Born from a single, nightmarish image — a lone raft of soldiers hunted by something sinister beneath the waves — Beast of War is the latest savage offering from Wyrmwood and Sting director Kiah Roache-Turner. Far more than your standard monster mash, this is a brutal meditation on silence, violence, isolation, and the disintegration of identity under pressure. As of this article’s publication, the film has reeled in a whopping 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Set in the blistering crucible of World War II, the film maroons a group of Australian soldiers in the shark-infested Timor Sea after their ship is destroyed. With a merciless sun overhead, a sinking makeshift raft beneath them, and a ginormous apex predator circling the wreckage, Beast of War strips survival horror to the bone — tearing into themes of masculinity, race, power, and trauma..
Hitting theaters and digital platforms this Friday, October 10th, through Well Go USA, Beast of War ditches the flares and frills for a leaner, meaner descent into saltwater terror. In anticipation of the film’s release, CinemaChords’ Ashley Northey caught up with writer-director Kiah Roache-Turner to dissect the twisted psychology of endurance when men are pushed to their absolute limits.
