Great White is a 2021 Australian survival horror film written by Michael Boughen and directed by Martin Wilson. It stars Katrina Bowden, Aaron Jakubenko, Tatjana Marjanovic and Kimie Tsukakoshi.
Michelle Minase is attempting to fulfill her grandfather's last wishes by scattering his ashes on a remote reef off the Australian coast: the site of shipwreck of which he was the only survivor. Accompanied by her husband Joji, she engages charter pilot Charlie Brody to fly her out there. Along with Kaz Fellowes, Charlie's girlfriend/business partner, and Benny, the company cook, they travel to Hell's Reef. However, what should have been a pleasant afternoon's picnic and commemoration of Michelle's grandfather is marred by the gruesome discovery of the body of a shark attack victim. A freak accident leaves the five travellers stranded in a life raft 150 kms offshore. And then, as night falls, an 8 metre great white shark starts circling the raft...
Not to be confused with the 1980 Italian Jaws rip-off The Last Shark, also known as Great White. Or with the American rock band.
Great White tropes:
- Asian Rudeness: Jijo is consistently obnoxious, opinionated, superior, demanding and condescending from the moment he arrives, up until he accidentally causes Benny's death.
- Black Dude Dies First: There are five main characters: two Caucasians, two Asians, and a Pacific Islander. Benny, the Pacific Islander, is the first one to get taken by the shark.
- Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie: Michelle is travelling to Hell's Reef so she can disperse her grandfather's ashes there: his last wish being to be laid to rest with his shipmates who did not survive the shipwreck there.
- Dead Hat Shot: After Benny is grabbed by the shark and dragged under, his medallion is shown floating on the surface.
- Extremely Short Timespan: The main action takes place over three days. Even including the teaser, the entire film only covers approx. five days (after finding the body, Benny estimates the man has been dead for about a day and a half).
- Flare Gun: When they battle the shark underwater, Charlie gets Kaz to fire the flare gun into the shark's mouth to distract it while he comes at it from behind and attempts to stab it between the eyes.
- From Dress to Dressing: Jijo rips the sleeve off his shirt and uses it to bandage Michelle's blistered hands.
- I Don't Like the Sound of That Place: Hell's Reef. It's official name is Imperious Reef, but the locals have been calling it Hell's Reef since the 1950s when a pearl lugger was wrecked there, and only one member of the 18 man crew survived.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: During the climax, the second shark chases Kaz into the shipwreck. When it gets wedged in the structure of the wreck, Kaz is able to dislodge a broken beam so that it falls and impales the shark.
- Imperiled in Pregnancy: Kaz tells Charlie that she is pregnant on the beach at Hell's Reef. It is immediately after this that the seaplane is sunk and the group finds itself trapped in a life raft being circled by a Threatening Shark. Needless to say, all of Charlie's protective instincts kick into overdrive.
- Improvised Weapon: Charlie tapes a knife to the handle of the paddle to make an improvised harpoon to try and drive off the shark.
- Jerkass: Jijo is consistently obnoxious, opinionated, superior, demanding and condescending from the moment he arrives, up until he accidentally causes Benny's death.
- Leg Focus: For most of the film, Kaz long legs are showcased by her tight white shorts, and any time she ends in the water, there are close-ups of her legs kicking.
- Men Are the Expendable Gender: None of the male group members make it out alive while both women survive the ordeal.
- Nautical Knockout: The woman in the teaser climbs on to the yacht to escape the shark, but the fraying rope holding the boom snaps and the swinging boom smacks her in the head: knocking her out and knocking her back into the water.
- Oh, Crap!: After paddling through the night in the slowly deflating life raft, Michelle finally sees the shore in front of her. Turning to tell Charlie and Kaz, and then lets out a soft "Oh fuck" as sees two shark fins rapidly approaching the raft from behind.
- The Radio Dies First: When the seaplane starts sinking, Charlie tries desperately to send a mayday, but the plane sinks, taking the radio with it, before he can determine if he got through.
- Shark Fin of Doom: The major Oh, Crap! moment occurs when, after paddling through the night in the slowly deflating life raft, Michelle finally sees the shore in front of her. Turning to tell Charlie and Kaz, and then lets out a soft "Oh fuck" as sees two shark fins rapidly approaching the raft from behind.
- Teaser-Only Character: The teaser features a pair of tourists who have anchored their yacht at Hell's Reef. They become the first victims of the eponymous shark. They only appear again as corpses.
- Threatening Shark: After the seaplane is sunk, the five passengers are stranded in a life raft being circled by a giant great white shark.
- Underwater Kiss: They don't actually kiss, but Charlie and Kaz lean into each other and touch foreheads underwater just before they part to attempt to deal with the second shark. Later Michelle kisses Kaz to transfer air to when she is trapped in the shipwreck.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Jijo is afraid of water, making being stranded in a small life raft 150 kms offshore, with a great white shark circling, pretty much his worst nightmare.
