences proudly. DJ, getting more shining action moments than before, brags about his “poison-tipped bullets like in Jaws 2 ” to Mac, one of many tongue-in-cheek jokes that signal that Meg 2 doesn’t take itself seriously, so neither should you. That’s what ultimately evens out the severely overstuffed plotting. Human villains, corporate greed, backstabbing, nods to the first film, capsized submersibles with no escape, and more ensure that no attention span gets left behind here. And that’s before you toss in the plethora of aquatic creatures, including the biggest Meg yet.

The kitchen sink approach winds up being the movie’s biggest asset and its most glaring flaw. The nonstop thrills, battles, creature feature fun, and survival elements crowd out everything else. The body count is much higher, but most of the supporting players come and go so quickly that many deaths don’t register. Wheatley often gets too chaotic with the camerawork, rendering some fight scenes a mess. While the climax does enough right in B-movie horror style, it also needlessly revives tired moments from The Meg .

Meg 2: The Trench is messy in execution and almost exhausting in how much gets packed into the runtime without a second wasted. The humor is the precise type of cheese that’ll amuse you or drive you nuts. And yet, it’s a blast. It’s hard to get upset about a big summer blockbuster sequel releasing in 2023 with the schlocky sensibilities of ’80s aquatic horror like Lords of the Deep or DeepStar Six . It’s dumb and it knows it. Wheatley leaves The Meg behind in favor of wackier waters filled with more Megs, more problems, and an entire Trench worth of creature feature chaos.

Meg 2: The Trench is out in theaters now.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

6 Found Footage Movies to Watch on YouTube After ‘Milk & Serial’

‘Wolf Man’ – Watch the Teaser Trailer for Leigh Whannell’s Next Universal Monsters Movie

“Die Jason! Die!”: Six Badass Horror Movie Fans Like Tommy Jarvis [Friday the 13th Week]

Presented by Paramount Scares , Friday the 13th Week sees Bloody Disgusting heading to Camp Crystal Lake for a series of features that celebrate the Voorhees family and their influence. Yesterday, Rachel Reeves highlighted other camp-adjacent scares. Today, Luiz H.C. takes inventory of all the horror movie fans in horror similar to franchise hero Tommy Jarvis.

Writers may come up with nightmares and directors bring them to life, but everyone knows that it’s the horror fans that really keep the genre going. That’s why it’s always refreshing to see scary movies show some appreciation towards the community, like that time Jason Voorhees was (rather brutally) defeated by a young monster movie enthusiast played by Corey Feldman, aka Tommy Jarvis.

In light of the 40th anniversary for both Jarvis and FRIDAY THE 13th – The Final Chapter , we’ve come up with a list celebrating six other badass horror fans in horror movies. After all, what horror fan hasn’t daydreamed about using their genre expertise to take down vampires, murderers and zombies? As usual, don’t forget to comment below with your own favorite cinematic horror nerds if you think we missed one.

And if you’re dying for more Friday the 13th content, Paramount Scares and Bloody Disgusting are presenting an eight-film marathon on the Friday the 13th franchise. Not in the area? Can’t make it? Paramount Scares and Fangoria are also presenting nationwide screenings of FRIDAY THE 13th – The Final Chapter.

6. Mark Petrie (Lance Kerwin/ Dan Byrd/Jordan Preston Carter) – Salem’s Lot

The first of several young vampire experts on this list, the preteen horror aficionado Mark Petrie was among the first residents to notice that something fishy (or is it fang-y?) was going on with the population of Jerusalem’s Lot. In fact, his obsession with classic monster movies is what ultimately leads our survivors to safety, with Mark being a source of undead knowledge for our older protagonists.

He may be the youngest survivor of the bunch, but Mark is still willing to face the vampiric threat head-on, which is why I think he qualifies as a badass horror fan. And while we’re on the subject of Salem’s Lot , I really hope that the upcoming remake does the character justice, as I’d love to see Mark’s interests updated to include more modern creature features.

5. Terry Chandler (Louis Tripp) – The Gate & The Gate 2

Most parents are worried about their kids talking to strangers or setting the living-room carpet on fire when they’re left home alone, but even the most paranoid guardian would have trouble imagining the kind of mess that Glen and his buddies would run into when they encounter a mysterious geode in their backyard.

However, among this rag-tag group of troublemakers, most horror fans agree that the occult-obsessed Terry Chandler is the most entertaining, with his knowledge of demonology, genre lore and heavy metal becoming incredibly valuable when the time comes to get rid of their otherworldly invaders – even if he is partially responsible for the mess in the first place.

4. The Monster Squad – The Monster Squad

The 80s had no shortage of quirky groups of pre-teen buddies going on wacky adventures, but only one of these gangs had the honor of facing the Universal Monsters. Originally a fan-club dedicated to the iconic creatures, the titular Monster Squad was eventually forced to rally against the things that go bump in the night.

And while The Monster Squad wasn’t the box-office hit that it deserved to be, there’s no denying that the film’s depiction of young horror fans would go on to influence countless other characters in genre media. That being said, not even the Stranger Things gang has managed to recruit Frankenstein’s creature to their cause, which is why the Squad remains in a league of their own.

3. Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale/Anton Yelchin) – Fright Night Franchise

We’ve all heard of folks whose obsession with scary media has made them a little bit paranoid, but every now and then, it turns out that they were right to be scared. Case in point: Fright Night ’s teenage vampire slayer, Charley Brewster. Well-versed in undead lore due to his love of horror movies, this clever high schooler was able to quickly identify all the signs of vampiric activity in his neighbor’s home.

Whether it’s William Ragsdale or the late, great Anton Yelchin, both versions of the character have proven to be badass warriors of light when things get personal, which is why I think we can all agree with Evil Ed when he says: “You’re so cool, Brewster!”.

2. The Frog Brothers (Corey Feldman/ Jamison Newlander) – The Lost Boys Franchise

Traumatic events can force kids to grow up a little too fast, and there’s no better example of this than the monster-hunting Frog Brothers. Informed by conveniently accurate horror comics, Edgar and Alan Frog soon turned their nerdy hobby into a matter of life and death when they discovered that their idyllic California town was secretly overrun by Nosferatu.

The Frogs may not be the main characters of The Lost Boys , I think we can all agree that their improvised weapons and overly adult demeanor make their scenes some of the most entertaining (and memorable) parts of an already fun movie. And if you’re also a fan of these coastal vampire slayers, I’d recommend checking out the cheap yet weirdly entertaining sequels to find out what the brothers have been up to in the years since the original film.

1. Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) – Scream Franchise

Jasmin Savoy Brown’s portrayal of film geek Mindy Meeks-Martin may be one of the best parts of the new Scream films, but if this franchise has taught us anything, it’s that you just can’t f*** with the original. That’s why it’s no surprise that the number one spot has to go to our favorite Ghostface survivor, Randy Meeks.

A film bro with a heart of gold, Randy is the very definition of a nerd finding themself in a situation where their niche interest can finally be of practical use. And while Randy’s appropriately meek demeanor might be stretching the definition of “badass”, the guy kept helping his friends take down movie-obsessed serial killers even after he was tragically killed in the sequel, which is why I think he’s earned his spot on this list.

Friday, September 6 – These SIX New Horror Movies Released Today

Two-Minute Clip from the New ‘Salem’s Lot’ Movie Prepares for a Barlow Sighting

“The Haunting” Event for ‘Modern Warfare III’ Brings Art the Clown, Michael Myers and More on September 18 [Trailer]

New ‘Salem’s Lot’ Movie Sinks Its Teeth into Max on October 3, 2024

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

For Parents
For Educators
Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

How to Help Kids Build Character Strengths with Quality Media

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Meg 2: the trench.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 10 Reviews
Kids Say 8 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Moments of fun in routine, violent giant-shark sequel.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Guns and shooting. Deaths, including people being eaten by sharks and other crea

Sporadic uses of "s--t," "a--hole," "son of a bitch," "dumbass," "ass," "bastard

Two characters kiss passionately. Package of condoms shown (in a comical way). S

Survivors drink glasses of whiskey (one straight from the bottle). Villain drink

Any Positive Content?

The leader of the heroes is a White man, but the group is otherwise diverse: ins

Problems can be more manageable when you tackle them one by one. It's important

Like most action heroes, Jonas is brave and strong. He rushes off to do the impo

Violence & Scariness

Guns and shooting. Deaths, including people being eaten by sharks and other creatures. Monster attacks. A character's mask implodes. Jump scares. Punching, kicking, fighting with knives, martial arts. Hitting with hard objects. Choking with chain, metal pipe. Explosions. Blood swirling in water. Gory shark injuries. Bloody chunk missing from shark carcass. Woman dragged away by monster. Monster stabbed with broken shovel. Fight between giant shark and giant octopus. Shark stabbed with blade from crashed helicopter. Pepper spray. Taser gun. Threat. Teen girl and other characters in jeopardy. A man on Fun Island makes an inappropriate remark to two women: "Hey baby ... wanna rub some lotion on my back? What about my front?" ( Spoiler alert : He's later killed by a giant octopus.)

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sporadic uses of "s--t," "a--hole," "son of a bitch," "dumbass," "ass," "bastard," "damn," "hell," "piss," "scumbag," "idiot." Middle-finger gestures.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Two characters kiss passionately. Package of condoms shown (in a comical way). Scantily clad women dancing, sunbathing on Fun Island. A man on Fun Island makes an inappropriate remark to two women: "Hey baby ... wanna rub some lotion on my back? What about my front?" The women respond with "ew."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Survivors drink glasses of whiskey (one straight from the bottle). Villain drinks wine. Characters drink sparkling wine at fundraiser. Vacationers drink on Fun Island. A bartender shakes a martini shaker.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Diverse Representations

The leader of the heroes is a White man, but the group is otherwise diverse: institute head Jiuming Zhang (Chinese martial arts star Wu Jing); Jonas' stepdaughter, Meiying (Sophia Cai, of Chinese and British descent); pilot/scientist DJ (Black actor Page Kennedy), Jonas' old pal Mac (Cliff Curtis, who's of New Zealand Maori descent, with Ngati Hauiti and Te Arawa tribal affiliations); and diver Rigas (Melissanthi Mahut, who's Canadian and Greek). Among the villains, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, who plays the mercenary Montes, is from Spain, and the lead villain (and also the traitor) are both women. Many other actors in smaller/background roles are people of color.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Positive Messages

Problems can be more manageable when you tackle them one by one. It's important to protect the ecosystem and the environment (though perhaps not with the kind of extreme tactics seen here). But for the most part, violence has no consequences here.

Positive Role Models

Like most action heroes, Jonas is brave and strong. He rushes off to do the impossible in hopes of saving the day. But he also creates a wake of violence -- other characters die around him -- and rarely faces consequences for it. DJ is more prepared than he was in the first film. He's learned how to fight and swim and now carries an emergency backpack, full of needed supplies. It's part personal growth and part paranoia, but it's somewhat positive. Heroic characters are depicted as "eco warriors," fighting the good fight to protect the ecosystem and the environment, even if their fighting tactics aren't always exactly aboveboard. Conversely, the villains laugh about saving the ecosystem. "So what?" one asks. "We're making billions! And nobody will see the damage we're doing!"

Parents need to know that giant-shark thriller Meg 2: The Trench is the sequel to 2018's The Meg , with Jason Statham returning as hero Jonas Taylor. It's a bit better than its bland predecessor, with occasional fun B movie energy, but it's mostly the same lazy, routine stuff. Violence is the biggest issue. There are -- of course -- many attacks by the meg and other monsters, with people being swallowed whole or otherwise dispatched. There are other deaths, too, plus fighting with knives, choking, punching, kicking, a little blood, explosions, and more. Occasional strong language includes "s--t," "a--hole," "son of a bitch," "dumbass," and "bastard," plus middle-finger gestures. Two people kiss passionately, and a package of condoms is shown. Characters drink whiskey, wine, and cocktails. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (10)
Kids say (8)

Based on 10 parent reviews

An entertaining shark flick filled with action/adventure violence.

What's the story.

In MEG 2: THE TRENCH, Jonas Taylor ( Jason Statham ) and his old pal, Mac ( Cliff Curtis ), are now working with the Zhang Institute, occasionally running off to tangle with eco terrorists before getting back to the business at hand: giant sharks. The head of the institute, Jiuming ( Wu Jing ), has a megalodon in captivity and is trying to train it, while Jonas has become the cautious stepfather of Meiying (Sophia Cai), who's now 14. She wants to go on adventures like Jonas, but he wants to keep her safe. When the crew prepares for a deep-sea dive under the freezing-cold thermocline layer, Meiying stows away. On the ocean floor, the team discovers an illegal mining operation, as well as more megs. Even worse, after an explosion traps them, the crew discovers that they have a traitor in their midst. Jonas must find a way to save the crew and head off the sharks (as well as a new kind of killer amphibian and a giant octopus) before the deadly creatures get to the nearest populated area, a vacation resort called Fun Island.

Is It Any Good?

A tiny improvement over its predecessor, this giant-shark sequel sometimes seems to be reveling in its own B movie-ness, but it also falls victim to lazy turns of plot and routine action. For Meg 2: The Trench , subversive director Ben Wheatley takes over from The Meg 's safer Jon Turteltaub, and he manages some fun touches, like DJ (Page Kennedy) now being trained and ready for any emergency, Jonas killing a shark with the blade of a crashed helicopter, or the whole "Fun Island" conceit. But Wheatley is also hamstrung by the clear need to keep the movie teen-friendly, which means he can only go so far.

Moreover, the plot is so mechanical that it manages to rob the movie of any sense of wonder or suspense. For instance, the magic of discovering a new bit of ocean is railroaded in favor of revealing the secret mining operation. If Steven Spielberg -- whose Jurassic Park movies are a direct inspiration for this one -- had been in charge, we would at least have had a few minutes to admire beautiful new fish and plant life before the carnage began. Meg 2: The Trench knows no such pacing or finesse. And, just as in its predecessor, the fake-looking CG visual effects result in fake-looking monsters, now twice as boring as before.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Meg 2: The Trench 's violence . How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of scary movies ? Why do people sometimes enjoy being scared?

What's the appeal of shark movies? Why are so many people fascinated by them? Did you learn anything from this movie?

Does Jonas' motto -- "We work the problems one by one. We do the thing that's in front of us. Then we do the next thing." -- make sense? Do you agree or disagree with it? Why?

What kind of message about the environment does the movie send? Does it suggest ways of getting involved? What are some positive ways of helping?

Movie Details

In theaters : August 4, 2023
On DVD or streaming : August 25, 2023
Cast : Jason Statham , Wu Jing , Cliff Curtis
Director : Ben Wheatley
Inclusion Information : Polynesian/Pacific Islander actors
Studio : Warner Bros.
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : Ocean Creatures
Run time : 116 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : action/violence, some bloody images, language and brief suggestive material
Last updated : August 25, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Want personalized picks for your kids' age and interests?

The Shallows

Jurassic Park

47 Meters Down

Movie monsters, best action movies for kids, related topics.

Ocean Creatures

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission.

Meg 2: The Trench Should Have Been Stupider

Once upon a time, Jason Statham was the king of silly action flicks. These films weren’t usually comedies, but they were bracingly and proudly ridiculous, using disbelief the way most movies use the suspension of disbelief. Despite Statham’s considerable physical prowess as a fighter and martial artist, almost nothing that happened in these movies was convincing, but that was what often made them fun. He could cut off a bad guy’s arm, then use the guy’s own severed hand to pull the trigger of his own gun to kill him. He could punch a dude’s head into a helicopter tail rotor. We in the audience laughed, we winced, and we went home talking about how bad the movie was, but when it happened to come on cable, we happily watched it again. When Statham started to become a bigger name, franchise demands took over, and a little of his personality was lost. It made perfect sense for him to join the Fast & Furious series, but he hasn’t exactly done anything notable in it yet.

That nuttier version of Statham can be briefly glimpsed at moments in Meg 2: The Trench , but predictably, he has to take a back seat to the giant sea creatures in this one. 2018’s somewhat unlikely hit about the return of an enormous prehistoric shark was never anyone’s idea of serious cinema, but the new one feels at times like a dream a hyperactive 9-year-old might have had after seeing the first one. This time, there are giant octopuses, and giant killer sea anemones, and demonic, fanged superfast lizard thingies, and funky robotic exosuits, and comically casual walks along the seafloor of a 25,000-foot-deep trench. At one point, Jason Statham fights three megalodons armed with a Jet Ski and an exploding homemade harpoon, and then later he karate-kicks a dude into the maws of a leaping shark. It’s all extremely stupid and, in an alternate universe, it might have even been genuinely entertaining had there been more of it.

The plot, as far as I can make out, takes place a few years after the previous movie, and Statham’s Jonas Taylor is now working as an environmental investigator for an oceanographic institute run by Jiuming Zhang (Wu Jing), a scion of the same family of wealthy researchers from the first film. Jonas is also taking care of Jiuming’s niece, teenage Meiying (Shuya Sophia Cai), who was a young child in the previous movie. (Some cast members from the original have returned, in case you were wondering what happened to all those memorable, memorable characters from The Meg .) Our heroes are using fancy submersibles to make treacherous research dives into “the trench,” a mysterious pit at the bottom of the sea lying beneath a thermocline that keeps all the amazing unknown creatures therein from coming to the surface. You can imagine how things go from there.

Fair is fair: I would have loved this shit back when I was 6. Meg 2 understands that we’re here to see shark mayhem, and it doesn’t seem to feel obligated to back any of its narrative up with logic or fake movie science. (There’s even a Jaws 2 reference, just to make sure we’re not keeping our standards too high.) That’s not entirely an excuse, however, for botching rudimentary elements of storytelling. Meg 2 often fails on a basic molecular level, sometimes leaving us unclear as to who’s doing what to whom onscreen. Other movies have gotten away with this sort of chaos (Michael Bay’s Armageddon is the classic in this unfortunate subgenre, but that picture makes up for its incoherence with bravado), but here, the filmmaking is choppy and rushed without being particularly energetic. We barely know who any of these people are, so we’re not particularly involved in whether they’re going to survive or not. Which might have been okay, but the film seems to care: At one point, our heroes mourn the death of a character while we in the audience mutter, “Wait, who was that?” There’s some weird big shoot-out at the end, and most of it involves people who are neither Jason Statham nor an enormous prehistoric shark.

The sharks, when they do appear, look pretty impressive, but the film’s best special effect remains Statham, who is a living action figure right down to his unchanging expressions. Like a great deadpan silent comedian, he has a unique ability to make his already straight face even straighter as the absurdity around him ratchets up. This combination of bearing and glower makes us want to see him in the most delightfully ridiculous situations, a thrill Meg 2 provides only in sporadic bursts. When Statham picks up a helicopter blade five times his size in an attempt to spear a shark 50 times his size, it briefly feels like his glory days are back. They’re not, but it’s fun to dream.

More Movie Reviews

Relay Might Be the Next Great Corporate Espionage Thriller
The Wild Robot Will Ruin You
Nightbitch Is More of an Idea Than a Movie
vulture homepage lede
vulture section lede
movie review
meg 2: the trench
ben wheatley
jason statham

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

Lower case letters (a-z)
Upper case letters (A-Z)
Numbers (0-9)
Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

Cookie banner

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy . Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use , which became effective December 20, 2019.

By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.

Follow The Ringer online:

Follow The Ringer on Twitter
Follow The Ringer on Instagram
Follow The Ringer on Youtube

Filed under:

Pop Culture

The 21st-Century Bad Vibes Movie Canon

You’re probably familiar with the idea of feel-good movies. But sometimes you need a film that’s designed to drag down your mood. Enter the Bad Vibes Movie Canon, a celebration of the best feel-bad cinematic experiences of the past 24 years.

Share this story

Share this on Facebook
Share this on Twitter
Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: The 21st-Century Bad Vibes Movie Canon

You’re probably familiar with the concept of feel-good movies: the tried-and-true serotonin boosters that can improve your mood in the midst of a bad day, week, or, God forbid, month. (Shout out to my current go-to, Everybody Wants Some!! , a coming-of-age comedy about college baseball players getting laid that somehow manages to be … extremely wholesome?) There are times, however, when the true sickos of the world (read: me) crave something a little different: a film that traffics in terrible vibes and threatens to drag your disposition down with it.

One of the most striking recent examples of this phenomenon is Speak No Evil , a Danish psychological thriller about a couple and their young daughter who hit it off with another couple they meet on vacation. The family is then invited to spend a holiday weekend with their new friends, who test their guests’ resolve through increasingly uncomfortable situations. Speak No Evil is, in essence, a horror movie about how social niceties and the fear of confrontation can be our undoing—all building up to an ending that’s one of the bleakest things I’ve ever seen. I was depressed for hours after finishing Speak No Evil , which is the highest compliment I can give this kind of movie.

The Ringer ’s Streaming Guide

A collage of characters from popular TV shows

There’s a lot of TV out there. We want to help: Every week, we’ll tell you the best and most urgent shows to stream so you can stay on top of the ever-expanding heap of Peak TV.

Now, with an Americanized Speak No Evil set for release this week—starring James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, and Scoot McNairy—I got to thinking about the movies we love because they make us feel like shit. In that spirit, I present the 21st-Century Bad Vibes Movie Canon: a celebration of the best feel-bad cinematic experiences the past 24 years have to offer. (Basically, if you, like me, consider Zodiac a comfort watch , this list was made for you.)

Before we get to the inductees, let’s go over the ground rules: In addition to featuring only movies released in the 21st century, I’ve limited each director to one entry; otherwise, David Fincher’s fingerprints would be all over this blog. The Bad Vibes Movie Canon is also, by no means, all-encompassing: I’ve capped the list at 20 (the word count on this bad boy was already reaching Austin Gayle levels ), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more films worthy of inclusion. As for the order of the movies listed, I wish I could say there was some methodology involved, but no, my brain exists in a perpetual state of chaos. (As you can tell from, well, the existence of this blog.) Last, in order to give these movies their flowers, we’ll have to spoil some plot points. Let’s dive into the canon.

The Wailing (2016)

Why it’s included: I’m a sucker for anything that captures the energy of peak Twin Peaks , and The Wailing fits the bill. The South Korean horror movie vacillates between being goofy and terrifying, sometimes within the same scene, as dim-witted cops in a small village find themselves at the center of a strange, potentially supernatural killing spree. The only viable suspect is a mysterious Japanese hermit (played by Jun Kunimura) who lives on the outskirts of the village, but viewers are left to wonder whether he’s actually nefarious, or whether the community’s collective xenophobia is at play. (The dynamic between the Korean villagers and the Japanese stranger recalls the historical tension between Japan and Korea.) But what takes The Wailing to another level is when whatever is afflicting the village makes it to the home of Sergeant Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won). His young daughter, Hyo-jin (Kim Hwan-hee), appears to become possessed, and the family enlists the services of a shaman, launching this movie into a stretch that’s essentially The Exorcist: Shaman Edition . It fucking rips.

Worst vibe moment: By the end of The Wailing , we discover that (a) the Japanese stranger really was responsible for the evil happenings in the village and (b) the shaman is in cahoots with him. Unfortunately, that means Hyo-jin doesn’t just remain possessed after the exorcism: She murders her mother and grandmother before Jong-goo can do anything to stop it. Then, Jong-gu starts wailing (it’s right there in the title) as his entire world shatters. You’ll want to do the same after watching the movie; I’ve revisited it four times in six years. (I’m fine, why do you ask?)

The Empty Man (2020)

Why it’s included: You have to forgive Disney for not knowing what to do with The Empty Man after acquiring 20th Century Fox, the studio that already had it on the books. An R-rated, 137-minute cosmic horror film from a first-time director does not make for an easy sell, so The Empty Man was dumped into theaters during the dog days of the pandemic, when it appeared destined to fade into obscurity. Thankfully, the internet has formed a cult of Empty Man —I am one of its loyal followers—and if you’re a true horror aficionado, it’s easy to understand why. The movie concerns a former detective, James Lasombra (James Badge Dale), who’s investigating the mysterious disappearance of his neighbor’s teenage daughter. But while The Empty Man has the trappings of a supernatural procedural, what makes the film so unsettling is how it feels like a variety pack of practically every horror subgenre—sprinkling in elements of J-horror, Lovecraftian terror, slasher tropes, creepy cults, and whatever the hell you want to call this scene in the woods . I’m not even sure the ending makes sense, but by that point, I was too discombobulated to care. The Empty Man is an impressively deranged directorial debut, and one of the more ambitious studio films in recent memory.

Worst vibe moment: Before we get to Lasombra’s investigation, The Empty Man opens with a roughly 20-minute prologue that follows a group of hikers in Bhutan. One of the members of the party, Paul (Aaron Poole), falls into a crevice and comes face-to-face with a massive, humanlike skeleton that has some kind of psychological hold over him. From there, the group takes shelter in a remote cabin, where Paul lies in a vegetative state while his friends figure out how to get to safety. Naturally, everyone is doomed: A sinister presence has taken over Paul, who whispers something in his girlfriend’s ear that compels her to stab her friends to death before jumping off a cliff. As a self-contained horror story, The Empty Man ’s prologue is pure nightmare fuel—and a really tough beat for Bhutan’s tourism board.

Prisoners (2013)

Why it’s included: There are several Denis Villeneuve joints that could’ve been selected here— Polytechnique , Enemy , Sicario —but I’ll always have a soft spot for Prisoners . The film is set in a fictional working-class Pennsylvania town where two little girls go missing on Thanksgiving and one of the fathers, Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman), will stop at nothing to get answers. Jake Gyllenhaal is also in this as a detective who looks like he hasn’t slept in months—one of the side effects of Resting Gyllenhaal Face —and Paul Dano plays the primary suspect, named, regrettably, Alex Jones. This is one of those films where, the more you learn about how and why the girls went missing, the more you’ll be thrown into a pit of despair. All told, Prisoners is one of my favorite David Fincher movies not directed by David Fincher.

Worst vibe moment: Hoo boy . So, Alex Jones arouses a lot of suspicion because he’s pretty creepy and implies he’s taken the girls. (“They only cried when I left them,” he tells Keller.) As a result, Keller mercilessly tortures the guy in an abandoned apartment complex: beating Alex senseless, barricading him in a shower, and repeatedly dousing him with boiling water. And yet , Alex isn’t just innocent of the crimes: He was, in fact, one of the earliest victims of a couple who’ve spent decades abducting and poisoning children to punish God for their son’s death. (By the start of Prisoners , the husband has died, but Melissa Leo’s Holly Jones is continuing the tradition.) Alex’s mental issues are the result of his upbringing, and a vengeful Keller went full Zero Dark Thirty on his ass. I love watching a thespian beat up Paul Dano as much as the next guy—shout out to There Will Be Blood —but I gotta draw the line at Prisoners .

Eden Lake (2008)

Why it’s included: The debut feature from James Watkins—incidentally, the director of the Speak No Evil remake— Eden Lake follows a young couple, Jenny and Steve (Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender), as they go on vacation in the English countryside. Shortly after arriving, the couple is harassed by local hoodlums in the woods, and the situation escalates until there’s a body count. Politically, Eden Lake comes across like Tory propaganda, demonizing a working-class community and its children—part of a trend in British cinema known as “hoodie horror.” But even if Eden Lake was made in poor taste, I can’t deny that it’s an effective thrill ride—one that, for better or worse, never pulls its punches.

Worst vibe moment: For anyone who’s seen Eden Lake , this will be a no-brainer. Steve, sadly, dies from the many stab wounds he suffered at the hands of the hoodlums, and when the group captures Jenny, they tie the couple to a pile of wood to burn them. The group coerces a young boy, Adam (James Gandhi), into setting Steve and Jenny on fire while they record him, ensuring that he can’t tell anyone what happened without being implicated. The fire burns the rope tied around the couple, which allows Jenny to break free. And as Jenny escapes, the group’s sadistic leader, Brett (Jack O’Connell), threatens to burn Adam alive unless she comes back. True to his word, we hear Adam screaming in agony before getting a brief glimpse of the poor kid being necklaced . I can honestly say few movie deaths have disturbed me more. It’s truly evil stuff (complimentary).

Pulse (2001)

Why it’s included: If Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cure had come out in the 2000s, it would’ve made the list, but the Japanese auteur’s other horror masterpiece, Pulse , is more than a worthy substitute. In the film, a disparate group of young adults in Tokyo encounters disturbing corners of the internet—one site beginning with the ominous message “Would You Like to Meet a Ghost?”—that may be a sign of malevolent spirits invading the real world. (Probably not a coincidence: Lots of people begin disappearing throughout the city.) Considering that the film came out more than 20 years ago, Pulse was certainly ahead of its time, imagining the web as less of a digital oasis than a prison that compounds our sense of isolation and dread . Honestly, Kurosawa might’ve invented a literal interpretation of doomscrolling before we even knew what it was.

Worst vibe moment: The hallway scene. If you know, you know.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Why it’s included: On the Fincher front, it was very tempting to go with Zodiac , but The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo gets the slight edge because we never got a trilogy—and what’s more depressing than that? (See also: the Sony email hack , which revealed that Rooney Mara desperately wanted a sequel to happen; I have never felt so much sympathy for the daughter of a billionaire.) Besides, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo delivers the goods, including an opening title sequence that feels like James Bond going through an emo phase, the grisly death of an adorable cat, Stellan Skarsgard being an absolute freak , Mara going full Lisbeth Salander by actually piercing her nipples , and Daniel Craig defying the laws of physics with his glasses. True story: I convinced a group of high school friends to watch The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in theaters; it was the last time I got to be in charge of movie night.

Worst vibe moment: I hate to even type this out, but the obvious answer is Lisbeth’s rape scene. When her guardian suffers a stroke, she’s appointed a new one, Nils Bjurman (Yorick van Wageningen), who threatens to have her institutionalized if she doesn’t perform sexual favors. The sequence is, as you’d imagine, extremely hard to watch, though it doesn’t take long for Nils to get his comeuppance. Lisbeth records the rape, thereby blackmailing Nils; she then returns to his place, sodomizes him with a steel dildo, and tattoos “I AM A RAPIST PIG” across his chest. Revenge is a dish best served with a tattoo pen:

Lake Mungo (2008)

Why it’s included: Another movie that apes Twin Peaks —right down to starring a teenage girl with the surname “Palmer”— Lake Mungo is framed as a documentary that explores the death of Alice Palmer (Talia Zucker) and the supposedly supernatural events her family experienced after it. The first and only feature from Australian director Joel Anderson, which adds to the film’s mystique, Lake Mungo is a slow burn, taking its time to reveal that Alice harbored many secrets from her loved ones. (Again, it’s very Laura Palmer coded.) Unsurprisingly, then, Lake Mungo is all about bad vibes: It’s a wrenching exploration of what grief does to a family, and how searching for answers can do more harm than good.

Worst vibe moment: While Lake Mungo is an understated horror film, it does build to a single all-timer jump scare . When Alice’s family uncovers her cellphone, it contains footage of Alice coming across her bloated, corpse-like doppelgänger at the ill-fated Lake Mungo. Essentially, Alice saw her own ghost days before she died. The implications alone are unsettling, but what makes the scene so effective is how grounded in reality everything leading up to the supernatural footage feels. Out of context, the jump scare won’t hit the same; when you’re completely under Lake Mungo ’s spell, it’ll ruin your night in the best way.

The Strangers (2008)

Why it’s included: The terrors of a home invasion thriller are pretty self-explanatory, but The Strangers is one of those movies that sticks with you because of its senseless cruelty. The film follows a young couple, James and Kristen (Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler), as their rural vacation home is attacked by three masked intruders. Writer-director Bryan Bertino excels at building suspense, particularly in the 10-minute sequence when Kristen slowly realizes that she isn’t alone in the house. (I can vividly recall seeing The Strangers in a theater and the audience freaking the fuck out when one of the masked killers sneaks into frame.) On a related note, I’ve never been more grateful to live in a crowded city.

Worst vibe moment: This is an easy call to make. Toward the end of The Strangers , James and Kristen are tied up by the killers, and Kristen demands to know why they’ve been subjected to such torment. “Because you were home,” the female intruder known as Dollface (Gemma Ward) cooly responds. Also terrifying: The intruders proceed to remove their masks, and James and Kristen realize that they’re not planning to leave any witnesses. (Sure enough, they’re stabbed repeatedly.) The Strangers ’ titular killers went to the Michael Myers School of Evil, where acts of barbarity happen for no reason other than the love of the game. What could be scarier than that?

Nightcrawler (2014)

Why it’s included: Jakey G is a first-ballot bad vibes actor, and I’d argue his best performance comes in Nightcrawler as Lou Bloom, a stringer who has a knack for recording violent crimes across Los Angeles. Writer-director Dan Gilroy does an excellent job of conveying not just how journalism has curdled into sensationalized entertainment, but also the lengths to which people are willing to go to follow an entrepreneurial grindset. Of course, Nightcrawler wouldn’t be as great as it is without Gyllenhaal, whose manic, morally bankrupt antihero splits the difference between Patrick Bateman and a TMZ reporter.

Worst vibe moment: Nightcrawler has one of the most uncomfortable “dates” ever put to film, courtesy of when Lou takes the head of the KWLA 6 morning news, the wonderfully named Nina Romina (Rene Russo), out for dinner. Lou rattles off compliments in an eerie monotone voice that makes it seem like he rehearsed them beforehand in a mirror, and if that wasn’t bad enough, the date ends with Lou threatening to take his footage elsewhere if Nina doesn’t sleep with him. (He’s aware that her contract at the station is up soon and she needs higher ratings to keep her job.) Everything about the scene screams big incel energy, and for some unlucky viewers, it might trigger memories of the worst dates they’ve suffered through. (If you’ve ever been to dinner with a Lou, you have my deepest sympathies.)

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Why it’s included: This is what you watch when you truly hate yourself. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is one of the ugliest big-budget films in recent memory, and an early warning sign that the Marvel Cinematic Universe was no longer guaranteed to light up the box office. Note to Marvel: Stop overworking VFX artists , and maybe your blockbusters won’t look like janky screen savers.

Worst vibe moment: Any scene involving Kang the Conqueror, who was billed as the MCU’s next big bad before Jonathan Majors was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of harassment and assault. Marvel has since axed Majors and spent “significantly more” than $80 million to lure Robert Downey Jr. back to the franchise as Doctor Doom. When we look back at the MCU’s downfall—wishful thinking, but bear with me— Quantumania will be remembered as the inflection point.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

Why it’s included: The Bad Vibes Canon wouldn’t be complete without the Greek Freak Yorgos Lanthimos. Even as Lanthimos has gone mainstream in recent years, he’s still one of our finest purveyors of eccentric, deeply uncomfortable cinema. There are a lot of great options in his filmography, but I’ve gone with The Killing of a Sacred Deer because of its combination of the deadpan, stilted dialogue of his early Greek films and the kind of star power he’s now associated with. In the movie, cardiac surgeon Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) meets with Martin Lang (Barry Keoghan), a teenager whose father died on Murphy’s operating table. Soon after, Martin gives Steven an ultimatum: He must choose one member of his family to kill; otherwise, they’ll all die from a mysterious, paralyzing disease. The predicament is harrowing, but also, in Lanthimos’s hands, morbidly funny, especially when all the characters recite the script’s wooden dialogue like artificial intelligence programs.

Worst vibe moment: There’s a scene when Steven’s wife, Anna (Nicole Kidman), visits Martin and pleads with him to put a stop to the strange illness affecting her children. An unmoved Martin proceeds to inhale a plate of spaghetti, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more disturbed by someone carbo-loading. Apologies to Barry Keoghan, I was not familiar with your game.

Super Dark Times (2017)

Why it’s included: Around the same time that Stranger Things burst onto the scene, basking in the warm glow of ’80s nostalgia, the indie psychological thriller Super Dark Times asked a question: What if Stand by Me were about a kid who accidentally killed someone? One day after school, teenage pals Josh (Charlie Tahan) and Zach (Owen Campbell) head into the woods to mess around with a katana that Josh’s older brother left at home—they’re accompanied by two other boys from school, Daryl (Max Talisman) and Charlie (Sawyer Barth). Then, the unthinkable happens: Josh fatally stabs Daryl, and the kids hide the body and the weapon. From there, Super Dark Times lingers on the guilt and paranoia the characters face until things take a turn that leads to some, well, even darker times.

Worst vibe moment: After the accident, Zach goes back to the scene of the crime and discovers that the katana’s gone missing. That, along with the fact that another kid from school died in what appeared to be an accident, leads Zach to surmise that Josh might be feeding some nascent homicidal urges. Sure enough, Zach tracks Josh down at the end of the movie and finds two girls from school, Allison (Elizabeth Cappuccino) and Meghan (Adea Lennox), tied up in a bedroom—Meghan, sadly, is already dead. Seeing a seasoned fighter wield a katana is one thing; it’s somehow more terrifying when a mentally unstable teenager is flailing around with one. Kids, don’t try this at home.

Oldboy (2003)

Why it’s included: Park Chan-wook remains one of cinema’s most gifted sickos, and Oldboy is considered his magnum opus—for good reason. The story concerns a businessman, Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), who is mysteriously kidnapped, framed for the murder of his wife, and kept in isolation for 15 years. When Oh Dae-su is set free, he sets about finding whoever is responsible, crossing paths with Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung), a young chef he falls in love with, before discovering his captor was Lee Woo-jin (Yoo Ji-tae), his former classmate in high school. At this point, Oldboy has the trappings of a classic revenge tale—complete with a hallway brawl that’s among the greatest action sequences ever filmed—and one expects Oh Dae-su to gain the upper hand against his adversary. Right?

Worst vibe moment: Well, about that. Dae-su learns that Woo-jin tortured him because, in high school, Dae-su saw Woo-jin committing incest with his sister. After the gossip spread throughout the school, Woo-jin’s sister died by suicide. Woo-jin’s master plan: Keep Dae-su confined for 15 years, until he was old enough to unwittingly have a sexual relationship with his own daughter … Mi-do. Dae-su is so distraught after learning the truth that he begs Woo-jin to keep the information from Mi-do, going so far as to cut out his tongue as penance. The first time I saw Oldboy , I reacted to the twist like I was Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer . This is a level of messed up that few movies can ever hope to aspire to. On the WTF incest front, Oldboy runs circles around Game of Thrones .

Memories of Murder (2003)

Why it’s included: As much as I adore Zodiac , there’s no denying Fincher’s masterpiece shares a lot of connective tissue with Memories of Murder , another serial killer drama in which answers are hard to come by. Directed and cowritten by the great Bong Joon-ho, Memories of Murder follows detectives Park Doo-man (Song Kang-ho) and Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung) as they investigate a string of rapes and murders in South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province. The film is loosely based on the country’s first confirmed serial murders, which, at the time of its release, remained unsolved. While there are moments of levity in Memories of Murder —particularly when the detectives repeatedly dropkick people —the lack of resolution hangs over the movie like a dark cloud.

Worst vibe moment: With Doo-man and Tae-yoon never finding the person responsible for the killings, Memories of Murder goes for an ambitious ending that, in a way, transcends the events of the film. Doo-man returns to the scene of the first crime in 2003—the murders start in 1986—and he talks to a little girl who recalls seeing a man visiting the same spot and reminiscing about what he’d done there in the past. That’s when Doo-man breaks the fourth wall by staring into the camera, a powerful send-off that feels like the character is looking for the culprit on the other end of the screen. Incredibly, the case was solved in 2019, when South Korean authorities arrested Lee Choon-jae, who confessed to murdering 14 people . But while it is a little comforting to know that the real-life killer was eventually apprehended, Memories of Murder remains a harrowing watch. If you’re in the mood for it, Zodiac and Memories of Murder would be the ultimate “he can’t keep getting away with it” double feature.

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Why it’s included: Despite his wholesome weather reports , David Lynch is a Bad Vibe connoisseur. However, we have only two films to choose from in the 21st century: Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire . (I thought about nominating Twin Peaks: The Return , but having another “is this TV or cinema?” debate would be a needless distraction; I’ll leave such concerns to the French .) With respect to Inland Empire ’s creepy-ass rabbits , Mulholland Drive is an all-timer that’s even beloved by critics who don’t know what the hell it’s about . Trying to explain what happens in Mulholland Drive is a losing battle, but I’ll give it a shot, anyway: Aspiring actress Betty Elms (Naomi Watts) arrives in Los Angeles and befriends an amnesiac woman (Laura Harring); the two then go about trying to solve the mystery of the woman’s identity. There’s also Justin Theroux as a filmmaker who has to deal with Billy Ray Cyrus sleeping with his wife and a gangster who has intense espresso opinions . (Just go with it.) If there are any answers to be found in Mulholland Drive , they’re probably multiple choice—the best way to experience the movie is by marinating in its surreal, dream-like vibes.

Worst vibe moment: There were many scenes to choose from, but there’s one moment that completely traumatized me: The One at the Diner. A man named Dan (Patrick Fischler) meets with his friend Herb (Michael Cooke) at Winkie’s Diner and tells him about a nightmare he had in which he encountered a sinister figure behind the establishment’s dumpster. Even though the scene takes place in broad daylight, and Dan tells you exactly what’s going to happen, it’s the stuff of nightmares when the monstrous entity pops into frame. (IMDb lists the character as, simply, Bum.) Fun fact: the actress behind the Bum, Bonnie Aarons, went on to play the demon nun Valak in The Conjuring franchise. Talk about a face for horror .

The Mist (2007)

Why it’s included: Failing to incorporate a Stephen King adaptation in the Bad Vibes Canon would’ve been a glaring oversight, and while there’s no shortage of films to pick from, The Mist is the clear front-runner. Based on King’s 1980 novella of the same name, The Mist sees a small town in Maine get enveloped in an ominous mist that’s home to Lovecraftian monsters. As the townsfolk sequestered in a grocery store face the unimaginable, an Evangelical fundamentalist uses the opportunity to preach about the End Times and how sacrifices must be made to appease the monsters. (This movie hit different during the pandemic.) The Mist is not unlike writer-director Frank Darabont’s work on The Walking Dead , where the real terror doesn’t come from monsters, but other people.

Worst vibe moment: Toward the end of The Mist , our protagonist David Drayton (Thomas Jane) leaves the grocery store with a handful of (non-fanatical) survivors and his son, Billy (Nathan Gamble). Unfortunately, the car they take soon runs out of gas, and with the mist surrounding them and no hope of escape, David pulls out a gun. There are five people in the car and only four bullets, so David opts to shoot everyone—including his own son—before venturing out into the mist and letting the monsters take him. However , just moments after doing the horrible deed, the mist disappears and the U.S. Army swoops in to save the day. My guy killed his son for nothing. The twist wasn’t even from the source material, but it was so soul-destroying that it got the Master of Horror’s seal of approval. “I thought that was terrific,” King told Yahoo Entertainment in 2017 . “It was so anti-Hollywood—anti-everything, really! It was nihilistic. I liked that.” Same, Stephen, same.

The Witch (2015)

Why it’s included: Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu remake is set to arrive on Christmas Day—nothing gets someone in the holiday spirit quite like an iconic vampire draining innocents of their blood—and if anyone wants a preview of coming attractions, check out The Witch . Eggers’s directorial debut is set in 1630s New England, where a family is banished from a Puritan settlement and makes a new life for themselves in the woods. As the title implies, the family comes under threat from a witch, and one of their goats—Black Phillip—turns out to be more than meets the eye. There are two ways to experience The Witch : one, by getting scared out of your mind from the eerie atmosphere, or two, by embracing the spooky vibes that will make you want to live deliciously . You can’t go wrong either way.

Worst vibe moment: When the family’s preteen son, Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), gets lost in the woods, he reaches the hovel of the titular witch. She takes the form of a seductive woman—played by real-life Playboy model Sarah Stephens—and Caleb is drawn to her. It’s hard to describe the dread you feel watching this scene for the first time; the sense that Caleb is being pulled in against his will and is a goner long before the witch plants an ominous kiss on his lips. I don’t think the term “fear boner” was around in Puritan times, but that’s the only way to explain what’s happening here. One sec, I’m getting a call from HR.

mother! (2017)

Why it’s included: When it comes to the films of Darren Aronofsky, the obvious choice would be Requiem for a Dream , a feel-bad classic that probably scared a whole generation of viewers off from ass play . (Wow, HR is really blowing up my phone.) But then there’s mother! , Aronofsky’s ambitious psychological horror film that made headlines for earning a rare F grade from CinemaScore. (Translation: Audiences absolutely hated it.) Where to begin with mother! ? The movie is ostensibly about, you guessed it, a mother (Jennifer Lawrence) whose life is disrupted by unwanted guests barging into her home. It can be viewed as a biblical allegory , but knowing what mother! ’s actually about doesn’t make it any less unpleasant to sit through. Frankly, this is a Mount Rushmore–level Bad Vibes movie.

Worst vibe moment: I can’t even begin to describe the anxiety that coursed through my body when two guests destroyed mother’s sink , but nothing that happens in the film compares to Aronofsky being so obsessed with the reviews for mother! that J-Law broke up with him . One of the worst instances of fumbling the bag you’ll ever see.

Kill List (2011)

Why it’s included: I’m not sure what compelled Ben Wheatley to direct a woeful adaptation of Rebecca and Meg 2: The Trench in the past four years, but for a time, the British auteur was one of the most exciting new faces in horror. His best film, Kill List , has been favorably compared to The Wicker Man , right down to its ritualistic climax (more on that shortly). Following British ex-soldiers Jay (Neil Maskell) and Gal (Michael Smiley) as they take an assignment as hitmen, Kill List slowly reveals that the characters have been dragged into the orbit of occultists. Even the people that Jay and Gal assassinate seem to be in on the act, showing gratitude for losing their lives. On a related note: Jay bludgeons someone to death with a hammer , a scene I would only recommend watching on an empty stomach.

Worst vibe moment: Heading to a secluded mansion to terminate the last person on their kill list, Jay and Gal find a group of masked cultists performing what appears to be a human sacrifice. One thing leads to another, and Gal is mortally wounded—Jay has to mercy kill his buddy—before Jay is knocked unconscious. When he comes to, Jay fights a masked figure known as the Hunchback, who wields a knife and slashes somewhat aimlessly in his direction. When Jay gets the upper hand, repeatedly stabbing the Hunchback, he removes its mask to discover that it was actually his wife, Shel (MyAnna Buring), and that their son, Sam (Harry Simpson), was strapped to her back. Midsommar stuffing Jack Reynor into a bear carcass and setting his ass on fire might be the most enduring image of 21st-century cult horror, but Kill List ending with a dude inadvertently killing his own family wins out in the Bad Vibes department.

Speak No Evil (2022)

Why it’s included: The remake’s coming out on Friday, and I want readers to know the original Speak No Evil is worth seeking out. Also: The movie is just, like, really fucked up. A quick refresher on the setup: Danish couple Bjorn and Louise (Morten Burian and Sidsel Siem Koch) and their daughter, Agnes (Liva Forsberg), meet Patrick and Karin (Fedja van Huet and Karina Smulders) and their son, Abel (Marius Damslev), on a vacation in Tuscany, and accept their new friends’ offer of spending a weekend with them. But things aren’t quite what they seem. The first of many warning signs during the getaway: Patrick and Karin start being passive-aggressive toward Bjorn and Louise and are cruel to their own son, who has congenital aglossia (born without a tongue).

Worst vibe moment: Bjorn finds photos of Patrick and Karin with other couples and their young children, including Abel. Bjorn deduces that Patrick and Karin are [ deep breath ] serial killers who abduct their latest victims’ child, cut out the child’s tongue, and then use the child as bait to keep the scheme going. (It’s much easier to trust people when they’ve got a cute little kid in tow.) When Bjorn eventually takes his family and drives away in the middle of the night, the car breaks down. Patrick and Karin follow them, and proceed to cut out Agnes’s tongue. Bjorn and Louise are then ordered to remove their clothes and are taken to a quarry where they’re stoned to death . This was my face throughout the final 15 minutes of the movie:

The moral of the story: DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, BEFRIEND STRANGERS ON VACATION.

Next Up In Movies

James earl jones’s best roles and five hidden gems, the vast universes of james earl jones’s voice.

Tolkien’s Music and Themes Across Middle-earth
Seth Meyers on Late Night’s Future, ‘SNL’ 50, and Lorne’s Successor
The Jets, ‘Rebel Ridge,’ a Great ‘Sopranos’ Doc, and Deion’s Rocky Year Two With Sean Fennessey and Van Lathan
The 10 Most Evocative Movie Presidents

Sign up for the The Ringer Newsletter

Thanks for signing up.

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

‘Slow Horses’ Season 4, Episode 2 With Gary Oldman!

Jo and Rob recap the second episode of ‘Slow Horses’ Season 4

Annual NFL QB–NBA Star Comps, Bryan Curtis on Brady’s Broadcast Debut and Debate Coverage, Plus Author Erik Larson

Erik Larson shares how he picks the stories for his books

‘The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras’ With Jordan Wiseley

Johnny is joined by friend and castmate Jordan Wiseley to discuss being disliked by other castmates, strategy, the toxic effects of social media on the game, and more

Following the passing of movie star James Earl Jones, Sean Fennessey reflects on his incredible career and highlights five of his favorite "hidden gem" performances

Darth Vader, Mufasa, CNN. The actor leaves a legacy that begins—but doesn’t end—with that booming delivery.

Tate of the Union, Is Aaron Rodgers Back, and the Most Recent College Football News

Tate is joined by a variety of guests to evaluate some headlines around the league

IMAGES

Movie Review: Meg 2: The Trench
'Meg 2: The Trench'
The Meg 2 The Trench Movie Review
Meg 2: The Trench movie review (2023)
"Meg 2: The Trench" 2023 4K UHD Movie Review
MEG 2: THE TRENCH (2023) Mega shark sequel

VIDEO

Meg 2: The Trench
"Meg 2: The Trench" Review
MEG 2: THE TRENCH (2023) Movie Review In 60 Seconds!
Meg 2 The Trench Full Hollywood Movie Action film HD In Hindi Dubbed Explained Story Facts Review
MEG 2: THE TRENCH
MEG 2: The Trench (2023) Full Movie 2023 Fact

COMMENTS

Meg 2: The Trench movie review (2023)
Meg 2: The Trench. 116 minutes ‧ PG-13 ‧ 2023. Anyone hoping that Ben Wheatley might bring some of the exuberant personality and boundary-pushing creativity on display in films like " Kill List " and " In the Earth " to his for-hire gig directing the dismally boring "Meg 2: The Trench" should find different cinematic waters to ...
Meg 2: The Trench
Rated: 2/4 • Oct 20, 2023. TOP CRITIC. Oct 5, 2023. Extinction was a kinder fate to Megalodon than this megalo-dung of a film. Rated: 1/5 • Jul 19, 2024. Meg 2: The Trench is more meg, good ...
'Meg 2: The Trench' Review: Gleefully Jumping the Shark
Meg 2: The Trench. Directed by Ben Wheatley. Action, Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller. PG-13. 1h 56m. Find Tickets. When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our ...
'The Meg 2: The Trench' Review: More Sharks, Less Bite
For a while, "The Meg 2" is a deep-sea-dive-gone-wrong thriller, waterlogged division, as Statham's Jonas leads a research expedition in a pair of submersibles down to the Mariana Trench ...
Meg 2: The Trench
Makes the first movie seem like Citizen Kane. Full Review | Original Score: D | Dec 27, 2023. A stilted and accidental farce, Meg 2: The Trench has laughable dialogue driving a film centered on ...
Meg 2: The Trench Review
Meg 2: The Trench Review ... Posted: Aug 3, 2023 7:00 pm. It pains this staunch The Meg defender and all-around shark-movie lover to report that Ben Wheatley's Meg 2: The Trench is a titanic ...
'Meg 2: The Trench' Review: Jason Statham Brings More Shark Mayhem
'Meg 2: The Trench' Review: Jason Statham Carries a Heavy Load in Patchy Prehistoric Shark Sequel. Director Ben Wheatley goes bigger with this follow-up to the surprise summer 2018 hit, this ...
Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
Meg 2: The Trench: Directed by Ben Wheatley. With Jason Statham, Jing Wu, Shuya Sophia Cai, Cliff Curtis. A research team encounters multiple threats while exploring the depths of the ocean, including a malevolent mining operation.
'Meg 2: The Trench' Review: Jason Statham Jumps Bigger Sharks
Rating: C+. The Big Picture. Meg 2: The Trench repeats some of the same mistakes as its predecessor, with a convoluted third act that bores rather than excites. The horror-focused sections of the ...
Meg 2: The Trench
Aug 4, 2023. Statham is continually up to the challenge, kicking, punching, and fighting people and sharks alike. He's on a run of mid-tier movies unlike anyone else in Hollywood, and once he gets going, jet-skiing around an island taking on three megs, the film finally transforms into pure entertainment. Read More.
Meg 2: The Trench Review
Meg 2: The Trench Review. When the natural barrier that separates prehistoric sea beasts from the rest of the ocean is breached, it releases multiple Megs - and more - on the world. Here are ...
'Meg 2: The Trench' review: Eventually, it's in on the joke
Review: Once it finds its sea legs, 'Meg 2: The Trench' is in on the joke. Jason Statham in the movie "Meg 2: The Trench.". Perhaps it was the effects of a bright blue "sharktastic ...
Meg 2: The Trench review: Jason Statham survives a swim in choppy
It lacks the drive, imagination, and sense of awe to work as a pastiche of Aliens, The Abyss, Jaws, and Jurassic Park. But the more fulsomely the movie embraces its big budget, DVD-era silliness ...
Meg 2: The Trench Review: A Big Shark Action Movie Without Nearly
Escalation is expected in sequels, and director Ben Wheatley's Meg 2: The Trench has all of the necessary ingredients. While its predecessor features a single Megalodon as the movie's source ...
'Meg 2: The Trench' review: Ben Wheatley hates you
And Meg 2: The Trench is packed with the cinematic equivalent of junk food. It's not that there's too much action, too high a body count, too much carnage. It's that there's so much of it that ...
Meg 2: The Trench Review
An anemic screenplay devoid of connective tissue between The Meg and Meg 2 quickly raises red flags. Georgaris and the Hoeber brothers sacrifice any semblance of thoughtful scripting as Jiuming's oceanic research project is infiltrated by technology-stealing rivals, churning through waterlogged action beats held together with seen-before storytelling chains rusted to the point of disintegration.
Meg 2: The Trench Review
Meg 2: The Trench is a production of CMC Pictures, DF Pictures, Di Bonaventura Pictures, and Apelles Entertainment. ... Movie and TV Reviews. The Meg 2. Your changes have been saved. Email is sent.
Movie Review: 'Meg 2: The Trench'
And if you're willing to put up with the more ridiculous elements, it's worth the dive, even if it isn't a deep one despite the title. 'Meg 2: The Trench' receives 7 out of 10 stars ...
Meg 2: The Trench
Meg 2: The Trench (United States/China, 2023) August 04, 2023 A movie review by James Berardinelli. When The Meg was released in 2018, it did strong enough international business to warrant a sequel. Although not entering blockbuster territory, it crossed the $100M mark in both the United States and China, reassuring producers that the ...
Meg 2: The Trench Review
August 3, 2023. By. Meagan Navarro. The biggest complaint about 2018's The Meg, an American and Chinese co-production loosely based on author Steve Alten's novel, was that it lacked bite. The ...
Meg 2: The Trench Movie Review
Our review: Parents say (10 ): Kids say (8 ): A tiny improvement over its predecessor, this giant-shark sequel sometimes seems to be reveling in its own B movie-ness, but it also falls victim to lazy turns of plot and routine action. For Meg 2: The Trench, subversive director Ben Wheatley takes over from The Meg 's safer Jon Turteltaub, and he ...
Meg 2: The Trench
Meg 2: The Trench (titled Shark 2 in some territories [2]) is a 2023 science fiction action film directed by Ben Wheatley and a sequel to The Meg (2018), based on the 1999 novel The Trench by Steve Alten.Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, and Dean Georgaris all return as writers from the first film, with Jason Statham, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, and Cliff Curtis reprising their roles alongside Wu Jing ...
Meg 2: The Trench Should Have Been Stupider
Movie Review: Meg 2: The Trench is a sequel to the 2018 hit The Meg, in which Jason Statham fought a prehistoric megalodon shark. Now, he's back, and the sharks are back, but the fun is only ...
Meg 2: The Trench [SteelBook] [4k Ultra HD Blu-ray] [Only
2 star rating. 4 reviews 2 4. 1 star rating. 3 reviews 1 3. 88%. would recommend to a friend. ... The movie meg to the trench was a really good movie and had actors from the first movie. It was a little bit different than the first one. This one had an octopus in it a very big octopus. It was a very intense movie.
The Meg
The film received mixed reviews from critics, but was a box office success, grossing over $530 million worldwide against a production budget of $130 million. A sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, was released in 2023, with Georgaris and the Hoebers returning as writers and Statham, Curtis, Sophia Cai and Page Kennedy reprising their roles.
The Meg 2: The Trench
The Meg 2: The Trench (engl. Meg 2: The Trench) on vuonna 2023 ensi-iltansa saanut Ben Wheatleyn ohjaama kiinalais-yhdysvaltalainen toimintaelokuva.Sen käsikirjoittivat Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber ja Dean Georgaris. Se perustuu Steve Altenin romaaniin The Trench.Elokuvan päärooleissa näyttelevät Jason Statham ja Wu Jing.Se on jatko-osa elokuvalle Megalodon (2018) ja kertoo samaan tapaan ...
The 21st-Century Bad Vibes Movie Canon
You're probably familiar with the concept of feel-good movies: the tried-and-true serotonin boosters that can improve your mood in the midst of a bad day, week, or, God forbid, month.

Meg 2: The Trench

Brian Tallerico

Writer (screen story by)

Cinematographer

Writer (based on the novel "The Trench" by)

Leave a comment

Megalopolis

The Last of the Sea Women

The Wild Robot

We Live in Time

Look Into My Eyes

The Front Room

Matt and Mara

The Thicket

The Mother of All Lies

TIFF 2024: Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Elton John: It’s Not Too Late, Paul Anka: His Way

TIFF 2024: Unstoppable, Triumph, April

TIFF 2024: Table of Contents

TIFF 2024: Paying For It, Viktor, Mr. K

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ Review: Gleefully Jumping the Shark

‘The Meg 2: The Trench’ Review: More Sharks, Less Bite

Owen Gleiberman

Related Stories

4D Movie Tech Lacks Consumer Awareness: Survey

PBS Documentary Series 'Independent Lens' Reveals Fall Slate of Films (EXCLUSIVE)

Reviewed at Regal Essex Crossing, August 2, 2022. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 116 MIN.

More from Variety

Bestselling Author Amish Tripathi, Gaming Veteran Nouredine Abboud Unite for ‘The Age of Bharat’ Gaming Franchise Set in Ancient India (EXCLUSIVE)

Disney’s Theme Parks Problem Is a Monster of Its Own Making

‘Star Wars Outlaws’ Video Game Star Humberly González on Being the First Latina Lead in Franchise History and Hopes for a TV Adaptation

Why Studios Still Haven’t Licensed Movies and TV Shows to Train AI

Bethenny Frankel’s Longtime Home in the Hamptons Is Hitting the Market for $6 Million

Trump-Harris Debate Outdraws All NFL Games Besides Super Bowls

The Best Loofahs and Body Scrubbers, According to Dermatologists

Eminem Opens 2024 MTV VMAs With New Army of Slim Shady Clones — Watch and Grade ‘Houdini’

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Email not verified

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Meg 2: The Trench Reviews

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

site categories

David Rooney

Related Stories

Full credits

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Meg 2: The Trench

Top cast 38

More like this

Did you know

User reviews 648

Technical specs

Related news

More to explore

'Meg 2: The Trench' Review: Jason Statham Jumps Bigger Sharks for Our Entertainment

'Meg 2: The Trench' Takes Us Deeper Into Horror

'Meg 2: The Trench' Fails to Deliver Engaging Action

The Big Picture

The Meg 2: The Trench

Meg 2: The Trench Review

Related Articles

Review: Once it finds its sea legs, ‘Meg 2: The Trench’ is in on the joke

More to Read

Review: Bringing things back to basics, ‘Alien: Romulus’ leans into the horror and the goo

Review: ‘Inside Out 2’ entertains but takes only a baby step into the wilds of adolescence

Review: Kinetic ‘Monkey Man’ announces a bold new action director, one you already know

More From the Los Angeles Times

Woody Harrelson wants snacks, soft drinks at his cannabis cafe. He needs Newsom’s signature

Tyrese Gibson says ‘arrest’ after being found in contempt of court was ‘very traumatic’

James Earl Jones, who voiced Darth Vader in ‘Star Wars’ and starred in ‘Field of Dreams,’ dies at 93

Harvey Weinstein is in recovery following emergency heart surgery

Meg 2: The Trench review: Jason Statham survives a swim in choppy waters

Meg 2: The Trench Review: A Big Shark Action Movie Without Nearly Enough Big Shark Action

Were you hoping for prehistoric monster mayhem from Meg 2? Adjust your expectations.

With underwhelming action, Meg 2's dull characters and plotting are even more noticeable.

Meg 2: The Trench wants to just be seen as dumb fun, but it doesn't earn it.

Most Popular

Meg 2: The Trench Review: A Glorious Prehistoric Shark Feeding Frenzy

Rebel Ridge Review: This Is How You F*cking Do It

Jason Statham returns as Jonas Taylor

A Tourist Buffet