Chum was a cheesy shark adventure smashed together with a kidnapping and it oh so desperately made me miss the Syfy channel. Now, this isn’t a dig at Chum. Neither is it a dig at the Syfy channel. Because I know what Chum is. It’s entertainment at its purest form told from people who were having fun and probably love shark movies as much as I do. And that’s what makes me miss what Syfy channel used to do when it came to their shark movies.
Back when Syfy was doing a lot of original programming, it had a side business of a bunch of crazy shark movies that went beyond Sharknado. You had Sharktopus (and its many sequels), Ghost Shark, and even Avalanche Sharks. All of them were crazier than the last one and there was this B movie aspect to everything from the special effects to the acting and storyline. And the reason why these movies continue to work is that they know that they’re B-grade creature features and they embrace it. So as a viewer you can’t help but embrace it as well.
Through my love for unhinged Syfy channel movies is how I viewed Alice Eve’s shark movie Chum.
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At the heart of this movie you have a relationship that is falling apart during what is supposed to be a happy occasion. And they end up crossing paths with a sailor who wants revenge on a shark who killed his partner. The story is cookie cutter, and you can tell that this is a redemption story of sorts for the female lead with everyone else basically being disposable. But because I looked at it through a love for the Syfy channel, it was a light watch where I didn’t have to use my brain, not 1%. But the kidnapping twist did surprise me, not going to lie.
When it comes to the actual shark, Chum did take a little bit more time in attention to detail. But they really did lean into the CGI of it all for everything else that was happening during this mishmash shark movie thriller. And you could tell that that wasn’t on fire, and no that didn’t sink, and yeah that wound isn’t even remotely real. But as a veteran of shark movies, it makes sense because they’re filming out on the ocean in Malta. And the last thing you want is to create a dangerous situation for your actors just so it can look better on camera.
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Chum isn’t going to win any awards. And it will inevitably end up on a list of B movie shark movies. But if you like this genre and you’re looking to be entertained for a little bit with the most basic stereotypes and tropes, Chum isn’t a bad watch. It’s just a little bit forgettable in a landscape where we have movies like Ice Sharks and Two-Headed Shark Attack.
Chum his theaters and video-on-deman on June 5, 2026.
