The internet has a new obsession, and it involves a lot of teeth and a very unlucky flight. Director Renny Harlin, the mastermind behind ”s cult classic ‘Deep Blue Sea’, is officially trending after details emerged about his latest project, ‘Deep Water’. If you thought a simple plane crash was scary enough, Harlin is asking: “What if we added sharks?”
The film, which stars Aaron Eckhart and acting royalty Ben Kingsley, is already being dubbed a “sharksploitation schlockbuster” by early viewers. Social media users on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok are having a field day with the premise, which feels like a fever-dream mashup of ‘Jaws’, ‘The Poseidon Adventure’, and ‘Airport ”.
A s Throwback with a Modern Twist
The buzz started when fans noticed the classic disaster-movie tropes packed into the script. We have the “flawed hero” in Aaron Eckhart’s Ben, a first officer with a chip on his shoulder and a heart of gold. Then there is the “obnoxious passenger” Dan (played by Angus Sampson), who single-handedly causes the catastrophe by stuffing a faulty charging device into his luggage.
“Between the guy smoking at the gate and the exploding phone charger, this movie is a PSA for why we can’t have nice things at , feet,” one fan joked on Instagram.
However, the biggest talking point online has been the casting of -year-old Sir Ben Kingsley as the captain of a long-haul flight from LA to Shanghai. Given that the real-world retirement age for commercial pilots is , the internet couldn’t help but chime in. “Would you board a plane flown by an -year-old?” asked one viral post, sparking a thread of hilarious “I’d trust Ghandi with my life” memes.
Chaos in the Cabin
According to those who have seen the footage, Harlin hasn’t lost his touch when it comes to high-octane action. The crash sequence is being described as “every aerophobic flier’s worst nightmare.”
The tension escalates from a cargo fire to gas canisters ricocheting through the cabin and luggage becoming lethal projectiles. It is the kind of cinematic chaos that reminds fans of Harlin’s ‘Die Hard ‘ days. One user noted, “It is basically ️. I don’t need a translator, I just need popcorn.”
From the Skies to the Sharks
Once the plane hits the Pacific, the movie shifts from ‘Sully’ to ‘Shark Week’. The survivors find themselves perched on a coral reef as mako sharks begin to circle. While some critics say the “bloodletting and severed limbs” are routine for the genre, fans of B-movie horror are living for the “toothsome” mayhem.
The film also features a diverse supporting cast, including Australian veteran Kate Fitzpatrick and Chinese stars Zhao Simei and Li Wenhan. The inclusion of an Esports team and a “feisty grandmother” who makes meta-references to disaster movie queen Shelley Winters has added a layer of campy fun that the internet is eating up.
Behind the Scenes Drama
Adding to the online intrigue is the movie’s complicated history. Originally planned as a sequel to the “sharks-in-a-supermarket” movie ‘Bait’, the project was shelved for years due to its uncomfortable similarities to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight .
Now that it is finally arriving, the conversation is shifting toward its potential as a streaming hit. While the “green screen removal” and “shaky American accents” (it was filmed in New Zealand and the Canary Islands) might not win an Oscar, the sheer audacity of the plot is enough to keep people clicking.
As one fan put it: “Is it high art? No. Am I going to watch Aaron Eckhart fight a mako shark with a piece of fuselage? Absolutely.”
